MSP Boundaries With Aggressive Vendors (EP 1038)

I dig into real-world MSP stories, from fixing “just the Wi-Fi” for a court reporting client to wrestling with a digital logger at a small airport, and I share why I lean on Windows tools like netstat and NBTSTAT when you don’t have fancy test gear handy. I also draw a hard line on vendor etiquette, calling out aggressive outreach, hidden billing, broken partner portals, and the need for respectful, grown-up partner relationships.
I share some summer MSP war stories—court reporters with broken Wi-Fi, a small airport’s noisy digital logger, and my go-to Windows commands for quick network checks—and then I get honest about vendor behavior that crosses the line.
From hidden billing and broken portals to reps calling my wife’s cell phone, I lay out what respectful partnership should actually look like in our channel.
=== Chapters
- 01:05 Show Kickoff and Summer Plans
- 05:00 Managed Switches Versus Real Problems
- 10:11 Airport Logger Troubleshooting
- 15:32 Netstat as a Quick Diagnostic
- 26:34 Vendor Complaints and Boundaries
- 44:31 Partner Portals and Wrap-Up
=== Companies / Vendors / Products / Books
- TechCon Unplugged: https://www.techconunplugged.com
- Learn netstat: https://www.ionos.com/digitalguide/server/tools/introduction-to-netstat/
- Ruckus Networks (CommScope): https://www.commscope.com/ruckus
- SonicWall: https://www.sonicwall.com
- AppRiver: https://www.appriver.com
- Pax8: https://www.pax8.com
- ZoomInfo: https://www.zoominfo.com
- Google Business Profile: https://www.google.com/business
- Microsoft / Microsoft 365 / Microsoft Teams: https://www.microsoft.com
- NetAlly EtherScope: https://www.netally.com/etherscope-nxg
- NetAlly LinkRunner: https://www.netally.com/linkrunner-10g
=== SPONSORS:
- Livestream Partner, ThreatLocker: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/threatlocker
- Technology Partner, NetAlly: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/netally/
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- Travel Partner: TruGrid: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/trugrid
- Digital Partner, Designer Ready: http://itbusinesspodcast.com/designerready
=== SHOW MUSIC:
- Item Title: Upbeat & Fun Sports Rock Logo
- Item URL: https://elements.envato.com/upbeat-fun-sports-rock-logo-CSR3UET
- Author Username: AlexanderRufire
- Item License Code: 7X9F52DNML
=== Connect with Uncle Marv
🌐 Website: https://www.itbusinesspodcast.com/
🎙 Host: Marvin Bee
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☕ Support the show: https://ko-fi.com/itbusinesspodcast
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