All the things that go wrong are not on the far side of your cable/DSL modem. Unfortunately, things go wrong on your side of the demarcation point, and you are the customer service representative for your network.
Luckily, when things jump the track a few common problems seem to be the culprits in many cases (changes due to newly-installed software, network configuration changes, and misbehaving applications). Once you learn how to deal with some of the common issues, you'll be able to solve the majority of your network problems.
These are the types of issues you will soon learn to troubleshoot and conquer:
* Physical connections
* Identifying out-of-control applications
* Network settings that changed
* Network link status
* Wireless connection weirdness
Troubleshooting goes much easier if you remember what I consider the most important rule: change one thing at a time. If that doesn't help, change it back and change something (one something only) and try again. The trying again part may be the second most important rule, because the best troubleshooters understand they may have to check a dozen settings before finding a resolution.
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