In this era of fast-track learning, all we need is a basic guideline to deal with arising problems on our own. But if you are trying to learn things independently, it certainly means coming across some trial and error methods.
In this article, I will share some of the fundamental aspects involved in troubleshooting and repairing work of Computers. So if you do it for yourself or for someone else, this information will come in handy.
Basic network troubleshooting
A problem in the network may arise for various reasons. Hence asking the right questions about the time the issue arose, what is the problem, how long the problem has been going on etc. these questions will give clarity in reaching the solutions sooner and in an effective manner. Below are some of the steps you can take to resolve the problem.
Checking the Hardware:
In this simple step, you can check for all the hardware components of your network to see if they are appropriately connected. Hardware connectivity issues are most common and can be resolved by checking the indicators of the router, checking the switches for their proper connection, checking all the plugs and chords for any disconnect, and last but certainly not the least, trying to reset the router to bring back to initial configu rations.
1.Using ipconfig:
Here, you will be checking if your IP configuration is proper and whether there is any problem. In this, you can open the command prompt of your computer and type ipconfig.
It will show a list of information where you need to look for the IP address. If the IP address starts from 169, then voila, you have spotted a problem. In this case, the computer is not receiving any valid IP address. Otherwise, if the IP address starts with any number other than 169, then it means that your computer has been allotted an IP address, and in this case, you can use ipconfig/release followed by ipconfig/renew to get a new IP address. If this doesn’t solve the problem, then the defect lies in the router.
2.Using tracert and ping method:
If you find that your router still works fine, then the problem may lie in between the router and the internet. In such cases, try using the ping method by using the ping tool. You can type ping 8.8.8.8 –t to ping DNS servers like google. If the pings fail, the command prompt will send basic information about the issue. In a similar way, you can use the tracert command replacing ping by tracert, and this will show you exactly where along the pathway lies the problem.
3.Performing a DNS check:
In this step you will be checking the central server for a problem. To do so, you can type nslookup in the command prompt. If you receive a result such as Server Failure, No response, or Timed out, this may suggest that the problem is originating from the DNS server.
For other network-related problems, you can contact your internet service provider.
Troubleshoot basic hardware problem
For this, you are desired to understand the motherboard slot types, CPU socket types, different Ram types, and their speeds. And with that, additional hard drive types like SATA and IDE. While troubleshooting a core hardware-related problem, you can always go with BIOS beep codes, but you need to understand the beeps and their different meanings.
Setting up wireless networks and wired networks
For this, you will be required to know about the basics of modem and router. It would help if you had an understanding of the subnetting and masking. Also, you should know what a gateway is and how DHCP works. You should know how to forward ports and wireless, apply encryption, and improve signal strengths.
Recovering data from the non bootable operating system
You can do this by using the wrong drive into your system and recovering it like that or by using a boot CD and an external hard drive.
Formatting a computer
Most of you will know this as it is a relatively easy task of plugging in a Windows CD during boot time and then following the proper installation guidelines.
Know how to ask google
And last but not least, you should never shy away from a google search. Not every error can be known to the most advanced of technicians, and hence please go ahead and perform the proper google search so that you are sure of what you are doing and the direction of solution you’re sticking to.