At some point, all network managers end up with some piece of hardware or software that won't work. What do you do?

The most obvious, but least used, method is to read the product documentation - assuming it's readable or enclosed.

If that doesn't do the trick, you probably try asking associates, friends and colleagues. This informal network of 'How do you do this?' is the most underrated source of technical information.

Still no solution? Try the Internet. Once upon a time, you had to make long-distance calls to each vendor's bulletin board system. Today, you can just fire up that ol' Web browser and start searching your vendor's support page - if there is one.

The better the vendor, the better its Web-based tech support. Smart vendors know that good Web site support means fewer people calling their tech support hot line.

Ah, the support hot line. Most vendors use automated attendants, so you get the annoying messages telling you what number to press. Half the time, you hit the wrong number, end up in a loop and waste precious time. Other times, you find yourself on endless hold or being told to leave a message and someone will call you back - hopefully in this lifetime.

Whats a network manager to do? I posed this question to technical support supervisors at several large hardware and software manufacturers, as well as several value-added resellers (VAR).

Here is a compilation of their suggestions, in no real order, followed by my impression of each one's feasibility:

Stay on the line. Yeah, right. Like I've got nothing better to do. Have a subordinate stay on the line for you. Translation: Instead of wasting your time, waste someone else's.

Ask your VAR to call the vendor on its special telephone line. This is a good suggestion. You've created a relationship with your VAR and probably paid a premium to purchase the merchandise. If you don't abuse this option, your VAR probably will be glad to help you - or may even be able to answer your question itself.

Call the vendor's corporate office and see whether you can subvert the standard support message queue. This is a waste of time. By the time you circumvent the message queue, your call would have been answered by tech support.

Try to get a support manager. This works only if you never get through to a tech support person or have never received a call back. Most companies log calls and assign ID numbers, so you'll have to prove you called before.

Go through the salesperson from whom your company bought the equipment. This is a great option provided you know the salesperson and you're a big customer. It works wonders for VARs, which makes our VAR possibility an even more appealing choice.

Try contacting a presales engineer. These are the people who will help you make sure the product does what you need it to do. They also answer the real techie questions the salespeople cant. However, the problem must be mission-critical.

At the next trade show you attend, make friends with some of your vendor's employees and use them as a 'back door' into tech support. When possible, that's a great idea, but how many different products do you support? It would be a monumental task to make friends at each vendor.

See if the vendor offers 'premium' support, and pay for it. This is the only sure-fire way to get better technical support.

As with any type of customer service, if you're dissatisfied with support you've received, ask for a supervisor. If you're not happy with the entry-level support person, request to be raised to the next level of support.

Final advice: You get what you pay for. So when all else fails, pay for the tech support. It may save you more money than it costs.

Spivak is president and owner of SBA * Consulting, an IT consulting firm, and SBA.NET.WEB, an Internet consulting company. He can be reached at wspivak @sbanetweb.com.