How to Troubleshoot Your Network
One of the most frustrating and elusive of modern technologies can be your computer network. In the workplace today, not only are networks an integral part of employee-to-employee communications, they are an essential function of business-to-client interaction as well. As a result, whenever your network experiences difficulties, your business stands to lose a valuable piece of its day-to-day operations. Do you know what to do when your network goes down?
There are a few basic solutions to consider when attempting to diagnose problems with your network. The following troubleshooting tips come courtesy a whitepaper by networking expert Dheeraj Tolani.
- Be mentally prepared. I was encouraged that Tolani thought to mention being mentally prepared before attempting to diagnose network issues. Simply having a calm demeanor and clear focus can make a huge difference for any problem, not just networks.
- Check cables. Check to make sure all the various cables used to support your network are a) plugged in and b) connected correctly.
- Check your IP address. Each machine should have a valid IP address assigned to it.
- Check you router. Examine your router for correct connections, lights, and signal.
- Document your experience. After the issue is diagnosed, document both the problem and solution. I, again, appreciated that Tolani offered this suggestion. Not only will this help you identify similar problems in the future, but it will greatly aid others who come along later.
Finally, Tolani does offer some additional steps that are more advanced and/or technical in nature. If you are not a professional in the networking field, I’d recommend relying on computer consultants to diagnose and repair more advanced problems. Particularly, if you’re a small business owner with little technical expertise, you might do your network more harm than good.
[photo: Cloned Milkmen]
Additional Resources:
(Really) Simply Solutions for Computer Repair
Small Business Planning: Hiring the Experts
Tags: business network, computer consultant, Computer networking, Networking hardware, Router, small business owner, Wireless network