So I work at a small computer repair shop now.. my boss wants me to setup a back room for repairs.. im thinking so far 4 different tables, with 4 monitors, using switches for keyboards,etc couple screwdriver/jeweler screwdriver kits psu tester electronic air blower console tools os cds/tuneup and antivirus stuff like hirens/virus removal programs etc 1 soldering workbench (basic capacitor/laptop ac charger port repairs) 1 hardrive recovery computer station (dualbooting) 1 computer station.. for (???) (dualbooting) [to remove viruses/crap with ubuntu?] what else is needed and or recommended and what kind of stuff should the computer station be used for (besides internet/storage)
It kind of depends on how much room you have, if you are limited on space a KVM is the way to go. I prefer each computer having its own monitor, I like to see everything as it is happening, and I am less likely to forget about something that is running. We have: 8 desktop stations with monitors, keyboard, and mouse, and network. Most are USB, but we keep some PS2 stuff around because we always need it. 1 Laptop island, it can hold 6 laptops, and has power and Ethernet in the middle. 4 diagnostic stations. these are just mobos mounted to boards with the basic stuff to allow hard drives to be tested and cloned. 1 disassembly area, this is just a large counter area with a lot of tools, for taking apart laptops, external hard drives, and anything else. it also is the soldering station. 3 Ubuntu desktops dedicated for recovery with ddrescue. 4 computers for research, entering notes, checking people in and out. 1 large laptop storage tower, one side holds laptops waiting repair, and the other side for completed. 1 rhino rack for completed desktops. I will try to snap some pictures and post them later when I go into the shop. Right now all I have is a 4 year old picture of how much space we started with, when we still used a KVM.
Here are some pics of our current setup Maybe these will give you some ideas Laptop storage, the other side is identical, we use one side for incoming and one for outgoing. Desktop repair bench Laptop island Data recovery stations Underside of the desktop repair, I like it this way so a chair can slide under it. Computer mounted on a board for testing and imaging drives disassembly area/tool wall/ soldering area
I'm a Network Admin (on the support side) at a 1800+ user company that's global but man, I think I'd have more fun doing what you do Adam... oh well.
thanks ill take some pics at work.. you helped alot.. hideous i doubt it.. trust me you see ALOT of reformatting screens you guys have a soldering station/reflowing station?
Hideous - Some days I wish I just had a normal job like yours, and other days I like what I do a lot more. I don't do as much work in the shop as I used to, I spend a lot of time doing small business support on-site. Funkgab - We just have a basic weller soldering iron with temp control. I do have a hot air rework station I bought from ebay, but it only worked a couple times, now it doesn't even power on. We don't do any crazy soldering, just DC jacks, and other simple stuff. I have fixed a red ringed xbox with a heatgun, but only for a friend, we would never do that to a customer computer.
oh i shouldn't have showed that to my boss.. now i'm in charge of making the shop something like yours.. i'll take some pictures of our mess.. what are you guys doing for parts? our customers majority are very very impatient koreans :| we have a local part source for cd drives and hardrives, but with motherboards and inverters and such were having certain problems because people want cheapest possible so were looking somewhere like ebay and fry's only has certain parts avaiable we do have a infared reflow station in the ordering and we have 2 servers planned out
We just get parts from Newegg, we try to keep a minimal inventory, and only sell parts with paid repairs. For inverters and screens, we have some reliable sellers on ebay we buy from, but will look wherever we have to for hard to find parts. We just changed a trackpad on a Toughbook, that was a pain in the ass to find. We never replace mobos, we replace bad caps all the time, but if it's something else on the mobo, it's pretty much always better to get a new computer.
