One of the novelties in Windows Vista is the inclusion of the Windows Network Diagnostic tool. This tool can help you identify and resolve with ease most of your network problems. You don’t have to be a specialist in computer networks to find out what is wrong with your network or internet connection. You just run the tool and it will report to you the problems that were discovered.
In this tutorial we will show how to use Windows Network Diagnostics to successfully identify connectivity problems.
There are several ways to find this tool. One of them is to go to Control Panel and search the word “network”. In the list of search results you will find the Network and Sharing Center. Beneath it, you will see a link called Identify and repair network problems. Click on it and Windows Network Diagnostic will be launched.
In Windows 10 you have a new tool called “Find and fix networking and connection problems”. You can find it by clicking the search icon in the bottom-left and typing that name.
Another option would be to go to Control Panel -> Network and Internet -> Network and Sharing Center-> Diagnose and repair. Alternatively, when you access your Network Connections, right click on your network icon and choose Diagnose.
When launched, Windows Network Diagnostic starts the process of identifying your connectivity problems.
After a while the tool will tell you if it managed to find any problems or not. When a problem is found, Windows Network Diagnostics will show the description and propose a solution, if possible.
In the above screenshot you can see there was a problem with our DNS server. When you click on the proposed solution, Windows Network Diagnostics tries to apply a fix that might repair the problem.
After the repair is finished, the tool checks if the problem persists or not.
As you can see in the screenshot below, in our case, the problem could not be fixed. In this scenario, the remaining solution is to contact our internet provider and inform it about our problem.
There are many other possible scenarios of things that could go wrong. The good news is that Windows Network Diagnostics will help you identify them in a few seconds, with only one click.
Related articles:
How to check your Network Connection Status
How to setup a wireless connection
How to Map a Network Drive
How to enable network discovery and file sharing
Solve your computing problems with Problem Reports and Solutions
Decent
Decent, but kind of obvious. It would be nice if there was some command line stuff to help the troubleshooting process.
Thanks.
Decent
Yah, it would be nice if they had stuff like: ping, tracert, ipconfig, netstat, nslookup… Maybe even some ipv6 support.
Oh wait a minute, duhhhh they do have those. Hey they have those like they had in XP and 2000 and NT. What were you thinkin’ ?
And ipv6 support is native now in Vista. On by default.
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Alan Spicer
http://www.marinetelecom.net
internet connections
having trouble with the settings to connect to the internet, can get into some windows but not all, ex:can open yahoo homepage but not sign into mail page or can not get linksy but not into all there pages.
can get into everything when connected via ethernet cable
internet connections
I wonder… did this get any better since you posted here? Someone would need more information about your network to help you on that. I assume that you mean that the problem only occurs on wireless, but not on a wired/ethernet cable.
Cross check this symptom with another laptop or such to make sure that you can duplicate it, and possibly eliminate the wireless laptop as a source of the problem.
Try clearing your wireless networks from Windows and re-enter your security key and see if that helps.
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Alan Spicer
http://www.marinetelecom.net
Vista Network Discovery Problem
When I try to turn on Network Discovery after selecting the apply button the Network Discovery selection reverts back to “off.” I have other machines that have no trouble accessing my router. I’ve run Norton and it doesn’t seem to find any virus problems. I had a good connection one day and the next I can’t find any networks…
Vista Network Discovery Problem
There’s just got to be more to this story than what you posted. What are you trying to do anyway?
What kind of network connection are you on that’s having problems? Is it wired? Wireless? What exactly are you trying to get to? Internet only? Windows File and Printer Sharing?
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Alan Spicer
http://www.marinetelecom.net
cannot connect to wireless router
I have an Acer Aspire laptop and I’m trying to set up a wireless connection at home using a Netgear router. I tried connecting with a cable first but the laptop doesn’t connect to the internet even with the cable. What can I do?
this isn’t the forum – this isn’t the place to ask questions
Up at the top of this page there’s a link “Forum” – that would be the place to post a question or a plea for help.
But what would I do? if I didn’t know any better? First I would probably call my ISP’s support line and ask for help. They will probably determine if you have a problem before your Netgear Router came into the picture. After that I would be getting on the hook with Netgear company and talk to support about my problems.
As a suggestion, for when you are going to subscribe as a user on here, and re-post over in the forum… Tell what model Netgear router that is, and how you have things plugged in. What kind of ISP you have (DSL, Cable Modem, Satellite, Cellular Card?) and how that’s hooked up. That will at least give someone that’s helping you (for Free) a base to start from. That way they don’t have to write the message to you that I’m writing now … asking for the details.
This is kind of like calling an auto mechanic and telling them that you can’t make your car go… but not telling them what make/model car, if it’s full of gas, if the motor turns over at all (ie battery is dead) and when the car last worked and if anything was changed.
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Alan Spicer
http://www.marinetelecom.net
windows diagnostics
Why does Windows Network Diagnostic screen pop up after it says a page cannot be displayed and then when you ask it to diagnose the problem it says there is no problem or it tells you to plug in a cable. No cables are unplugged, my computer is wireless. When I rebute the computer the message doesn’t come up again.
Can’t connect to my OWN wireless
I have a wireless router, had it set up- then the computer decided it wasn’t going to stay connected.
I have NO issues when using anyone elses Wi-Fi- but for whatever reason I keep getting the message that “the settings saved on this computer for the network do not match the requirements of the network” that’s fine, if it showed up immediately….not 4 days after I set it up.
WHAT is the issue with this ? Why is it, when I google for answers, it seems there are none- that actually work anyway !!
Vista is fine otherwise, but this is an issue I’d rather not be forced to deal with !!