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Posted: 2021-06-26 12:19 AM . Last Modified: 2024-03-19 02:59 AM
[There doesn't seem to be a forum area here for discussing general APC topics, as opposed to specific products. So, feel free to move or delete this as appropriate.]
There are a number of things that are at least inconvenient and sometimes rise to the level of annoyances, particularly when I'm researching something to post a helpful reply for someone here. These are just a few off the "top of my head". As I think of more, I'll add them if this topic remains open. This is just for the main APC web site. The forums are another can of worms which I will leave unopened. All of these were confirmed under the latest versions of IE, Firefox and Chrome on Windows 7.
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Posted: 2021-07-01 06:11 PM
As people may have noticed, I haven't participated here in ages. I was happy to just fade away, but then I got a cheerful "Did we solve your question" email saying that new information was posted to this topic and I should review it.
So, I migrated my old APC forums account and all I can say is "same old, same old".
Since I'm here, let me point out that the APC web site is FAR WORSE than it was back when I made my original post. Going to https://www.apc.com and clicking on Support / Product Documents & Software / Software/Firmware gets me to a list of selection boxes. Drilling down to the AP9631 network management card, I am offered firmware 6.5.0, ONLY for a Symmetra 3-phase UPS, supposedly updated 6/15/21. Never mind that I'm currently running 6.9.4 from September 2020 on a single phase Symmetra - according to the web site, 6.5.0 is the newest, release just last month. WRONG!
Also on that download list are the IP Wizard and Security Wizard, both erroneously listed as "Not available in United States", also with bogus 2021 dates.
Back when I was a regular participant in this community, I complained regularly that the main web site was a triumph of design over any sort of usability, and it has gone downhill from there. It used to be possible to bypass all of the web site nonsense and just FTP the latest files from ftp.apc.com, but some years ago someone decided it was no longer useful to keep that area updated, and at this point ftp.apc.com doesn't even resolve.
The combination of the total mismanagement of the web site, combined with design deficiencies in APC products, have caused me to no longer recommend APC products to customers, and in fact I've been pulling out APC hardware and scrapping it due to the combination of not being able to download updates and multiple equipment failures. At the site I'm at right now, 10 UPS systems have been scrapped out (including 3 Symmetras) as well as 6 switched rack PDUs. At the next site I'm going to, a Symmetra, 4 ATS and 16 switched rack PDUs are being dumpstered. And so on. I just can't deal with the stream of "the UPS dropped the load for no reason", "the computer room smells like something is burning" and so on from my customers any more.
I used to defend APC when people complained about the lack of schematics or any real post-warranty support all, saying that it could be justified due to proprietary concerns. That happened even after APC "cost optimized" their products to the point that they became no better than (and, in quite a few cases, inferior to) their competition. I hate to say it, but you're managing to make Liebert look good.
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Posted: 2021-06-26 12:20 AM . Last Modified: 2024-03-19 02:59 AM
Hi Terry,
I will look into the first issue. apc.com knowledge base links were working properly but there are these other formats below for direct URLS that appear to be still working as they should and not re-directing to the landing page after. I happened to notice this today before I read your post actually.
http://www.schneider-electric.com/support/index?page=content&country=US〈=en&locale=en_US&id=FA164769
http://www.schneider-electric.us/support/index?page=content&country=US〈=en&locale=en_US&id=FA164769
Tech support shares your annoyance on that one though. I believe we are getting a new apc.com website soon but I'll pass along your other comments to our operations team. Thank you for taking the time and caring enough to put the feedback together.
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Posted: 2021-06-26 12:20 AM . Last Modified: 2024-03-19 02:59 AM
By the way, these types of issues are in no way limited to APC. I just bring them up here because there's a good chance they'll get fixed once the right people start looking at it (which Angela already set in motion).
I could say the same (and worse) about sites like CNN, eBay, etc. but I'd be ranting at the sky because there is no way they'll fix anything.
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Posted: 2021-06-26 12:20 AM . Last Modified: 2024-03-19 02:59 AM
Hi Terry,
Someone put a ticket in about the Software & Firmware downloads page issue you highlighted. We are also looking into the apc.com specific URL for FAQ but in the meantime those other FAQ URL formats I mentioned should still be working if you put the FA ID at the end.
The rest of the feedback has gone to the project team working on a revamp of apc.com which I understand is due towards the end of this year. That way, we hopefully don't have the same issues on our more modern apc.com release.
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Posted: 2021-06-26 12:20 AM . Last Modified: 2024-03-19 02:59 AM
I realize this is an old post but it is also one of the very few mentioning bookmark. How does one bookmark a post in this forum?
I've read about a faint start appearing next to the poster's name but it isn't there anymore as described in an old article?
Thanks
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Posted: 2021-06-26 12:20 AM . Last Modified: 2024-03-19 02:59 AM
Here's another "I realize this is an old post" but this seems to be the only forum feedback thread on tap. It's just a request for a list of your old posts, or zero if there are none,
Thing is, can't remember if there were any of mine at all there was for someone with the same username as mine who was very active around ten years ago.
It's not all that important anyway- it's just that my account seems to have been active for some time- but no posts appear to have ever been issued from it. The reason for that which first comes to mind, is that at that time, Google became my friend before there ever was a need to post at all!
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Posted: 2021-06-26 12:20 AM . Last Modified: 2024-03-19 02:59 AM
Update: The forum S/W is now showing some of my old activity in the Activity Stream section.
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Posted: 2021-07-01 06:11 PM
As people may have noticed, I haven't participated here in ages. I was happy to just fade away, but then I got a cheerful "Did we solve your question" email saying that new information was posted to this topic and I should review it.
So, I migrated my old APC forums account and all I can say is "same old, same old".
Since I'm here, let me point out that the APC web site is FAR WORSE than it was back when I made my original post. Going to https://www.apc.com and clicking on Support / Product Documents & Software / Software/Firmware gets me to a list of selection boxes. Drilling down to the AP9631 network management card, I am offered firmware 6.5.0, ONLY for a Symmetra 3-phase UPS, supposedly updated 6/15/21. Never mind that I'm currently running 6.9.4 from September 2020 on a single phase Symmetra - according to the web site, 6.5.0 is the newest, release just last month. WRONG!
Also on that download list are the IP Wizard and Security Wizard, both erroneously listed as "Not available in United States", also with bogus 2021 dates.
Back when I was a regular participant in this community, I complained regularly that the main web site was a triumph of design over any sort of usability, and it has gone downhill from there. It used to be possible to bypass all of the web site nonsense and just FTP the latest files from ftp.apc.com, but some years ago someone decided it was no longer useful to keep that area updated, and at this point ftp.apc.com doesn't even resolve.
The combination of the total mismanagement of the web site, combined with design deficiencies in APC products, have caused me to no longer recommend APC products to customers, and in fact I've been pulling out APC hardware and scrapping it due to the combination of not being able to download updates and multiple equipment failures. At the site I'm at right now, 10 UPS systems have been scrapped out (including 3 Symmetras) as well as 6 switched rack PDUs. At the next site I'm going to, a Symmetra, 4 ATS and 16 switched rack PDUs are being dumpstered. And so on. I just can't deal with the stream of "the UPS dropped the load for no reason", "the computer room smells like something is burning" and so on from my customers any more.
I used to defend APC when people complained about the lack of schematics or any real post-warranty support all, saying that it could be justified due to proprietary concerns. That happened even after APC "cost optimized" their products to the point that they became no better than (and, in quite a few cases, inferior to) their competition. I hate to say it, but you're managing to make Liebert look good.
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