MBARARA UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

INSTITUTE OF COMPUTER SCIENCE

INDUSTRIAL TRAINING REPORT
By
AHIMBISIBWE BAKER
Reg.No.2009/BCE/003/PS
Tel.; +25677447374/+256704463610
Email: ahimbisibwe.baker@yahoo.com
Carried Out At
Rimpscom Company Limited
Supervisors:
Rimpscom Supervisor
Lubega phaisal
Tel: +256783763778, Email: lubephaisal@rimpscom.co.ug
MUST Supervisor
Aggrey Obbo
Tel: +256771674120, Email:aobbo@must.ac.ug
June to August 2012

Declaration

I Ahimbisibwe Baker hereby declare that this field attachment report is

original and has never been submitted to any other higher institution of
learning before. Whoever reproduces it by any identified means such as
photocopying, printing, scanning or any other, whole or part of it will face
legal circumstances.

Signed

Date

Approval
This industrial training report has been submitted for examination to
Mbarara University of Science and Technology by;
Signed
Date...
Company supervisor: Mr. Phaisal Lubega
Signed
Date...
University supervisor: Mr. Aggrey Obbo

ii

Dedication
This industrial training report is dedicated to the almighty God for having
guided me throughout this training and to my dear father for his endless
and tireless support he has given me may God reward his efforts.

iii

Acknowledgement
In the first place, i would like to thank the almighty God who has protected
me up this far, given me the energy, wisdom, courage and strength
throughout my industrial training period.
I extend my sincere gratitude to the staff and management of Rimpscom
Uganda Limited especially the technical department for all the cooperation
and friendly treatment that was given to us during internship .I am highly
obliged to Mr. Lubega Phaisal for his noble spontaneous and timely help
that carried out me throughout my endeavor and finally made a great
success of the training. I also wish to thank my fellow interns i worked with;
they were creative, encouraging and cooperative through exchange of ideas
and advice that has enabled me come up with the report.

iv

Short summary/Abstract
This report describes what Rimpscom Company is and its activities it
renders to clients; critically it looks at different types of skills achieved
during the industrial training undertaken. It talks about the practical
aspects of the training which actually is what is required of a student. This
report was a collection of the daily work compiled and executed from the
commencement of the training to the end. It gives an account of work
performed, lessons learnt and challenges in different areas. The report
entails more about diagnosing and troubleshooting personal computers,
networks, setting up local networks where necessary, Backing up of data,
Disassembling and reassembling of computer, Installation of programs
(software) like windows operating system windows XP II & III and windows
2007, 0ffice 2003, 2007, antivirus, drivers and other software, Repairs and
maintenance of personal computers that were at Rimpscom company
limited, configuration networks.Hard ware and software programming.

Acronyms /List of abbreviations

ICS
NIC
CPU

Institute of Computer Science

Network Interface Card
Central Processing Unit

DDR

Double Data Rate.

CPU

Central Processing Unit

LAN

Local Area Network

NIC

Network Interface Card

SATA
IP
OS
MAN

Serial Advanced Technology Attachment

Internet Protocol
Operating System
Metropolitan Area Network

WAN

Wide Area Network

SDRAM

Synchronous DRAM

DRAM

Dynamic RAM

RAM
DC

Random Access Memory

Direct Current

RAM

Random Access Memory

ATX

Advanced Technology eXtended

STP

Shielded Twisted Pair

vi

UTP
AC
CONFIG
WAMP

Unshielded twisted Pair

Alternating Current
Configuration
Windows Apache Mysql and PHP

vii

Table of Contents
Declaration.................................................................................................................. i
Approval..................................................................................................................... ii
Dedication................................................................................................................. iii
Acknowledgement..................................................................................................... iv
Short summary/Abstract............................................................................................ v
Acronyms /List of abbreviations................................................................................ vi
List of Figures............................................................................................................ 2
CHAPTER ONE.......................................................................................................... 4
1.0 Introduction...................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Background/ Profile of Rimpscom....................................................................5
1.2 Company clients/customers.............................................................................. 5
1.3 Main activities/operation at Rimpscom...........................................................5
1.4 Location of Rimpscom..................................................................................... 6
1.5 Vision of Rimpscom.......................................................................................... 6
1.6 Mission of Rimpscom....................................................................................... 6
1.7 Values of Rimpscom......................................................................................... 6
1.8 Objectives of Rimpscom....................................................................................7
1.9 Organizational structure of Rimpscom.............................................................8
CHAPTER TWO.......................................................................................................... 9
2.0 Rimpscom orientation....................................................................................... 9
2.1 Introduction to hardware identication and maintainance...............................9
2.1.1 Hardware basics:........................................................................................... 9
2.2 Virtualization................................................................................................. 19
2.3 Linux commands............................................................................................. 20
2.3.1 File handling commands..............................................................................21

2.3.2 Network commands..................................................................................... 22

2.3.3 Archival Commands..................................................................................... 23
2.3.4 System Administration commands..............................................................23
2.3.5 Process management commands.................................................................23
2.4 Hardware maintenance and Troubleshooting................................................24
2.5 Introduction to Networking and Data communications................................28
2.5.1 Components required when setting up a network......................................28
2.5.2 Cable termination........................................................................................ 32
2.5.3 Peer to Peer networks.................................................................................. 36
2.5.5 Local area network requirements................................................................40
2.5.6 Configuring a remote desktop connection...................................................40
2.6 Software development.................................................................................... 44
2.6.1 Software design process............................................................................. 44
2.6.2 System Overview........................................................................................ 44
2.6.3 Logical design of the IT HELP SYSTEM......................................................45
3.0 Experiences and Challenges...........................................................................49
3.1 Experiences.................................................................................................... 49
3.2 Challenges...................................................................................................... 50
4.0 Recommendations and Conclusions...............................................................51
4.1 Recommendations:......................................................................................... 51
4.2 Conclusions:.................................................................................................... 52
4.3 References:..................................................................................................... 53
4.4 Appendices:.................................................................................................... 54

List of Figures
Figure 1 : Basic Mother board................................................................................. 10
Figure 2:ATX mother board..................................................................................... 11
2

Figure 3:Micro ATX mother board...........................................................................12

Figure 4:Micro BTX mother board...........................................................................13
Figure 5:CMOS battery............................................................................................ 15
Figure 6:Bios chip.................................................................................................... 16
Figure 7:RAM Chips................................................................................................. 17
Figure 8:Connectors................................................................................................ 17
Figure 9:SATA and IDE cables................................................................................. 18
Figure 10 :North and South Bridge.........................................................................18
Figure 11:Interface for password configuration......................................................29
Figure 12: interface for setting the wireless name that is broadcast to clients......30
Figure 13: change the default IP for the router from this interface and DHCP......30
Figure 14:Interface showing Internet access policy restriction of particular
websites and protocols............................................................................................ 31
Figure 15 : Shows the color codes for straight through cable-both ends are similar
................................................................................................................................. 33
Figure 16: color codes for crossover cable for both ends........................................34
Figure 17:Logical design of database......................................................................45

CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction
This report provides detailed description of all the activities that were
carried out during the period of industrial training which was carried out at
Rimpscom Company Limited from 1st June to 27th July 2012. Industrial
training refers to a period of time when an individual/student leaves the
class room work and goes out into the field to test his/her practical
capability and learn new things relevant to the course he is undertaking and
at the end of the training period a report is written to summarize what
he/she has done.
As a university routine all second year Bachelor of Information Technology
(BIT), Bachelor of computer science (BCS), second and third year Bachelor
of Computer Engineering students at Mbarara University of science and
technology (MUST) do industrial training (IT) as initiated by the institute of
Computer science (ICS) in any IT related company or organization.
This takes place during recess term and students are exposed to practical
field environment for 8 weeks. This job training is a contribution to their
academic excellence and expertise. During the course of the industrial
training, many things are taught to the students that require a lot of hands
on skills. Such practical is acquired in conjunction with an overwhelming
volume of theoretical material that is taught. To understand the material
that is taught, there is need to carry out Industrial Training in many
institutions, companies, schools, universities, industries and ministries. This
gives a student a chance feel of what happens in the field and to open up
the thinking capacity of the student.
Industrial training also shapes character and attitude of students thus
making them ready for employment. Vital aspects such as responsibility,
4

punctuality, organizational rules, accountability, smartness, communication

skills and team work learnt from this training.
External partners also benefit from this training in that they get exposed to
a pool of potential employees from whom to select and also get additional
human resource for effective and efficient service delivery.
The institute also benefits since it gets an opportunity to appreciate client
demands and the quality of graduates required to fulfill these demands,
access to placement facilities and resources that are not available at the
institute.
1.1 Background/ Profile of Rimpscom
This company was established in 2010 under the wise management of
mr.Lubega Phaisal since then it has gained popularity as a very fast growing
and expanding ICT consultancy firm dealing in computer repair and
servicing, Databackup and recovery ,and networking. The company has
since by that time had qualified technicians trusted by their clients and has
trained quite a big number of other prominent technicians working in
different organizations in Uganda.
1.2 Company clients/customers
Mizzi malungia
Healthy child Uganda
Mbarara Referal Hospital
Mbarara University of Science and Technology.
1.3 Main activities/operation at Rimpscom
i) Computer repair, servicing and maintenance.
This company has trained and qualified administrators, computer engineers,
technicians, and support team that come together to handle their clients in
various computer problems
5

on demand at any given time to the satisfaction of their customers. This is

achieved because of the reliable staff available.
ii) IT consultancy
This company has a big team of experts in different part of the country who
are able to provide for the firm with quality professional advice whenever
called for due to constant need to diversify their systems to satisfy clients
because of the advancement of computer technology day by day.
iii) Network Security Design and Implementation
Rimpscom company is a prominent firm that has done installation of
networks in different places within the country by the help of their
experienced technical team comprising of network system engineers. They
have many times got involved in:
iv) Management of information systems
a) Installation of networks, configuring routers and switches
b) Website design and antivirus support
c) Human resource system
d) Data backup and recovery
1.4 Location of Rimpscom
Mbarara High Street ,upper floor at National Social Security Funds Office in
Mbarara
1.5 Vision of Rimpscom
To be the leading Information services provider in Mbarara and Country at
large.

1.6 Mission of Rimpscom

To provide high quality distinguished class of service through computer
software systems, computer maintenance services and computer network
solutions at the most convenient and affordable costs.
1.7 Values of Rimpscom

Customer orientation

Results orientation

Risk taking

Great place to work

Quality and Discipline

1.8 Objectives of Rimpscom

Extend our silicon technology and manufacturing leadership

Deliver unrivaled microprocessors and platforms

Grow profitability worldwide

Excel in customer orientation

1.9 Organizational structure of Rimpscom

MANAGING DIRECTOR (MD)

DEPUTY MANAGING
DIRECTOR

ADMINISTRATOR

RECEPTIONIST/OFFI
CE MESSANGER

ASSISTANT
SALES
MANAGER

ASSISTANCE
MD/CREDIT
CONTROL

TECHNICAL
MANAGER

COLLECTOR,

SALES,

WORKSHOP

ACCOUNTANT,

STORESTAFF

CORDINATOR

AUDITOR

ENGINEERS, TECHNICIANS

TRAINEE
S/
STUDEN
TS

CHAPTER TWO
2.0 Rimpscom orientation
I was introduced to Rimpscom Company limited what it does, its future
plans and what it intends to do in the next generation for Mbarara district
and the country at large. I forwarded my
expectations as far as was concerned, i was assured to be trained and my
expectations were to be fulfilled ,this gave me hope,motivation and drived
me to work hard in whatever i was going to be taken through as outlined
in their curriculum.Mr.Lubega phaisal our placement supervisor was going
to deal with hardware ,Mugisha Samuel introduced himself to us and he
was to be responsible for software part that is with information
systems,webdesign,database design on top of that Oroni Ivan responsible
for mobile applications using j2me,Martin Galinsonga responsible for
Networking,troubleshooting networks ,router and switch configurations.

2.1 Introduction to hardware identication and maintainance

2.1.1 Hardware basics: - this was the first module which basically
introduced us to the different components within a computer system. A
computer system consists of a computer and software. Basically, the idea
behind this module was to get basic knowledge about the different
components, highlight the major differences between laptop and desktop
components and how the different computer components function together
to achieve the desired operation of a computer system.
The different computer components are:9

i) Mother Boards: - This is the main Printed Circuit Board (PCB) that
connects all the components of a computer system. Chipsets are
components which are embedded on the mother board and they can be
simply defined as Integrated Circuits that allow computer components to
communicate with each other.
The figure below shows a Mother board and all its components:-

Power
connector

North
Bridge

IDE
connecto
rs

RAM slots

CPU socket

Capacitors

USB
ports

10

CMOS
battery

South
bridge

SATA
connectors

Expansion
slots

VGA port

Audio out jack/Microphone

jack

Figure 1 : Basic Mother board

I looked at the different types of mother boards which included ATX

(Advanced Technology Extended) , micro ATX,BTX, Micro BTX (Balanced
Technology Extended) and the early versions which are included AT and
baby AT (it important to note that these two types have phased or if in use
very hard to find).
ATX mother board:

I/O ports to the

right of the mother
board

Memory slots and

PCI slots at right
angles

Figure 2:ATX mother board

Main features of ATX that are used to differentiate it from the other mother
board types include:a) The processer is located close to power supply.
b) The orientation of the memory slots and PCI slots are at right angles
11

Micro ATX mother board

This is similar to ATX mother but the difference only comes in with its form
factor. ie it has a smaller form factor compared to the ATX mother board.

Similar to ATX but

different in form
factor

Figure 3:Micro ATX mother board

BTX mother board:- how to tell if the mother board is BTX.
I/O ports are to the left of the
mother board compared to ATX
where the are on the right

12

Memory slots and

PCI parallel to each
other

Processor remote
from the power
supply

Micro BTX mother board

This has a smaller form factor compared to BTX

The major difference between

BTX and micro BTX is the
form factor.

Figure 4:Micro BTX mother board

The major differences between laptop and desktop mother boards are:Laptop mother board
i)

Desktop mother board

The laptop mother is

i)
13

The desktop mother board

printed both sides and this

is only printed on one side.

is for purposes of

ii)

conserving space
ii)

iii)

as the monitor is an

There is a fiber connection

independent entity and

which enables display on

connection is done using a

the laptop screen

cable

There is no floppy connecter

iii)

connector on the mother

this is because due to

board
iv)

been replaced by Compact

They have only Ethernet. If

one must access wireless,

Discs (CDs)

he/she has to purchase an

The have Ethernet and

extra wireless

wireless connection. For

component/device.

wireless, the antennas are

v)

hidden behind the display

They have a larger form

factor and the component

screens
v)

These have a floppy

on the laptop mother board,

evolution, floppies have

iv)

It has not fiber connection

on the mother board are

Laptop mother board is very

relatively big compared to

compressed hence a smaller

those on the laptop mother

form factor. reason for

board

printing them both sides

The other important component that was reviewed is the CPU socket. The
CPU socket comes in two basic designs. These include:

Pin less CPU sockets: - This is evident in Pentium IV (P4) computers.

Most early versions i.e Pentium I-Pentium III is not versed with such
sockets. It was also noticed that the P4 computer have a 24 pin power
connector and an extra 4 pin CPU power source.
14

Pinned CPU sockets: - These are evident in Pentium I-Pentium III. It

was also noticed that such computer have 20 pin power connector.

ii) Heat sink: - This is another important component on the mother board
and its placed on top of devices that heat up due to the functionalities they
perform. Such devices include the North Bridge and the CPU. Heat sinks
are made out of aluminum, copper or a black body that absorbs heat from
devices on which are placed. They are designed in form of fins, a design
that enables them to radiate heat generated by those devices on which are
placed very fast such that they may not heat up and exceed the expected
heat capacities which might cause mal functioning of the whole computer
system.
iii) Expansion buses: Expansion buses enhance the PCs capabilities by
allowing users to add missing features in their computers in form of adapter
cards that are slotted in expansion slots.

Expansion
slots

iv) CMOS battery:- CMOS is an acronym for Complementary Metal Oxide

Semiconductor. The purpose of the CMOS battery is to keep CMOS RAM
chips with high speeds at low power and small separate block of memory
alive even when the power is off.

15

The purpose of CMOS RAM is to store basic information about a PCs

configuration which includes floppy and hard drive types, CPU, RAM size,
date and time, serial and parallel port information, plug and play
information and power saving setting.

CMOSCMOS battery
battery

Figure 5:CMOS battery

v)BIOS

which is an acronym from Basic Input Output System which

include low level software that controls the system hardware and an
interface between the operating system and the hardware.
BIOS contains all the code required to control key board, display
screen, disk drives, serial communications and a number of miscellaneous
functions. BIOS is ROM chip on the mother board used by the computer
during the startup routine to check out the system and prepare hardware to
run.

.
BIOS chip

BIOS chip

16

Figure 6:Bios chip

vi) USB (universal Serial Bus) port:- These are used for connecting
external devices like USB flash drives, external hard disks, iPods, MP3
players and cameras.
vii)Main memory (Random Access Memory):- This refers to the
computer chips that temporarily store data dynamically when we are
working with our computers to enhance computers performance. When one
turns on power to a computer, certain operating system files (such as the
files that determine how the desktop appears) load into RAM from a storage
device such as a hard disk. These files remain in RAM as long as the
computer has continuous power.
Its also important to note that RAM is volatile. That is it loses its contents
when power is switched off. Therefore permanent storage like ROM (Read
Only Memory) is necessary since its permanent and has a bigger storage
capacity compared to RAM.
There are different categories of Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM)
where chips must be re-energized constantly or they lose their contents
include:

SD (Synchronous DRAM) synchronized to the system clock and

faster than basic DRAM.

DDR1 (Double Data Rate SDRAM) transfers data twice instead of

once for each clock cycle.

DDR2 this is second generation of DDR and is faster than DDR

17

DDR3 this is third generation of DDR that was designed for

computers with multi-core processors.

The figure below shows RAM chips of laptop and desktop

RAM chip for a

laptop computer

RAM chip for

a desktop
computer

Figure 7:RAM Chips

viii)Connectors:- These include IDE and STA cables which are used to
connect a computers hard drive and optical drive to the mother board. STA
cable are preferred to IDE because they have relatively high speeds when it
comes to data transfer and take up small space on the mother board. STA is
a recent technology and therefore the first versions of computers ie Pentium
I- Pentium III do not have these connectors.
The figures below show the two connectors

STA
connector
s

IDE
connectors

Figure 8:Connectors

18

SATA
cable

IDE
cable

Figure 9:SATA and IDE

cables
ix) North and South bridges (main chipsets):
There are two main chipset in computer system. These include the North
Bridge and the South Bridge.

North Bridge: - this is an important chipset. It bridges the processor

and memory. It heats up as its performing its duties therefore as a
remedy a heat sink is placed on top of it.

South Bridge: - this is used connect the CPU to Input/output control

and also to connect the PCI to the CPU.

South
Bridge

North Bridge.
Always placed under
a sink because it
generates heat

Figure 10 :North and South Bridge

19

x) Processor
This is also called the central processing unit processor, (CPU), interprets
and carries out the basic instructions that operate a computer. The
processor significantly impacts overall computing power and manages most
of a computers operations. On larger computers, such as mainframes and
supercomputers, the various functions performed by the processor extend
over many separate chips and often multiple circuit boards. On a personal
computer, all functions of the processor usually are on a single chip. Some
computer and chip manufacturers use the term microprocessor to refer to a
personal computer processor chip. Most processor chip manufacturers now
offer multi-core processors. A processor core, or simply core, contains the
circuitry necessary to execute instructions. The operating system views
each processor core as a separate processor. A multi-core processor is a
single chip with two or more separate processor cores. Two common multicore processors are dual-core and quad-core. A dual-core is a chip that
contains two separate processor cores. Similarly, a quad-core processor is a
chip with four separate processor cores. Each processor core on a multicore processor generally runs at a slower clock speed than a single-core
processor, but multi-core processors typically increase overall performance.
For example, although a dual-core processor does not double the processing
speed of a single-core processor, it can approach those speeds. The
performance increase is especially noticeable when users are running
multiple programs simultaneously such as antivirus software, spyware
remover, e-mail program, instant messaging, media player, disc burning
software, and photo editing software. Multi-core processors also are more
energy efficient than separate multiple
2.2 Virtualization
Computers today are very durable and very efficient. This would mean
buying several computers to perform several related tasks is not ideal.

20

For example buying different servers for mail, DHCP, fire wall and
proxy yet these would be implemented by the same server.
The idea of virtualization solves this problem as its essence is to
economize resources. Virtualization can be best be described by the
diagram below:-

One physical
computer

Sub computers
(virtual
computers) inside
one physical

Common software used for virtualization are:

VM ware

Virtual box

The Advantages of virtual machines are:a) They are portable that is they can be moved from one
environment to another.
b) They can be easily configured
Common terms used in virtualization are:i)

Host OS: - This is where virtual machine software is installed. Its

important to note that for the guest operating system to run, the
host my must be having good resources which include memory
(RAM) and processor (ie the processor speed).

21

ii)

Guest OS: - This is the virtual machine operating system. When

the two are running, they are independent of each other. But for
the guest operating system to run, the host must be power on.

2.3 Linux commands

These commands are subdivided into file handling, text processing, system
administration, process management, archival, network and file system. To
run the Linux terminal, click Applications>Accessories>terminal. The Linux
terminal has a unique look compared to the MS DOS command line. Its
important to note that commands in Linux are case sensitive, all commands
must be written in lower case.

22

2.3.1 File handling commands

mkdir This command makes a directory syntax: mkdir [dirName] eg.
mkdir mukama
ls list directory contents syntax: ls [OPTION]... [FILE]...
for example: ls, ls l, ls mukama
cd changes directories. Syntax: cd [DIRECTORY] for example cd mukama
pwd Print name of current working directory. Syntax: pwd
cp copy files and directories. Syntax: cp [OPTION]... SOURCE DEST
for example: cp sample.txt sample_copy.txt
cp sample_copy.txt target_dir
mv move (also rename) files Syntax: mv [OPTION]... SOURCE DEST
for example: mv source.txt target_dir mv old.txt new.txt
2.3.2 Network commands

ssh SSH client (remote login program). ssh is a program for logging into a
remote machine
and for executing commands on a remote machine
Syntax: ssh [options] [user]@hostname
For example ssh X guest@10.105.11.20
its output

23

scp secure copy (remote file copy program). scp copies files between
hosts on a network
Usage: scp [options] [[user]@host1:file1] [[user]@host2:file2]
example. scp file1.txt guest@10.105.11.20:~/Desktop/
2.3.3 Archival Commands
tar: to archive a file. Syntax: tar [OPTION] DEST SOURCE
for example: tar cvf /home/archive.tar /home/original
tar xvf /home/archive.tar
zip: package and compress (archive) files. Syntax: zip [OPTION] DEST
SOURSE
for example: zip original.zip original

24

2.3.4 System Administration commands

chmod change file access permissions. Syntax: chmod [OPTION] [MODE]
[FILE]
for example chmod 744 calculate.sh
chown: change file owner and group Syntax: chown [OPTION]... OWNER[:
[GROUP]] FILE...
for example: chown remo myfile.txt
su: change user ID or become superuser. Syntax: su [OPTION] [LOGIN]
for example: su remo, su
passwd: update a users authentication tokens(s). Syntax: passwd
[OPTION]
for example: passwd
who: show who is logged on. Syntax who [OPTION]

2.3.5 Process management commands

ps: report a snapshot of the current processes. Syntax: ps [OPTION]
for example: ps, ps el
kill: to kill a process(using signal mechanism).Syntax: kill [OPTION] pid
for example: kill -9 2275
bg make a foreground process to run in background
Syntax: type 'ctrl+z' and then bg <job id>
fg to make background process as foreground process. Syntax: fg [jobid]
jobs displays the names and ids of background jobs
25

Syntax: jobs
2.4 Hardware maintenance and Troubleshooting
The week was intended for troubleshooting most of the hardware problems
after having been introduced to the basic of hardware and having gotten
sufficient knowledge on how each component in the system unit is
interconnected to ensure that they do not malfunction.
In order to troubleshoot, I was introduced to different tools that one can
use. One of the most important tools was the Digital Multi Meter. This is
device is used to measure the following:-voltage,current,resistance and
continuity.
The digital multi meter has basically two wires, that is red and black. The
red wire is a positive terminal and its connected to a positive terminal of
the component you want to measure. The black wire is ground or earth and
is connected to a negative terminal. Connecting negative and positive
terminals has to be done correctly especially when measuring Direct
Current (DC). This is because DC does not change and measuring it
requires that the black and red wires of the digital multi meter are
connected correctly (that is red to positive and black to negative). Another
precaution to take is that the pointer has to be pointing to a voltage scale
and close to the value that you intend to measure.
Alternating Current which can be the amount of current running in the wall
socket does not have a fixed negative or positive terminal, that is positive
and negative terminals are always switching and its for the same reason
that it called AC. Its important to note that AC carries a very high amount
compared to DC. AC carries about 240 volts compared to DC which ranges
from 3.7v to 20v. Its very important to take care while measuring AC
because it can shock easily and sometimes lead to death.
Most electronic appliances use DC (like hoofers, radios, televisions, laptops,
and desktops). These devices have converters which convert AC from a wall
26

socket to DC to be used by the device. This is because most components

inside the most electronic appliances are run by relatively a low voltage. A
few exceptions like kettles use AC.
To clearly understand troubleshooting we were presented with a series of
problems. These scenarios were as follows:Scenario 1
Consider a computer which has been function properly. And this
computer mistakenly fell down form a table and on powering it, it
would start but not display anything on the screen.
Solution
Troubleshooting steps
Switch off and power it up again.
At start up one should try to listen very carefully to check if there are beeps
produced by the computer. If there is any you can tell which component is
loosely fixed depending on the number of beeps. For example 3 beeps would
mean there is no memory or memory is loosely fixed.
The next step would be to check if there was memory in computer as its
one of the components in a computer system that enables display. If it has
been displaced from its location or loosely placed, try to fix it properly and
power the computer again.
Scenario 2
Consider a desktop computer which when powered on does not respond to
the action performed. So its very hard to tell if power is entering the
computer system. But we were reliably informed that this computer had a
short circuit before it started behaving in the way it was.
Solution
27

Troubleshooting steps
We opened the upper part of its casing and connected the power cable to
the power supply. Checked if any of the LEDs on the motherboard were
lighting which could show that the motherboard is being powered. This did
not work because none of the LEDs seemed to be lighting.
It was suspected that power supply could be faulty. We changed the power
supply and tried a power supply from a working computer. But the behavior
was still the same. We tested the suspected faulty power supply by joining
the green wire which carries 5v with black which is ground (negative). By
completing the circuit, the power supply fan started working, so we had to
give the idea of the power supply being faulty.
Having in mind that the computer was earlier subjected to a short circuit,
we removed the motherboard to take a closer look. We found out that the
wires of the chip that connected to the motherboard were not independent
and this was caused by the short circuit.
We resolved that the motherboard should first be cleaned such that each
joint is independent and tried to check the behavior of the computer after
that.
The problem was still pending. More troubleshooting steps to come after
that.

Scenario 3
Consider a desktop computer which when power on does not start. The
scenario is in one way or any other similar to scenario 2.
Solution
28

Troubleshooting steps
Having prior knowledge if testing the power supply, we joined the green
wire with the black wire but the behavior was static (as before). The power
supply fan did not start. We therefore resolved that the power supply was
faulty.
We opted for another power supply that was working. On connecting it to
the motherboard and connecting the power cable, it behaved as expected
(that is the LEDs on the motherboard started lighting).
We opted for the display (monitor) to check if the computer would display,
but there was not any display at all. We suspect that probably the memory
might be faulty. We are opting for some other memory chips to continue
with trouble shooting.
The problem is still pending..
Scenario 4
Consider a laptop that beeps on start up. But it was starting normally.
Originally it would display but never load the operating system. But we
were told by the owner that it fell done once.
Solution
Troubleshooting steps
We started the computer normally and read the contents it was display on
the screen. We also went to the BIOS set up to check the most important
components if the computer system like memory. RAM was being display
but the hard disk which had the operating system on it was showing none.
We tried to locate the hard disk removed and fixed it properly and we
switched on the laptop again to check if there was any change. On startup it

29

loaded it loaded the operating system. The beeps reduced but they were
just a few.
Since we told that the lap top had earlier fallen down, we thought that may
be there could be some other component that were loosely fixed. We
therefore opened the computer and put all the components aside and tried
to fix them one by one.
We reassembled it. The beep number still reduced, so suspect that there
could be another component that is loosely fixed by the computer is now
running very well. We recently installed a new copy of windows.

2.5 Introduction to Networking and Data communications

A network is basically a set of two or more articles that are linked so the
computers can share resources, such as printers, software, and internet
connections. Networked computers can also share files without having to
transfer data using a disk or data key. And users of networked computers
can also communicate electronically without use of the internet.
Networks are created by connecting personal computers (PCs) together via
cables, wireless and some in built network software especially in windows
called Remote Desktop Connection. Networks allow the connected
computers to share data and other resources like drivers. Computers
connected together can share file, documents and drivers for other devices
like printers. Print to shared printers, Share an Internet connection, Provide
communication (email, audio and video conferencing, network-based fax
services, etc.), Enable remote control of connected hardware devices (entire
offsite computers, cameras, devices installed as expansion cards and
peripherals, etc.), Run software installed on a separate machine, Provide
data collection, manipulation, use, and storage between machines.

30

2.5.1 Components required when setting up a network.

i) Network Interface Card (NIC): I was convinced by the supervisors at
Rimpscom that a computer connects to network via NIC. NIC allows a
computer to send and receive radio waves. They also have an Ethernet
Adapter that is inside the back panel of the computer and connects to the
cable or DSL modem. The NIC controls the flow of data between the
computers internal data bus and the serial stream of data on the network
cable.Wireless network interface card (NIC) is used mostly for laptops that
have NIC slot were users can insert a wireless card that connects to the
network and internet.
ii) Hub: This is a device that is used to link more than two computers
together, a device to circulate packets, or blocks of information. When a
computer is linked to a network it makes a request for data from another
computer, which in turn request will be sent out to the hub.
iii)Router:
A router is an internetworking device that forwards packets between
networks by processing information found in the datagram or packet
(Internet protocol information from Layer 3 of the OSI Model). In many
situations, this information is processed in conjunction with the routing
table (also known as forwarding table). Routers use routing tables to
determine what interface to forward packets.
I looked at

the

LinkSys
wireless
router
which i
went
ahead to
configure.
31

This router had a default IP address which was 192.168.1.1 and a default
network name which was LinkSys. I performed several configurations on
the router which included changing the default network name and IP
address, assigning particular users to access the wireless network by
adding their MAC address to the router, blocking certain websites and
protocols (like File Transfer Protocol and Telnet). I captured several screen
shoots that show the particular configurations that I did. They are as
below:-

Figure 11:Interface for password configuration.

32

Figure 12: interface for setting the wireless name that is broadcast to
clients

Figure 13: change the default IP for the router from this interface and
DHCP

33

Figure 14:Interface showing Internet access policy restriction of particular

websites and protocols.

34

.
iv)Modem: A modem is a device that allows a person to connect to your
Internet service provider. Because modems only provide one IP address
each, the best way to use a high-speed modem is to share its services
among computers.
v)Ethernet Cable:It is needed to allow the transmission of data from one
networked device to another. To set up a wired network, Ethernet cables are
needed that allow the transmission of data from one networked device to
another. Category 5 (Cat 5) cable is one of the most common types of
Ethernet cable.
vi) Switch: A switch is a device that distributes packets, or blocks of data,
between computers in a network. Switches function in a similar fashion to
hubs, but are much more efficient. A switch can send a packet directly to a
specific destination, instead of sending it to every computer in a network.

2.5.2 Cable termination

In order to start on cable termination i was first introduced to the different
cables used. These included CAT5, CAT5E and CAT6 as the most commonly
used. These cables differ in speeds used in data transfer. For purposes of
learning we used CAT6 and RJ45 connectors for terminating. It was also
important

for me to note that color codes are important especially in

terminating the different types of cables

I used different tools to terminate the cables. These tools included a
stripper which is used to remove the cable cover, clipper which is used for

35

terminating RJ45 and cable tester which is used to test if the cable is
functioning as expected.
I terminated two types of cables that is a straight through and crossover.
i)

Straight through cable: - this is type is used for connecting devices

that are un similar like a switch and a computer or a router and a
switch. The color codes for a straight through cable are the same
at both ends. I used a tester to confirm if the cable was functioning.
A tester has 8 LEDS which are numbered 1-8 and the cable ids
functioning they are all supposed to be blinking green. They are as
follows:-

Figure 15 : Shows the color codes for straight through cable-both ends are
similar
Connector

Color

Pin No

Code

1
2

White/Oran
ge
Orange
36

White/Gree

Blue

White/Blue

Green
White/Bro

wn

Brown

ii)

Crossover cable: - this type is used for connecting similar devices

for example connecting of a computer to a computer or a switch to
a switch. The color codes for a crossover differ at both ends but
one end has color codes that are similar to of a straight through
cable. To check if the cable is functioning, on the tester on of the
LEDs is skipped, that is does not light. The color codes for the
other end are as follows:

Figure 16: color codes for crossover cable for both ends
connector

Color

Pin No

Code

37

White/Gree

Green
White/Oran

ge

Blue

White/Blue

Orange
White/Bro

wn

Brown

iii)

These are the steps of terminating cables.

Step 1
Using a crimping tool, i trimmed the end of the cable i was going to
terminate, to ensure that the ends of the conducting wires are even.
Step 2
Being careful not to damage the inner conducting wires, I stripped off
approximately 1 inch of the cables jacket, using a modular climping tool.
Step 3
After that i separated the 4 twisted wire pairs from each other, and then
unwinded each pair, so thati could end up with 8 individual wires. I flatten
38

the wires out as much as possible, since they needed to be very straight for
them to be properly inserted into the connector.
Step 4
I held the cable with the wire ends facing away from me. I arranged the
wires in a flat, side-by-side ribbon formation, placing them in the following
order: white/orange, solid orange, white/green, solid blue, white/blue, solid
green, white/brown, solid brown. The table below explains straight through
and cross over arrangement.

Step 5
I held the RJ45 connector so that its pins are facing away from me and the
plug-clip side was facing down, carefully inserted the flattened, arranged
wires into the connector, pushing through until the wire ends emerge from
the pins. For strength of connection, I also pushed as much of the cable
jacket as possible into the connector so that no loss of signals takes place.
Step 6
I made sure that the wire ends coming out of the connectors pin side are in
the correct order if not i would rearrange them into proper formation, and
re-insert them into RJ45 because once the connector is crimped onto the
cable, its permanent. If at all i realized that a mistake has been made in
wire order after termination, I would have to cut the connector off and start
all over again.
Step 7
I inserted the prepared connector into the RJ45 slot in my crimping tool. I
firmly squeezed the crimpers handles together until I couldnt go any
39

further. Released the handles and repeated this step to ensure a proper
crimp.
Step 8
After completing the first termination,I repeated the process on the
opposite end of my cable.

2.5.3 Peer to Peer networks

In a peer-to-peer network, devices are connected directly to each other
without any additional networking devices between them. In this type of
network, each device has equivalent capabilities and responsibilities.
Individual users are responsible for their own resources and can decide
which data and devices to share. Because individual users are responsible
for the resources on their own computers, the network has no central point
of control or administration. In order to set up a peer-to-peer network
connect the ends of a network crossover cable to the network ports on both
of the computers.
I double clicked on the network places icon from the desktop which can
also be accessed from the control panel.
Then from the network tasks double clicked on the setup home or small
area network.
Continued following the instructions of the network setup wizard up to the
time when i were prompted to select the type of connection and i selected
others.
In other type of networks I chose a network without internet.
Then I gave it a description and name ,after I gave it a workgroup
name.Clicked accept to finish the wizard.After the computer restarted.I
repeated the procedures for all other computers and gave them different
names but same workgroup.after restarting I went to my computer double
40

clicked Network places from my desktop then left clicked on properties

clicked on TCP/IP and clicked OK.The IP address for computer 1 is
192.168.0.1 and for computer 2 is 192.168.0.2 and the subnet is
automatically 255.255.255.0.
2.5.4 Wireless ad hocs
To create a new ad hoc network i opened Control Panel then
viewed network status and tasks.

Click
here to
continue

On clicking the view network status and tasks, i got new window as
shown below.

41

Click set up
new
connection
network

A new window appeared which is as below. I Clicked set up a

wireless ad hoc network and clicked next and followed the
different prompts. After successfully creating a wireless network,
any wireless enabled device could connect to it.

Finally the network was showing a small window which was at the
right most corner of the computer. It was showing waiting for users
since there were no computers connected to that network.
42

In order to view the computers connected to that network, i went

to start menu and clicked run or i could use the desktop short cut
which is windows + R.alternatively I can also use the backward
slashes to view connected devices. In order to select which device
to connect to,I could just select and click ok. The illustration below
shows the connected devices.

43

2.5.5 Local area network requirements

A network of a few Computers connected together is known as local area
network (LAN) .To connect two or more Computers in a network we require
a network card for each PC, CAT-5 Cable of suitable length, RJ-45
connectors (two for each PC ).
A Network Switch (or Hub) is required If we wish to connect three
Computers or more. If we have to connect only two Computers then we do
not require a Network Switch (or Hub). We can cross crimp one of the
connectors. A hub enables transmission of data between a single pair of
points in the network. For simultaneous Transmission of data between more
than one pair of points we have to use an Ethernet Switch. For computers to
be connected to a wired network must have following:

Each computer must have a network interface card (NIC) such as

internal network adapter, a USB network adapter, a mother board
based network chip.

Must have external router or switch.

Must activate Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP) on the router.

Each computer must be having a network cable running from NIC to a

port to a router or switch

Each computer must have a unique name

Every computer on the network must belong to the same workgroup

2.5.6 Configuring a remote desktop connection

In windows 7
I opened Control Panel on my computer that has windows 7 as an operating
system, and selected System as shown below.

44

In the new window I clicked Advanced System settings.

Went to the Remote tab, and checked allowed connections only from
computers running remote Desktop with Network Level Authentication.

45

I Selected users to add user accounts that have the right to connect to
Remote Desktop on my computer.

After that I went to start button inputted Remote desktop in the search
field, then clicked Remote Desktop Connection.
46

Then input the ip address or hostname of the computer you want to connect
to, click connect then input the username and password. Now you have
connected to this remote desktop

After I logged in the user of the computer that I logged in was logged out.

47

2.6 Software development.

Software development was our third module. This commenced with first
learning basic SQL commands. These include
SELECT*FROM [table name]; this is an SQL commands that returns all the
information from the selected table.
CREATE DATABASE [database name]; this is a command that is used to
create a database.
USE [database name] this is a command that is used to switch to the
database that you would wish to use.
2.6.1 Software design process
The first stage during the design of a software system was to gather and
analyze the requirements. At this this point we were presented with a
real world scenario to gather the requirements of an order tracking
system which we did together with our software instructor and i was
later assigned my first software project together with other two trainees.
The assigned system was a Helpdesk system which was developed using
PHP and MySQL. We accomplished it in one week.
2.6.2 System Overview
Building the system was fairly straight forward. First, i obtained the
functional requirements for the system. This was done in two ways; careful
thought and asked questions to obtain up to-date solutions.
The next step was to build the database according to information retrieved
in the first stage of requirement analysis. The database was designed by
first tackling its logical design, this was done using Mysql workbench. It
consisted of three tables; consultants, inquiry, and solution as shown below:

48

2.6.3 Logical design of the IT HELP SYSTEM

Figure 17:Logical design of database

Logical design where we used the Mysql workbench to draw the entities
and make clear relationships between them and we were advised to first
know what we want the system to do and this will enable us to go ahead and
design the interface.

49

I exported the logical design to WAMP server to help build the physical
database. This was done by forward engineering the sql script using My
SQL workbench.
Building the database was followed by the need to create a suitable
interface for the user to interact with the system. We made this possible
using Adobe Macromedia Dreamweaver while programming in PHP and
html. The user interface had six pages namely; index (system start point
page), inquiry page, consultant registration, consultant login and the
solution page.
The index page is the system entry point where the user gains access to the
inquiry page which receives any inquiries posted. The consultant
registration contains a form to register any new help desk personnel.
The consultant login is responsible for consultants login and the solution
page is responsible for replying any inquiries made.
As already stated before, our scope defines an offline system therefore the
messages are posted to the users and likewise the consultants email
addresses.
When the user interface was done, we connected to our database. This was
done using a PHP script. The script was later used to connect the different
form fields to the related tables in the database.
Adding functionality to the system was the next step to be tackled. The
functionalities added included a validation procedure to satisfy proper
registration and logging in of the consultant and a way to handle user
sessions.
When the consultants log in, they are able to view any inquiries posted and
make any necessary replies accordingly. This is done from the solutions
page. The reply is sent to the users email address which he submits in
before writing the message.
50

Start page:

Inquiry page:
51

Consultant login and sign up fields: The project is safe and secure to use for
Mbarara University of science and Technology. We hereby disclaim any
misuse or irrelevant use of the system that may result into harm towards
the user in anyway.

52

CHAPTER THREE
3.0 Experiences and Challenges
3.1 Experiences
For the two month training placement that I underwent at Rimpscom, a lot
was done and gained in respect to the projects that I undertook and that
was Helpdesk system development.

During this time, I learnt how to plan for any software development
that is identifying the various steps and how they are supposed to be
carried out while designing the system.

I learnt some ways/ (more than one) of designing an interface for a

system that is using tables, div tags and modifying templates to fit my
interests.

I also learnt some programming in PHP and I was able to write codes/
scripts to insert data to the database, retrieve the inserted data and
validating the various form fields.

I learnt how to create forms and modify them by creating CSS

codes/files for them.

I got practical experience in dealing with computers and also got to

know more about computer hardware and software.

I gained skills on how to communicate with employers and workmates

and relating with different characters of different people through
interacting with them

I gained experience and got exposed to pressures and demands of a

work place.

I acquired skills in installing softwares such as VM ware, windows 7

operating system and other application soft wares
53

I also learnt responsibilities of different professionals and to embrace

them accordingly.

I gained experience in problem solving which is desired skill in any

industry or working environment

I also learnt how to interact with different personalities.

I leant how to take responsibility with less supervision in a working

environment.

I also learnt how to design/ create a database using mysql command

line client and some of the various commands that are used in its
design.

I learnt how to link forms to the database and to insert, retrieve and
validate the different form fields using PHP as a programming
language.

I learnt how to design the interfaces using tables and div tags and
modifying websites templates to fit websites of my interests.

I learnt the design/ beautifying of interfaces using css.

3.2 Challenges

The programming languages that were used in developing the

helpdesk system gave me hard time to learn and master. These
included PHP, and the various MYSQL commands used to create the
database were also tricky.

It was hard to relate theory got from lectures to the practical bit of
information technology.

The fear of damaging computer components due to the fact that i had
been told that i would replace any component damaged. This
therefore meant buying new ones

Inability to master everything i was shown and not done practically by

myself
54

Limited hours of exposure to hands on

Lack of transport funds to facilitate me throughout the internship.

Being a group leader, managing a group of people most of who were

uncooperative was a big challenge to me.

Sometimes we used not to finish the sessions because of lack of a

standby generator to act as a supplement in case electric power
shortages or emergencies.

During the training, i was exposed to too much of workshop work,

which was good, but there was need of more details of the operation
of computers and deep networking.

I had very big financial problems, the training was supposed to be

paid for, sacrificing USHS.200, 000 was not so easy.

CHAPTER FOUR
4.0 Recommendations and Conclusions
4.1 Recommendations:
In order to combat the problems and challenges faced by me

I recommend Rimpscom to either provide computers that can be

shared appropriately by the number of interns taken or creates a
room for the interns with enough chairs and computers to cater for
large number of students conducting intern ship and prevent
congestion especially in a trainees room.

I recommend that industrial training under the ICS be scheduled at

least twice in a persons academic carrier i.e. first year and second
55

year long holiday to enable students to get enough challenges and

solutions to these challenges and to enable them cover quite much
when still in school because for example me it has helped me much ,I
didnt know all that now I got to know and yet I was in third year
,imagine I was doing BIT ,it would be a shame.

I recommend the ICS should improvise some books to act as log

books for students instead of carrying single papers that we are
supposed to photocopy. This will give out a good picture of the
university being more serious and organized apart from reducing on
the expenses the students get in downloading them from their emails
and then making copies.

The University should provide some funds to facilitate students who

are to do their internship because the burden shouldn't be solely
dependent on the parent/guardian only.

I finally recommend that for purposes of reducing the number of

students doing internship they should give interviews to students and
they sieve out the number of students they want which will make
internship meaningful through paying student.

4.2 Conclusions:
In my conclusion industrial training is good and essential for every student
doing their bit because most of the practical skills related to this course are
gained while doing this training.
Advancement in computer technology has to be appreciated. Great thanks
to Rimpscom company limited, without them i would not have known
56

where my ability could reach and what technology has brought to this new
generation.
I will treasure and cherish Rimpscom company limited wherever i go for
allowing me to study from their company, long live, all the best.
I performed various tasks, some of them being trouble shooting which
confirmed the idea i had that Information Technology is not a job that does
not only involve technical skills, but implies a fair amount of communication
and negotiation with the clients hence the need for good communication
skills.
The training has not only helped me gain technical skills but also has
adjusted my intended future prospects. Much as the training was enriching,
much was looked at, so a lot remains to be done in order to support the
experience gained.
Finally to be sincere ,I think there is a lot to do at the university for the
students to gain skills since they are crucial to the working
environment,most students take what is taught in class for granted but it is
very crucial especially in programming.

4.3 References:
[1] http://www.rimpscom.co.ug.
[2] http://www.sqlcommands.net/
57

[3] http://www.w3schools.com/php/default.asp
[4] http://www.w3schools.com/css/default.asp
[5]http://i.ehow.com/images/Globalphoto/Articles
[6]http://computer.howstuffworks.com
[7]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en

4.4 Appendices:

58

59

60

61