Hardware & Network Troubleshooting

Question 1

What are the 4 problem categories?

Answer 1

1. Hardware
2. OS
3. Software
4. Users

Question 2

What are the 6 basic troubleshooting steps?

Answer 2

1. Identify the problem
2. Create a probable cause theory
3. Test the theory
4. Create a plan of action (policies & procedures come first)
5. Verify system functionality
6. Document

Question 3

What are the 4 most critical system components?

Answer 3

Motherboard
RAM
CPU
Power

Question 4

What’s the most common cause of a crash screen?

Answer 4

Memory issues

Question 5

What does a black screen indicate?

Answer 5

No video output. May be the video card, the cables, or the screen itself.
You can plug in an external video card to check the internal one (motherboard problems can cause these to crash). When an external video card is plugged in, it should automatically disconnect the internal one.

Question 6

What causes a sluggish computer?

Answer 6

Low memory
Low hard drive space
Too many applications
Bad applications
Failing primary components
Malware

Question 7

Where should you start troubleshooting a sluggish PC?

Answer 7

Open Task Manager and look at Memory stats - will graph hard drive, RAM, CPU usage, network connection

Question 8

What does intermittent shutdowns indicate?

Answer 8

1. Components overheating & shutting down
   Also see: bad hardware, bad motherboard connection

Question 9

What causes application failures?

Answer 9

Check for memory problems first

Question 10

What causes grinding noises?

Answer 10

Noise comes from moving parts.
Fans (whirring)
Optical Drives
HDD drives (clicking & squealing)

Question 11

What are capacitors?

Answer 11

Capacitors store electricity on the motherboard. If they fail, they may swell and weep. Replace the motherboard or just the capacitor (specialized knowledge required)

Question 12

What tracks system date/time & is the most likely culprit of inaccurate date/time?

Answer 12

CMOS battery.
Located on the motherboard, it keeps the computer’s settings when the computer is powered off (including BIOS - unavailable if CMOS battery fails)

Question 13

What problems can occur with storage drives?

Answer 13

Bad drives, bad adapters, bad connections

Question 14

What does LED stand for?

Answer 14

Light-emitting diode

Question 15

What are symptoms of a failing drive?

Answer 15

• LED lights (most storage devices have one)
  *Grinding noise (intermittent failure of a motor or spindle) (backup & replace)
• Clicking (drive is failing; backup & replace)
• “Bootable device not found”
• RAID failure
• Data loss/corruption
• Extended read/write times
• Missing drives in the OS
• Declining IOPS (input/output per second)
• S.M.A.R.T (self-monitoring, analysis & reporting technology)

Question 16

What causes an incorrect color display on an LED display?

Answer 16

*Controller Board
*Connection Pins
*Pins on the display device

Question 17

When should you do a battery recalibration?

Answer 17

On a laptop with poor battery life, before replacing

Question 18

What do you do for digitizer issues on a laptop? On a mobile?

Answer 18

Laptop: open settings and attempt to recalibrate. If it can’t be fixed, you can still use a mouse & keyboard.
Mobile: power on and off. If that doesn’t work, replace screen.

Question 19

4 types of printers?

Answer 19

Inkjet (common)
Laser (common)
Thermal (not common)
Impact (not common)

Question 20

Printer issues: garbled text?

Answer 20

Software issue
Connection issue
Correct driver installed?
Enough RAM?
Firm connection to right cable?

Question 21

Toner not fusing to paper

Answer 21

Only a laser printer problem. Try replacing fusing roller or fuser lamp

Question 22

Printer issues: faded print

Answer 22

Low on toner or ink?
Any ink-saving settings?

Question 23

Jobs queuing - how do you resolve spooler issues?

Answer 23

Restart spooler service
Try disabling the spooler and printing directly (outside the queu)

Question 24

Incorrect page orientation?

Answer 24

Check settings in printer & software

Question 25

Sources of external interference:

Answer 25

Flourescent lights
Microwaves
Motors
Physical Barriers
Radio signals

Question 26

Network problems?

Answer 26

Check physical cables
Connections
Speed and/or duplex mismatch

Question 27

Slow network speeds

Answer 27

Probably overwork. Add a switch and/or VLAN
May also be overload / too much distance from the WAP (wireless access point) or wireless router

Question 28

Limited connectivity

Answer 28

Can reach local resources but not the internet.
Check the WIFI password.
Wired connections: DHCP may have failed (no IP address) or, if a static IP address, it doesn’t match router settings.
Is the default gateway properly configured & does it match the router IP address?

Question 29

Jitter

Answer 29

Variable latency, caused by overload (or maybe a poor wired connection)

Question 30

Poor VoIP (voice over internet protocol) quality

Answer 30

Increase VoIP priority settings

Question 31

Switch is opening & closing ports quickly port flapping)

Answer 31

Check cables, connection, duplex. Check error logs on the switch at the right OSI level. Try reseating the small form-factor pluggable (SFP) (network interface module) connector. Switch to a known good SFP if necessary.