Narrowing Down the Problem

When initially faced with a network problem in its entirety, it’s easy to get totally overwhelmed. That’s why it’s a great strategy to start by narrowing things down to the source of the problem. To help you achieve that goal, it’s always wise to ask the right questions. You can begin doing just that with this list of questions to ask yourself:

• Did you check the super simple stuff (SSS)?
• Is hardware or software causing the problem?
• Is it a workstation or server problem?
• Which segments of the network are affected?

Are There Any Cabling Issues? Did You Check the Super Simple Stuff?

Yes—it sounds like a snake’s hiss (appropriate for a problem, right?), but exactly what’s on the SSS list that you should be checking first, and why? Well, as the saying goes, “All things being equal, the simplest explanation is probably the correct one,” so you probably won’t be stunned and amazed when I tell you that I’ve had people call me in and act like the sky is falling when all they needed to do was check to make sure their workstation was plugged in or powered on. (I didn’t say “super simple stuff” for nothing!) Your SSS list really does include things that are this obvious—sometimes so obvious, no one thinks to check for them. Even though anyone experienced in networking has their own favorite “DUH” events to tell about, almost e....