Windows 7 / Networking

The Process of Troubleshooting Network Problems

To most users, the term connectivity problems describes a wide range of problems, including a failed network connection, an application that cannot connect because of firewall filtering, and serious performance problems. Therefore, the first step in troubleshooting connectivity problems is to identify the scope of the connectivity problem.

To identify the source of a connectivity problem, follow these steps and answer the questions until you are directed to a different section:

  1. Open the Network And Sharing Center by clicking the network icon in the system tray and then clicking Open Network And Sharing Center. At the bottom of the page, click Troubleshoot Problems and follow the prompts that appear. If Windows Network Diagnostics does not identify or resolve the problem, please choose to send the information to Microsoft to help improve Windows Network Diagnostics. Then, continue following these steps.
  2. Are you attempting to connect to a wireless network, but your connection attempt is rejected? If so, see the section titled "How to Troubleshoot Wireless Networks" later in this tutorial.
  3. Are you attempting to connect to a remote network using a VPN connection, but your connection attempt is rejected?.
  4. Can you occasionally access the network resource, but it is unreliable or slow? If so, see the section titled "How to Troubleshoot Performance Problems and Intermittent Connectivity Issues" later in this tutorial.
  5. Can you access other network resources using different applications, such as e-mail or different Web sites? If not, you have a network connectivity problem or a name resolution problem. If you can contact servers using the IP address instead of the host name, see the section titled "How to Troubleshoot Name Resolution Problems" later in this tutorial. If servers are not accessible when you specify an IP address or if you do not know an IP address, see the next section, "How to Troubleshoot Network Connectivity Problems."
  6. Are you trying to join a domain or log on to your computer using a domain account but are receiving an error message that the domain controller is unavailable? If so, see the section titled "How to Troubleshoot Joining or Logging on to a Domain" later in this tutorial.
  7. Open a command prompt and run the command Nslookup servername. If Nslookup does not display an answer similar to the following, you have a name resolution problem. See the section titled "How to Troubleshoot Name Resolution Problems" later in this tutorial for information on solving these problems.
    C:\>nslookup yahoo.com
  8. Are you trying to connect to a shared folder? If so, see the section titled "How to Troubleshoot File and Printer Sharing" later in this tutorial.
  9. If other network applications work and name resolution succeeds, you might have a firewall problem. See the section titled "How to Troubleshoot Application Connectivity Problems" later in this tutorial.
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In this tutorial:

  1. Troubleshooting Network Issues
  2. Tools for Troubleshooting
  3. Table-1 Network Troubleshooting Tools
  4. Arp
  5. How to Identify a Problem with the ARP Cacher
  6. How to Clear the ARP Cache
  7. Event Viewer
  8. IPConfig
  9. Nblookup
  10. Nbtstat
  11. Net
  12. How to View Shared Folders on the Local Computer
  13. How to View Shared Folders on Another Computer
  14. Netstat
  15. Network Monitor
  16. Nslookup
  17. Verifying that the Default DNS Server Resolves Correctly
  18. Verifying that a Specific DNS Server Resolves Correctly
  19. Verifying Specific Types of Addresses
  20. Using TCP for DNS Lookups
  21. PathPing
  22. PathPing Output
  23. Routing Loops
  24. Performance Problems
  25. Possible Connectivity Issues
  26. No Connectivity Issues
  27. Performance Monitor
  28. Data Collector Sets
  29. Windows Resource Monitor
  30. Ping
  31. PortQry
  32. Identifying the TCP Port for a Service
  33. Windows 7 Testing Service Connectivity
  34. Determining Available Remote Management Protocols
  35. Why PortQry Is Great
  36. Route
  37. Task Manager
  38. TCPView
  39. Telnet Client
  40. Testing Service Connectivity
  41. Test TCP
  42. Windows Network Diagnostics
  43. The Process of Troubleshooting Network Problems
  44. How to Troubleshoot Network Connectivity Problems
  45. How to Troubleshoot Application Connectivity Problems
  46. Default Port Assignments for Common Services and Tasks
  47. How to Troubleshoot Name Resolution Problems
  48. How to Verify Connectivity to a DNS Server
  49. How to Use the Hosts File
  50. How to Troubleshoot Performance Problems and Intermittent Connectivity Issues
  51. How to Troubleshoot Joining or Logging on to a Domain
  52. How to Verify Requirements for Joining a Domain
  53. How to Troubleshoot Network Discovery
  54. How to Troubleshoot File and Printer Sharing
  55. How to Troubleshoot File and Printer Sharing from the Client
  56. How to Troubleshoot File and Printer Sharing from the Server
  57. How to Troubleshoot Wireless Networks
  58. Network Diagnostics
  59. How to Troubleshoot Firewall Problems