10.2. Troubleshooting Steps

In the Network+ troubleshooting model, there are eight steps you must follow:

  1. Establish symptoms.

  2. Identify the affected area.

  3. Establish what has changed.

  4. Select the most probable cause.

  5. Implement a solution.

  6. Test the result.

  7. Recognize the potential effects of the solution.

  8. Document the solution.

To facilitate our discussion of the troubleshooting steps, let's assume that a user has called you, the network administrator, to complain about not being able to connect to the Internet.

10.2.1. Step 1: Establish Symptoms

Obviously, if you can't identify a problem, you can't begin to solve it. Typically, you need to ask some questions to begin to clarify exactly what is happening. In our example, we should ask the user the following: ...

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