Troubleshooting

Computer
Network System
By:
Alyssa Joi Viloria
Tracy Mae Quizon
Jerico Rayo
Causes of Network Trouble

If a computer is unable to
connect to a network or see other
computers on a network, it may be
necessary to troubleshoot the
network. A network may not work
because of any of the reasons
below.
1. Network card not properly
connected.
2. Bad network card drivers or
software settings.
3. Firewall preventing computers
from seeing each other.
4. Connection related issues.
5. Bad network hardware.
Solution
Because of the large variety of network
configurations, operating systems, setup, etc...
Not all of the below information may apply to
your network or operating system. If your
computer is connected to a company or large
network, or you are not the administrator of the
network, it is recommended that if you are
unable to resolve your issues after following
the below recommendations that you contact
the network administrator or company
representative.
Verify connections / LEDs
Verify that the network cable is
properly connected to the back of the
computer. In addition, when checking
the connection of the network cable,
ensure that the LEDs on the network
are properly illuminated. For example,
a network card with a solid green LED
or light usually indicates that the card is
either connected or receiving a signal.
 If, however, the card does not have
any lights or has orange or red lights, it is
possible that either the card is bad, the
card is not connected properly, or that the
card is not receiving a signal from the
network.
If you are on a small or local network
and have the capability of checking a hub
or switch, verify that the cables are
properly connected and that the hub or
switch has power.
Adapter Resources

Ensure that if this is a new network

card being installed into the computer
that the card's resources are properly
set and not conflicting with any
hardware in the computer.
 Adapter Functionality
Verify that the network card is capable of detecting
or seeing itself by using the ping command. Windows /
MS-DOS users ping the computer from a MS-DOS
prompt. Unix / Linux variant users ping the computer
from the shell.
To ping the card or the local host, type either ping
127.0.0.1 or ping local host.
This should show a listing of replies from the
network card. If you receive an error or if the
transmission failed, it is likely that either the network
card is not physically installed into the computer
correctly, or that the card is bad.
Protocol
Verify that the correct protocols are
installed on the computer. Most networks
today will utilize TCP/IP, but may also utilize
or require IPX/SPX and NetBEUI.

When the TCP/IP protocol is installed,

unless a DNS server or other computer
assigns the IPX address, the user must
specify an IP address as well as a Subnet
Mask. To do this, follow the instructions
below.
1. Click Start / Settings / Control Panel
2. Double-click the Network icon
3. Within the configuration tab double-
click the TCP/IP protocol icon. Note: Do
not click on the PPP or Dial-Up adapter,
click on the network card adapter.
4. In the TCP/IP properties click the IP
address tab
5. Select the option to specify an IP
address
6. Enter the IP address and Subnet
Mask address, an example of such an
address could be:

IP Address: 102.55.92.1
Subnet Mask: 255.255.255.192
7. When specifying these values, the
computers on the network must all
have the same Subnet Mask and have a
different IP Address. For example,
when using the above values on one
computer you would want to use an IP
address of 102.55.92.2 on another
computer and then specify the same
Subnet Mask.
Firewall

If your computer network utilizes

a firewall, ensure that all ports
required are open. If possible, close
the firewall software program or
disconnect the computer from the
firewall to ensure it is not causing
the problem.
Additional Time
In some cases it may take a computer
some additional time to detect or see the
network. If after booting the computer you
are unable to see the network, give the
computer 2-3 minutes to detect the network.
Windows users may also want to try
pressing the F5 (refresh) key when in
Network Neighborhood to refresh the
network connections and possibly detect the
network .
 Additional Troubleshooting
If after following or verifying the above
recommendations you are still unable to connect
or see the network, attempt one or more of the
below recommendations.
If you have installed or are using TCP/IP as
your protocol you can ping another computer's
IP address to verify if the computer is able to
send and receive data. To do this, Windows or
MS-DOS users must be at a prompt and Linux /
Unix variant users must open or be at a shell.
 Once at the prompt assuming, that the
address of the computer you wish to ping is
102.55.92.2, you would type:
ping 102.55.92.2
If you receive a response back from this
address (and it is a different computer), this
demonstrates that the computer is
communicating over the network. If you are
still unable to connect or see the network, it is
possible that other issues may be present.
 Another method of determining network issues
is to use the tracert command if you are a MS-
DOS or Windows user or the trace route
command if you are a Linux / Unix variant user.
To use this command you must be at the
command prompt or shell. Or trace route
102.55.92.2
This should begin listing the hops between the
computer and network devices. When the
connection fails, determine what device is
causing the issue by reviewing the trace route
listing.
Networking with DHCP

Task: Setting up a local area network with

a Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP)
server is easy! The DHCP server provides
all the information your computer needs to
get up and running on the network. Once
connected, you will check network
connectivity with the router and at least
one other peer on the network.
Procedure

Getting Connected

1. Before connecting your PC to the network,

be sure the Windows XP operating system is
running on your computer. You will use
Windows XP sp2 throughout this activity.

2. Next, open a terminal window on your

computer by clicking on Applications-
>Accessories->Terminal.
3. In the terminal window, type ipconfig and
press Enter.
a. How many network devices are listed in the
output? Record their names in your worksheet.
b. Is there an IPv4 address listed for any of the
network devices? If so, record your
IP address (es) in your worksheet.
4. Connect your computer to a network switch
using a patch cable. Did you get a light on the
switch? Record the port number you connected
to in your worksheet.
5. Draw a diagram of the entire local area
network in the space below, including the
router, any switches or hubs, and all
connected PCs.

6. Run ifconfig again. Do you see an IP

address? If so, record it in your worksheet.

7. In the terminal window, type dhclient eth1

and press Enter. Describe what happens.
Checking your Connection

1. Check connectivity with the router

with the ping command. Type ping -c4
10.0.1.1 and press Enter. Record the
times listed in the last column of the
output. What was the average round trip
time (rtt) from your computer to the
router and back?
2. Ask another group for their IP address. Check
connectivity with that group's computer with ping.
Run ping as shown above, substituting the new IP
address for the one listed in the previous item.
Record the times listed in the last column below.
What was the average round trip time (rtt)?

3. When you have completed the activity, shut

down your computer and return to your seat.
Title: Networking with Static IPs

Purpose: While setting up a network with a

Dynamic Host Control Protocol (DHCP)
server is very convenient, it is sometimes
preferable to use static IP addresses. In this
activity, you will join the network using an
IP address and netmask provided by your
instructor. Once connected, you will check
network connectivity with at least one other
peer on the network.
 Procedure

Getting Connected
1. Before connecting your PC to the network, be
sure the windows Operating system is running
on your computer.
2. When the boot process is completed, connect
your computer to the network switch using a
patch cable. Did you get a light? What port
number did you connect to on the switch?
3. Draw a diagram of the entire network in the
space below.
4. To configure your network settings, click
System->Administration->Network.
5. In the Network settings window, make
sure the Connections tab is selected.
6. Click on Wired connection, and then click
the Properties button.
7. In the Interface properties window, change
the Configuration setting to Static IP address.
8. Enter the IP address provided by your
instructor in the IP address field.
9. Enter 10.0.1.0 in the Gateway address
field.
10. Finally, enter 255.255.255.0 in the
Subnet mask field. Click OK to close the
Interface properties window.
11. Click OK to close the Network settings
window.
Checking your Connection
1. Open a terminal window on your
computer, if one is not already open, by
clicking Applications->Accessories-
>Terminal.

2. Type ipconfig and press Enter. Are your

network setting correct? If not, repeat the
steps 411 in the previous section
3. Ask another group for their IP address. Check
connectivity with that group's computer with
ping. For example, ping -c4 10.0.1.200. Record
the times listed in the last column below. What
was the average round trip time?

4. Ask a second group for their IP address.

Check connectivity to that group's computer
with ping. Record the times listed in the last
column below. What was the average round trip
time?
 Evaluation:
CRITERIA Passed Failed

1. Sequence of steps in diagnosing is

followed.
2. Safety precaution are observed.
3. Appropriate tools are used in
diagnosing.
4. Diagnostic plan for troubleshooting
is created.
Remarks