I always start troubleshooting using these simple network troubleshooting steps to help
diagnose and refine the issue. Because it develops a successful scenario for the computer.
1. Check the hardware. When you’re beginning the troubleshooting process, check all
your hardware to make sure it’s connected properly, turned on, and working. If a
cord has come loose or somebody has switched off an important router, this could
be the problem behind your networking issues. There’s no point in going through the
process of troubleshooting network issues if all you need to do is plug a cord in.
Make sure all switches are in the correct positions and haven’t been bumped
accidentally.
2. Next, turn the hardware off and back on again. This is the mainstay of IT
troubleshooting, and while it might sound simplistic, often it really does solve the
problem. Power cycling your modem, router, and PC can solve simple issues—just be
sure to leave each device off for at least 60 seconds before you turn it back on.
3. Use ipconfig. Open the command prompt and type “ipconfig” (without the quotes)
into the terminal. The Default Gateway (listed last) is your router’s IP. Your
computer’s IP address is the number next to “IP Address.” If your computer’s IP
address starts with 169, the computer is not receiving a valid IP address. If it starts
with anything other than 169, your computer is being allocated a valid IP address
from your router.
4. Try typing in “ipconfig /release” followed by “ipconfig /renew” to get rid of your
current IP address and request a new one. This will in some cases solve the problem.
If you still can’t get a valid IP from your router, try plugging your computer straight
into the modem using an ethernet cable. If it works, the problem lies with the router.
5. Use ping and tracert. If your router is working fine, and you have an IP address
starting with something other than 169, the problem’s most likely located between
your router and the internet. At this point, it’s time to use the ping tool. Try sending a
ping to a well-known, large server, such as Google, to see if it can connect with your
router. You can ping Google DNS servers by opening the command prompt and
typing “ping 8.8.8.8”; you can also add “-t” to the end (ping 8.8.8.8 -t) to get it to keep
pinging the servers while you troubleshoot. If the pings fail to send, the command
prompt will return basic information about the issue.
6. You can use the tracert command to do the same thing, by typing “tracert 8.8.8.8”;
this will show you each step, or “hop,” between your router and the Google DNS
servers. You can see where along the pathway the error is arising. If the error comes
up early along the pathway, the issue is more likely somewhere in your local network.
7. Perform a DNS check. Use the command “nslookup” to determine whether there’s a
problem with the server you’re trying to connect to. If you perform a DNS check on,
for example, google.com and receive results such as “Timed Out,” “Server Failure,”
“Refused,” “No Response from Server,” or “Network Is Unreachable,” it may indicate
the problem originates in the DNS server for your destination. (You can also use
nslookup to check your own DNS server.)
