Basic Network Troubleshooting
The term Basic Network Troubleshooting means to determine the issue related to the network through a continuous process and solve them using practically examined and reliable solutions. The methods that are used to troubleshoot the network problem allow you to properly identify the component causing the problem and then analyze the best possible solution for it. Anyone might face this problem, so knowing these troubleshooting techniques can be really convenient and effective to solve them.
What are the steps of Basic Network Troubleshooting?
The overall process of basic network troubleshooting can be breakdown into the following steps.
Identify the issue
To find an effective solution, it's very important to correctly identify the component where the problem resides. In order to do so, you may follow the methods.
a) Collect the network’s entire information
First of all, gather all the necessary information about the present state of the network. Network troubleshooting tools can be very helpful for this purpose.
b) Duplicate the problem
To verify where actually the problem lies, try duplicating the problem on a test piece of software or hardware.
c) Interrogate the users
To know about the various practical network problems, an effective way is to ask questions to the users facing the problem and try to understand the root cause of it.
d) Symptoms of the problem
There are various symptoms (whether the network speed is slow or the network connection is totally lost, or the network problem is occurring to single or multiple users connected to the same network) that the user might be facing due to network problems and identifying the symptom can make the process of finding the actual problem a lot easier.
e) See whether the network components have been altered in any way before the issue
It's very important to check and know about the changes done to the network or its components before the problem in it aroused. There can be various types of alterations that might have been done to the network components, such as whether it got any new software update and the update was failed to complete, or any hardware components of the network have been replaced with the new one or the problem initiated before the complete installation of the network or the network suddenly got some new users.
f) Understand each and every problem clearly
While analyzing multiple problems due to network, sometimes it might be possible that you messed up solving a problem with a solution of some other problem. So to avoid this type of situation, always make sure to properly define the problem and then deal with it one by one.
Build Working Theory
It's now time to develop the working theory after successfully assembling all the necessary information. This is the most important step in basic network troubleshooting, where you need to find out all the effective solutions that can be useful in order to solve the problem. Sometimes it might be that the network problem arose due to some minute issue such as old and tripped wires, and simply replacing them with the new ones can resolve the issue. So first, focus on the simpler issues and its solution and gradually move to the complex network issues.
Test the Working Theory
After developing the working theory for the network problem, the next step is to test it and know how effective it’s on that particular problem. According to the working theory, the testing may vary from problem to problem like if you have developed the theory and found that some components are defective, like wires or routers or adapters, and need to be replaced with the new one, try doing so and see whether you were successful to solve the problem.
During this testing phase, don't sit back if you see your working theory doesn't really work according to your expectations instead, analyze deeper into that problem and go through all the mistakes that you did while proposing the older solution to it. Try to find all the possible corner cases and develop the fresh working theory again and proceed with this testing phase.
Plan the execution
After successfully completing the testing phase, it's time to plan the execution. Planning things in the correct order make the process go smoothly and easily, so go through the working theory and plan accordingly. Some execution may be very simple and would take less time, while others might be complex that would take more time.
Execute your solution
The most vital step is to execute the solution according to your plan. Firstly, try to implement the solution you have developed for the simple problems, and after fixing them, all deal with the complex ones. Sometimes if there is a major issue, then it might be possible that you are not able to execute the solution yourself, so it's better to call the network administrators who know exactly how to go about it.
Verify the solution
After you have executed the solution, it's important to make sure that everything is working fine. Sequentially look out for every problem that arose earlier and verify that the solution that you implemented has worked and resolved it. Sometimes, you might face a situation where you have managed to resolve all the previous problems, but some new problems are generated, so after you made any changes to the network or its components, always carefully lookout, and if you find any new problem deal with it in the same way as you have solved the previous problems. While verifying the proper working of the network, check for it both on the user's and the network operator's side.
Save Working Theory
Issues related to the network might occur frequently, so after you have successfully resolved the current problems, it will be helpful for you if you save your working theory somewhere. This current working theory might be very useful when you have laid down the entire troubleshooting process. This could also be a reference if in the future you face the same problems.
How to troubleshoot my network problem?
There are multiple types of problems through which the network is hampered, so in the following section, we have discussed all the common problems and their solutions.
1) Check the Adapter and its resources
Adapters play a significant role in the network connection and if it is not properly installed, there is a high chance of occurring a network problem. So, whenever you face a problem, first proceed to check that all the adapters are perfectly connected and detected by the computer system. If there is any flaw in the adapter connection, it will either not be detected in the computer, or it will show up, highlighting the problem after the detection of the adapter. In order to check the network adapters state in the Windows computer, simply open the Device Manager and make sure that it shows no issue. Verify that it’s showing “Network adapters” for every network adapter that is installed on your computer.
If you find some issue in the Device Manager, such as showing the network as an "Other device", make sure that the network card is properly installed. Sometimes it’s also possible that everything on your side is fine, but it's from the computer side. So, if the network card is not detected by your computer, wait for a few minutes as some systems take time. But if the computer still detects nothing, try to put the adapter again after removing it and restart your computer. Sometimes it is also possible that the network card gets detected, but it cannot find the drivers if this is, so you need to download the latest network drivers from the website of the network card makers or from the computer producer's website.
2) Check Cables and Connections
Improper cables or loosely connected cables could be one of the major flaws due to which the network problem arises. Thus, if you have a wired network connection, ensure that the cables are properly connected. You will find LED lights glowing up may be of green, orange, blue, or red color if the cables are attached. Every color of the LED light indicates for different issue for example, in most of the cases, if the connection is proper, a green LED light glow up, and if there is a flaw in the connection, red or orange lights glow up. These red or orange lights probably indicate that there lies a problem with the signal. On a small network, make sure the switch, router, or hub has power and that the wires are connected properly. If, after examining the connections, the LED indications still show as poor, it's possible that the port, network adapter, or cable is broken.
The Wi-Fi button on your laptop should be turned on if you're using one with a wireless network. Many laptops contain a Wi-Fi button that may be used to turn on and off the wireless network. The Wi-Fi button could be located above the keyboard, on the laptop's front edge, or even built into the F key. When you are connected to a network, always be sure that you have connected to the correct Wi-Fi hotspot. You can check it just by going to Windows Notification Area and then clicking to Connect to a network.
Also, entering an incorrect SSID password can hamper your network connection, so the correct SSID password must be entered in order to gain access to the majority of wireless networks.
3) Check the Working of the Adapter
Use the ping command to see if the network card can ping itself. Using a Windows command line, users of Windows can ping the computer. Users of Unix and Linux can use the shell to ping.
Type one of the following instructions to ping.
To ping the localhost
ping localhost
To ping the network card
ping 127.0.0.1
Either of the aforementioned commands should result in responses from the network card. The network card is either broken, not connected correctly, or has outdated or incompatible drivers if you receive an error message or the transmission fails. By removing and reinserting the network card, you may confirm that it is physically inserted into the computer appropriately. Install the most recent drivers by visiting the website of the company that makes your network card. The network card must be replaced if it is faulty.
4) Check the router’s connection
Use the following commands to connect your router to the computer
The address of the router
Look at the Gateway address and use the ipconfig command (or ifconfig command for Linux) to find the router's address. The procedure for Windows users is listed below. Ipconfig can be used in place of ifconfig by Linux users.
1) Activate the Windows command prompt.
2) Type ipconfig at the command prompt and hit Enter. The output should resemble the example below.
Ethernet adapter Local Area Connection:
Connection-specific DNS Suffix. : google.com
IP Address………… : 192.168.1.103
Subnet Mask…………: 255.255.255.0
Default Gateway…………: 192.168.1.1Run the following command to see whether your router can receive and send data.
ping 192.168.1.1
If your router fails to reply, maybe your connection between the computer and the router is not proper, or the router is improperly set up. If this is so, first of all, reset your router using the steps mentioned below.
1) Power off your computer
2) Remove the plug of your modem and router
3) Wait for a few seconds and plug your modem and router
4) Now power on your computer and see the results again after you ping your router
If you are unable to ping, then either use an Ethernet cable to connect your router and the computer or contact to the support staff for help.
5) Firewall
Sometimes if your computer uses the firewall, it can be one of the reasons for the network problem. So, make sure all ports are open on the firewall or if this does not work, disable the firewall from your computer to see what results do you get.
6) If you are unable to connect to the Internet
If you face problems connecting to the Internet, just wait for a few seconds and if you have not yet disconnected your modem and router, use the following procedure
1) Power off your computer system
2) Remove the plug of your modem and router
3) Wait for a few seconds and plug your modem, and then your router
4) Lastly, power on your computer and see the results after you ping the router
If you still face the same problem after applying the above-mentioned steps, run the below-mentioned command on your command line
ping google.com
Running the aforementioned command should result in a response from Google. If you receive a response, the Internet is likely operational. However, it's possible that the internet browser you're using to browse the web is giving you trouble. Try using a different browser, such as Safari or Chrome. Google won't respond if your network or modem isn't connected to the internet. Make sure your router has DHCP enabled and that you have provided the correct ISP address. If you still face the same issue, contact ISP for help.