Troubleshooting & Networking Basics

What you will be able to do

• You will be able to run the CompTIA A+ six-step troubleshooting method on any ticket: identify the problem, form and test a theory of probable cause, plan and implement a fix, verify, and document.
• You will be able to turn a vague user complaint into a clear problem statement by asking the right questions and reproducing the issue before you touch anything.
• You will be able to explain how devices find each other on a network using IP addresses, subnet masks, the default gateway, and MAC addresses.
• You will be able to describe what DHCP and DNS do and recognize the tell-tale symptoms when either one fails.
• You will be able to diagnose a connectivity problem with a layered approach, working up from the physical link to IP, then DNS, then the application.
• You will be able to use the standard command-line tools (ping, ipconfig or ifconfig, nslookup, and tracert or traceroute) and read what their output is telling you.
• You will be able to resolve the issues a help desk sees most, including DHCP and IP failures, DNS resolution errors, gateway and Wi-Fi problems, and slow connections.
• You will be able to verify a fix, document the ticket clearly, escalate cleanly when a problem is past your reach, and write a knowledge base article others can reuse.

What is inside

4 modules, 8 lessons. Each module ends in a graded quiz and most carry an assignment.

1. 01

   The Support Desk and a Repeatable Troubleshooting Method

   Start with the job and the method that runs it. This module shows what an IT Support Specialist does each day, how tickets, triage, priority versus severity, and escalation organize the work, and how to turn a vague complaint into a clear, reproducible problem statement. Then it teaches the CompTIA A+ six-step troubleshooting method, a repeatable routine you run on any issue instead of guessing and swapping parts.

   2 lessons · 5 quiz questions

2. 02

   Networking Basics: How Devices Find Each Other

   Almost every support ticket eventually touches the network, so this module builds the mental model you need. You will learn how a device gets an IPv4 address and uses a subnet mask and default gateway to reach the world beyond its own network, and where MAC addresses fit in underneath. Then you will meet the two services that make a network usable without anyone noticing: DHCP, which hands out addresses, and DNS, which turns names into numbers, along with the tell-tale signs that let you spot which one has failed.

   2 lessons · 5 quiz questions · assignment

3. 03

   Diagnosing Connectivity Problems

   When a user says they cannot connect, you need a plan, not a panic. This module gives you a layered method that works up from the physical link to IP, then DNS, then the application, so you always know what to check next. Then you build a command-line toolkit (ping, ipconfig or ifconfig, nslookup, and tracert or traceroute) and learn to read what the output is actually telling you.

   2 lessons · 5 quiz questions

4. 04

   Resolving Common Issues and Closing the Ticket

   Diagnosis only counts when the user is back online and the ticket is closed well. This module walks through the failures a help desk sees most, from DHCP and IP problems to DNS errors, gateway faults, Wi-Fi drops, and slow-connection complaints, and it shows the exact commands and decision points that fix each one. Then it turns to the work that separates a good technician from a great one: verifying the fix with the user, documenting it so the next tech understands, escalating cleanly, and turning your solution into a reusable knowledge base article.

   2 lessons · 5 quiz questions · assignment