Step 2: Identify the Affected Areas of the Network

Some computer problems are isolated to a single user in a single location; others affect several thousand users spanning multiple locations. Establishing the affected area is an important part of the troubleshooting process, and it often dictates the strategies you use in resolving the problem.

TIP: You might be provided with either a description of a scenario or a description augmented by a network diagram. In either case, you should read the description of the problem carefully, step by step. In most cases, the correct answer is fairly logical, and the wrong answers can be identified easily.

Problems that affect many users are often connectivity issues that disable access for many users. Such problems can often be isolated to wiring closets, network devices, and server rooms. The troubleshooting process for problems isolated to a single user often begins and ends at that user's workstation. The trail might indeed lead you to the wiring closet or server, but it is not likely that the troubleshooting process would begin there. Understanding who is affected by a problem can provide the first clues about where the problem exists.

As a practical example, assume that you are troubleshooting a client connectivity problem whereby a Windows client is unable to access the network. You can try to ping the server from that system, and, if it fails, ping the same server from one or two more client systems. If all tested client systems cannot ping the server, the troubleshooting procedure will not focus on the clients but more toward something common to all three, such as the DHCP server or network switch.