Frequently Asked Question

How to troubleshoot computer networking ?

Troubleshooting a LAN/WAN network requires and proper tools and expertise. Being a network administrator, you should always keep yourself up-to-dated with networking technologies, software applications, configurations, security policies and hardware being used in your overall network. There are three most common types of the issues that are related with the connectivity, performance and security.

Connectivity Issues:

Connectivity issues arise due to the certain factors, as discussed below. Connectivity issues are arises due to the certain factors such as loose connectors, faulty LAN card or Hub/Switch, corrupted distributed applications, IP Addresses conflicts, misconfigurations, bottleneck, viruses and firewall. When you experience lost connectivity with the other computer in your LAN/WAN then perform the following actions to resolve this issue.

• Use Ping Command: The first troubleshooting step is the usage of the PING command. PING is the built-in utility of the TCP/IP stacks. Go to the command prompt of the Windows and type PING and the IP address of the other computer.

Syntax: PING 201.23.22.1

If you get the reply from the other computer this means that the physical connectivity is okay between both the computers. If you get the message “Request Time Out” this means that the physical connection between both the computer has been lost.

Check Cables:

Check cables at both ends and make sure that one end of the RJ45 connector is properly inserted into the LAN card and the other end in the HUB/Switch or Router.

Check LAN Card

After shutting down the computer replace the LAN card with new one and configure it accordingly.

Check Firewall/Antivirus Software Settings

If your connectivity issues are still not resolved then check your firewall and antivirus software settings, temporarily disable the firewall and see if the issue is resolved or not.Scan your computers to deal with any possible viruses and spyware replace the network cable if required. If the problem is between all the computers of the computer network then restart your server, temporarily switch off Hub/Switch or Router. Use a networking utility such as LAN Guard, PING Plotter or IP Sentry to diagnose, isolate and troubleshoot the computer. The above mentioned tips will definitely provide you help in troubleshooting the connectivity issues. If your problem is still unresolved then you can ask your specific question in this forum http://forums.networktutorials.info and provide the details of the problem.
TCP/IP Troubleshooting Commands

Windows based operating systems provide built-in network diagnostic and troubleshooting utilities. Following is an overview of the most common diagnostic commands.

PING

Checks the connectivity between the two computers.

Trace Route

Trace Route is a diagnostic utility that is used corporate networks and internet and is specifically used for diagnosing the connectivity issues. It shows the information about all the intermediate routers/network devices between a local computer and a remote computer.

NetStat

It displays the open ports, TCP/IP sessions and other information.

IPConfig

It is used to determine the IP Address, subnet mask, default gateway, DSN and DHCP settings of the network.

Hostname:

It is used to determine the computer’s name.

Route:

Route is a diagnostic utility that is used to view the Routing table. Route is used to diagnose the connectivity issues between the two computers.