1. Identify the exact issue or problem:
Have the person who reported the problem explain how normal operation appears, and then demonstrates the perceived problem.
2. Recreate the problem if possible:
Ask yourself if you understand the symptoms, and verify the reported problem yourself if possible.
3. Localize and isolate the cause:
Attempt to isolate the problem to a single device, connection, or software application.
4. Formulate a network troubleshooting plan for solving the problem:
Research and/or consider the possible solutions to the problem. Consider the possibility that some solutions to the problem at hand may introduce other problems.
5. Implement the network troubleshooting plan:
Your actual solution to the problem may be replacing hardware, implementing a software patch, reinstalling the application or component or cleaning a virus infected file. If the problem is the user account, the user’s security settings or login scripts may need to be adjusted.
6. Test to verify that the problem has been resolved:
After you have implemented the solution, ensure that the entire problem has been resolved by having the user test for the problem again.
7. Document the problem and solution:
Documentation can be used for future reference to help you troubleshoot the same or similar problem. You can also use the documentation to prepare reports on common network problems for management and/or users, or to train new network users, network troubleshooters, or members of the network support team.
8. Provide feedback to the user:
This encourages users to report similar situations in the future, which will improve the performance of your network. If the user could have done something to correct or avoid the issue, providing feedback may reduce the number of future network problems.
