How to Troubleshoot XP and Vista Network Problems

Network-connection problems are extremely annoying. A step-by-step approach needed to solve this . Before repairing Registry for the  many  times or  throwing your router into the trash,go through this network-troubleshooting checklist:

• Disable your software firewall temporarily. It may sounds crazy, but mostly the firewall may blocking your network connection.Many third-party antivirus programs, such as Trend Micro's PCCillin or Norton AntiVirus, include built-in firewalls. You may not realize that you installed the firewall component when you installed the antivirus software, and now that firewall is getting in the way of connectivity on your home network. Even if the firewall has worked flawlessly for months, a small configuration change or automatic update could have caused a problem. At least twice this year,Windows XP users Software's ZoneAlarm personal firewall have lost its internet connectivity  due to a Windows update. It's true that patches can introduce problems with firewalls, but subsequent fixes may solve this.
• Pinging:-The ping command is the basic tool for testing TCP/IP connectivity.  It sends a special packet (called ICMP Echo) to a particular IP address and looks for a reply.  If everything is working right, the reply comes back.  If not, the ping times out in a few seconds.  By default, the ping command repeats the process four times.  When ping fails, you’ll see one of these error messages:Request timed out|Unknown host <name> or Ping request could not find host <name>|Destination host unreachable.To fix a corrupted TCP/IP Installation on Windows XP, follow the steps in this Microsoft Knowledge Base article                                                   
• Check your physical connection. Ensure the router, modem, and other network devices are properly plugged in and powered on. Are the network cables between PC and router still connected firmly?
• Renew your connection. To reconnect quickly, click Start, Run in XP (or press the Windows key in Vista), type ipconfig /renew, and press Enter.
• Do  your firmware and drivers updation promptly. Routers and network adapters makers may be caught unawares by patches to operating systems .But the vendors often issue firmware or driver updates that fix the problems. Check the support pages of your router and adapter manufacturers' sites for updates.
• Sometimes we  unknowingly change the configuration settings of our routers and network connections. You may not remember that you turned on your router's MAC filtering, but doing so could have blocked all of your devices from connecting, just the same. So return to default settings may helps.
• Please remember, it's always best to change settings one at a time and observe the results of the change before making any other alterations to your system. If you don't see an obvious way to return your hardware and software to their default settings, you may have to uninstall and reinstall the device or program to regain its original settings

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Category: Connectivity, Internet, IP Address, Network Monotoring, Tips