Guide to Troubleshooting Network Connectivity Issues
Fix network connection issues in Windows
Try these things to troubleshoot network connection issues in Windows 11.
Make sure Wi-Fi is on. Select Start>Settings> Network & internet, then turn onWi-Fi. Next, select More options(>) next to Wi-Fi, then selectShow available networks. If a network you expect to see appears in the list, select it, then selectConnect.Open Wi-Fi settings
See if you can use the Wi-Fi network to get to websites from a different device. If you cant, restart your modem, router, and device, and re-connect to the Wi-Fi.
Try turning Wi-Fi on and off. This can solve issues by restarting your connection.
If your Surface still isn'tconnecting, try the steps on Surface can't find my wireless network.
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Try these things to troubleshoot network connection issues in Windows 10.
Use the Network troubleshooter. Select Start >Settings > Network & Internet > Status. Under Change your network settings, select Network troubleshooter.Open Status settings
Make sure Wi-Fi is on. Select Start >Settings > Network & Internet > Wi-Fi. Next, select Show available networks, and if a network you expect to see appears in the list, select it, then selectConnect.Open Wi-Fi settings
See if you can use the Wi-Fi to get to websites from a different device. If you cant, restart your modem, router, and device, and re-connect to the Wi-Fi.
If your Surface still isn'tconnecting, try the steps on Surface can't find my wireless network.
Get more help fixing network connection issues
Most Common Network Troubleshooting Steps, Techniques and Best Practices
If you work as an IT engineer or IT administrator and you are responsible for the network in your organization, its only a matter of time before a network problem comes up and everyones calling on you to solve it. The longer it takes to identify the issue, the more emails youll get from staff or clients, asking you why the problem isnt solved yet.
Ive written this guide on the most common network troubleshooting techniques and best practices to give you a starting point and structure for efficiently resolving issues as they arise. Ill be using a bit of technical jargon here, so be ready to look a few things up if youre not sure of the definitions. If you already know network troubleshooting methodology, but you are looking more for automated software read more about my favorite one SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor and read this article.
Network Troubleshooting Steps
Issues and problems can arise at numerous points along the network. Before you start trying to troubleshoot any issue, you want to have a clear understanding of what the problem is, how it has arisen, who its affecting, and how long it has been going on. By gathering the right information and clarifying the problem, youll have a much better chance of resolving the issue quickly, without wasting time trying unnecessary fixes. You can always start by working through these simple network troubleshooting steps to diagnose the issue.
1. Check the hardware.
When youre beginning the troubleshooting process, check all your hardware to make sure its connected properly, turned on, and working. If a cord has come loose or somebody has switched off an important router, this could be the problem behind your networking issues. Theres no point in going through the process of troubleshooting network issues if all you need to do is plug a cord in. Make sure all switches are in the correct positions and havent been bumped accidentally.
Next, turn the hardware off and back on again. This is the mainstay of IT troubleshooting, and while it might sound simplistic, often it really does solve the problem. Power cycling your modem, router, and PC can solve simple issuesjust be sure to leave each device off for at least 60 seconds before you turn it back on.
2. Use ipconfig.
Open the command prompt and type ipconfig (without the quotes) into the terminal. The Default Gateway (listed last) is your routers IP. Your computers IP address is the number next to IP Address. If your computers IP address starts with 169, the computer is not receiving a valid IP address. If it starts with anything other than 169, your computer is being allocated a valid IP address from your router.
Try typing in ipconfig /release followed by ipconfig /renew to get rid of your current IP address and request a new one. This will in some cases solve the problem. If you still cant get a valid IP from your router, try plugging your computer straight into the modem using an ethernet cable. If it works, the problem lies with the router.
3. Use ping and tracert.
If your router is working fine, and you have an IP address starting with something other than 169, the problems most likely located between your router and the internet. At this point, its time to use the ping tool. Try sending a ping to a well-known, large server, such as Google, to see if it can connect with your router. You can ping Google DNS servers by opening the command prompt and typing ping 8.8.8.8; you can also add -t to the end (ping 8.8.8.8 -t) to get it to keep pinging the servers while you troubleshoot. If the pings fail to send, the command prompt will return basic information about the issue.
You can use the tracert command to do the same thing, by typing tracert 8.8.8.8; this will show you each step, or hop, between your router and the Google DNS servers. You can see where along the pathway the error is arising. If the error comes up early along the pathway, the issue is more likely somewhere in your local network.
4. Perform a DNS check.
Use the command nslookup to determine whether theres a problem with the server youre trying to connect to. If you perform a DNS check on, for example, google.com and receive results such as Timed Out, Server Failure, Refused, No Response from Server, or Network Is Unreachable, it may indicate the problem originates in the DNS server for your destination. (You can also use nslookup to check your own DNS server.)
If all of the above turn up no problems, try contacting your internet service provider to see if theyre having issues. You can also look up outage maps and related information on a smartphone to see if others in your area are having the same problem.
6. Check on virus and malware protection.
Next, make sure your virus and malware tools are running correctly, and they havent flagged anything that could be affecting part of your network and stopping it from functioning.
7. Review database logs.
Review all your database logs to make sure the databases are functioning as expected. If your network is working but your database is full or malfunctioning, it could be causing problems that flow on and affect your network performance.
Network Troubleshooting Best Practices
To make troubleshooting as efficient as possible, its very important to have best practices in place. As you work through the steps to try to solve network issues, following these network troubleshooting best practices can help streamline the process and avoid unnecessary or redundant efforts.
1. Collect information.
To best support your end users, you first need to make sure youre clear on what the problem is. Collect enough information from both the people who are experiencing network issues and the network itself, so you can replicate or diagnose the problem. Take care not to mistake symptoms for the root cause, as what initially looks like the problem could be part of a larger issue.
2. Customize logs.
Make sure your event and security logs are customized to provide you with information to support your troubleshooting efforts. Each log should have a clear description of which items or events are being logged, the date and time, and information on the source of the log (MAC or IP address).
3. Check access and security.
Ensure no access or security issues have come up by checking all access permissions are as they should be, and nobody has accidentally altered a sensitive part of the network they werent supposed to be able to touch. Check all firewalls, antivirus software, and malware software to ensure theyre working correctly, and no security issues are affecting your users ability to work.
4. Follow an escalation framework.
Theres nothing worse than going to the IT help desk and being directed to another person, who then directs you to another person, who directs you to yet another. Have a clear escalation framework of who is responsible for which issues, including the final person in the chain who can be approached for resolution. All your end users should know who they can go to about a given issue, so time isnt wasted talking to five different people who cannot fix the problem.
Troubleshooting can be done manually but can become time-consuming if you go through each step. When you have a bunch of people knocking on your office door or sending you frantic emails, it can be overwhelming to try to find the problem, let alone fix it. In business and enterprise situations, its best to use monitoring tools to make sure youre getting all the relevant network information and arent missing anything vital, not to mention avoiding exposing the company to unnecessary risk.
My preferred monitoring software is SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM). Its a well-designed tool with features to support network troubleshooting issues in an efficient and thorough way. It allows you to clearly baseline your network behavior, so you have good data on what your network should look like and how it usually performs, and it includes advanced alerting features so you dont receive floods of alerts all the time. You can customize the software to alert you to major issues, choose the timing of alerts, and define the conditions under which alerts occur.
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Other NPM features include NetPath network path analysis, which lets you see your network topology and performance pathways, and PerfStack, which allows you to compare different performance metrics against each other, as well as historical data. With these tools, you can see which performance issues may be interlinked and troubleshoot the root cause faster. NPM also comes with tools like Wi-Fi sniffer, software for monitoring load balancers, switches, and firewalls, as well as wireless issues and coverage, all of which enables you to keep an eye on the overall health of your network and quickly pinpoint and fix issues as soon as they arise.
Troubleshooting Network Issues Conclusions
Network troubleshooting can be stressful at the best of times. Having clear steps to follow, an arsenal of best practices and a robust monitoring tool like Network Performance Monitor can help make the process as smooth as possible.
Fix Wi-Fi connection issues in Windows
Run network commands
Try running these network commands to manually reset the TCP/IP stack, release and renew the IP address, and flush and reset the DNS client resolver cache:
Select Search on the taskbar, and typecommand prompt. TheCommand Promptbutton will appear. To the right of it, selectRun as administrator>Yes.
At the command prompt, run the following commands in the listed order, and then check to see if that fixes your connection problem:
Typenetsh winsock resetand selectEnter.
Typenetsh int ip resetand selectEnter.
Typeipconfig /releaseand selectEnter.
Typeipconfig /renewand selectEnter.
Typeipconfig /flushdnsand selectEnter.
Uninstall the network adapter driver and restart
If the previous steps didnt work, try to uninstall the network adapter driver, and then restart your computer. Windows will automatically install the latest driver. Consider this approach if your network connection stopped working properly after a recent update.
Before uninstalling, make sure you have drivers available as a backup. Visit the PC manufacturers website and download the latest network adapter driver from there. If your PC can't connect to the internet, you'll need to download a driver on a different PC and save it to a USB flash drive so you can install the driver on your PC. Youll need to know the PC manufacturer and model name or number.
Select Search on the taskbar, typedevice manager, and then selectDevice Managerfrom the list of results.
ExpandNetwork adapters, and locate the network adapter for your device.
Select the network adapter, press and hold (or right-click), and then selectUninstall device> check theAttempt to remove the driver for this devicecheck box >Uninstall.
After uninstalling the driver, select Start >Power >Restart .
After your PC restarts, Windows will automatically look for and install the network adapter driver. Check to see if that fixes your connection problem. If Windows doesn't automatically install a driver, try to install the backup driver you saved before uninstalling.
Check if your network adapter is compatible with the latest Windows Update
If you lost your network connection immediately after upgrading to or updating Windows 11, it's possible that the current driver for your network adapter was designed for a previous version of Windows. To check, try temporarily uninstalling the recent Windows Update:
Select Start >Settings >Windows Update >Update history > Uninstall updates .
Select the most recent update, then selectUninstall.
If uninstalling the most recent update restores your network connection, check to see if an updated driver is available:
Select Search on the taskbar, typedevice manager, and then selectDevice Managerfrom the list of results.
ExpandNetwork adapters, and locate the network adapter for your device.
Select the network adapter, press and hold (or right-click), then selectUpdate driver> Search automatically for updated driver software, and then follow the instructions.
After installing the updated driver, select Start >Power > Restart if you're asked to restart, and see if that fixes the connection issue.
If Windows cant find a new driver for your network adapter, visit the PC manufacturers website and download the latest network adapter driver from there. Youll need to know the PC manufacturer and model name or number.
Do one of the following:
If you couldnt download and install a newer network adapter driver, hide the update thats causing you to lose your network connection. To learn how to hide updates, seeHide Windows Updates or driver updates.
If you could successfully install updated drivers for your network adapter, then reinstall the latest updates. To do this, select Start >Settings >Windows Update > Check for updates.
Use network reset
Using network resetshould be the last step you try. Consider usingit if the steps above dont help to get you connected.
This can help solve connection problems you might have after upgrading from Windows 10 to Windows 11. It can also help to fix the problem where you can connect to the internet, but can't connect to shared network drives. Network reset removes any network adapters you have installed and the settings for them. After your PC restarts, any network adapters are reinstalled, and the settings for them are set to the defaults.
Select Start >Settings >Network & internet >Advanced network settings > Network reset.Open Network & Internet Status settings
On theNetwork resetscreen, selectReset now>Yesto confirm.
Wait for your PC to restart, and see if that fixes the problem.
Notes:
After using network reset, you might need to reinstall and set up other networking software you might be using, such as VPN client software or virtual switches from HyperV (if you're using that or other network virtualization software).
Network reset might set each one of your known network connections to a public network profile. In a public network profile, your PC is not discoverable to other PCs and devices on the network, which can help make your PC more secure. However, if your PC is used for file or printer sharing, youll need to make your PC discoverable again by setting it to use a private network profile. To do this, select Start >Settings >Network & internet >Wi-Fi . On theWi-Fiscreen, selectManage known networks> the network connection you want to change. UnderNetwork profile type, selectPrivate.
