Using the Network Diagnostics Tool
Published: July 31, 2006
In the five-plus years I've been writing about Windows XP for the Expert Zone, I've often written about networking problems. Those networking columns have consistently generated the most e-mail from readers. In the community, networking problems continue to be the source of many questions and quite a bit of frustration. Clearly, networking is an area that still causes a lot of problems for people. The newest Microsoft tool, the Network Diagnostics tool for Windows XP, is designed to help. And, after running it against some typical network problems on my test machines, I'd have to say that Network Diagnostics is indeed a useful tool. In this article I will explain how to run it and what it does (and doesn't) do.
Running the Network Diagnostics tool
The Network Diagnostics tool is used in conjunction with Guided Help.
To run the Network Diagnostics tool in Internet Explorer 7
| • | When presented with the error "Internet Explorer cannot display the webpage," click Diagnose Connection Problems, as shown in Figure 1. |
Figure 1: Internet Explorer 7 error page.
If you're still running Internet Explorer 6, as I am on my main Windows XP machine, then you'll receive a somewhat different error message. This error message does not include a direct link to Diagnose Connection Problems.
To run the Network Diagnostics tools in Internet Explorer 6
| • | From the Tools menu, select Diagnose Connection Problems, as shown in Figure 2. |
Figure 2: Internet Explorer 6 error page.
After you've started the Network Diagnostics tool, follow the steps to troubleshoot your problem. A typical result page is shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3: Network Diagnostics tool troubleshooting steps.
While the Network Diagnostics tool is actually pretty smart about what it can identify and often fix, especially wireless problems, the tool isn't perfect. But when Network Diagnostics can't fix a problem, you can still use the tool to get enough information to fix the problem yourself. Even if you need help fixing the problem, the log file that the Network Diagnostics tool generates is invaluable to the support personnel when you call for help. Figure 4 shows the final message I received when I had misconfigured the Domain Name Service (DNS) setting.
Figure 4: Network Diagnostics tool solution suggestion.
The Network Diagnostics tool message advised me to call my Internet Service Provider (ISP) for help. But, more importantly, the tool also created a detailed diagnostics log, as shown in Figure 5, which provided more than enough information for my ISP's help desk to solve the problem.
Figure 5: Diagnostic log page.
The diagnostic log clearly shows that I somehow managed to set the IP address of my DNS provider to 127.0.0.1, and that address isn’t responding to my DNS queries. The result is not surprising because I don’t run a DNS server on my Windows XP laptop.
What the Network Diagnostics tool does
So what sorts of tests does the new Network Diagnostics tool run and what kinds of problems can it solve? The basic tests are as follows:
| • | Verify HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP connectivity against Microsoft.com. |
| • | Check for network adapter issues. |
| • | Verify wireless functionality. |
| • | Validate IP configuration. |
| • | Check DNS and gateway settings and functionality. |
The Network Diagnostics tool uses four levels of repair automation to solve problems.
| • | Automatic repair automation is only used when the repair is both easily automated and safe to perform automatically. An example is flushing the Address Resolution (ARP) cache. |
| • | Approval repair automation is used when the repair can be automated but where it could cause configuration issues. You’re prompted for approval before the repair is performed. An example is changing from static IP addresses to automatic DHCP generated addresses. |
| • | Manual repair automation is used whenever the steps can’t be automated, usually because external hardware is involved. An example is restarting your router or modem. |
| • | Contact Support repair automation is used when the tool can’t easily identify the issue or point directly to the correction. In these cases, the generated log file will help support personnel identify the issue. |
The Network Diagnostics tool can correct many common network issues, but its real strength is in wireless networking, an area that still causes more network problems than any other. The tool builds on the underlying Wireless Zero Configuration architecture to detect and repair many of the most common wireless problems. Some of the most common tests include:
| • | Wireless ad hoc check. The Network Diagnostics tool checks that the wireless connection is linking to an access point and not to another wireless computer. |
| • | Wireless available networks. The Network Diagnostics tool checks both novice and advanced views of available networks. |
| • | Wireless compatibility check. The Network Diagnostics tool verifies that the access point is using a security method that Windows XP supports; the tool will provide instructions on how to download the WPA2 update for Windows XP if needed. |
| • | Wireless hardware issue help. The Network Diagnostics tool identifies hardware issues with the router or adapter and provides help. |
| • | Wireless out of range check. The Network Diagnostics tool identifies a weak signal. |
| • | Wireless security config check. The Network Diagnostics tool displays the wireless security settings, including authentication settings so the user can verify that the router or access point matches the adapter settings. |
| • | Wireless security key help. The Network Diagnostics tool identifies mismatched keys and provides help to match them. |
| • | Wireless service status check. The Network Diagnostics tool identifies whether the Wireless Zero Configuration service is running or not and starts the service if necessary. (If third-party configuration software is running, the Network Diagnostics tool will not attempt to troubleshoot the connection—another reason to not use third-party tools for wireless configuration.) |
| • | Wireless setup help. The Network Diagnostics tool provides links to Windows Help topics on how to setup a wireless network. |
| • | Wireless signal strength check. The Network Diagnostics tool identifies a weak signal and suggests you move closer to the access point or router. |
| • | Wireless SSID check. The Network Diagnostics tool provides help on setting the priorities of preferred wireless networks. |
| • | Wireless turned off check. The Network Diagnostics tool provides help when turning on any hardware wireless switch on the computer. Many newer laptops have a switch to enable you to turn off the wireless completely to save battery and comply with airline regulations. |
Obtaining the Network Diagnostics tool
Are you ready to try the Network Diagnostics tool? For an introduction to the tool, read Microsoft Knowledge Base article 914440, "Network Diagnostics for Windows XP is available to help identify and fix network connection problems."
To download the Network Diagnostics tool
1. | Go to Microsoft Knowledge Base article 321655, "Error message when you try to access a Web site in Internet Explorer: ‘Page Cannot Be Displayed’ to access the download." |
2. | Click Download Guided Help. |
3. | Complete the Windows authentication and download the Guided Help pages. |
This is such a useful tool that I wish they’d made downloading the tool easier. But there is good news: the tool is now on Windows Download if you’re running the Internet Explorer 7 beta and will shortly be available for Internet Explorer 6 users as well. That should help a lot! But if you’re running FireFox or some other third-party browser, you’ll have to use the less direct method.
Contact Me
If you use Windows XP, especially Tablet PC Edition or x64 Edition, and you have a topic you’d like to see me cover in one of my columns, feel free to write me about it at Charlie@mvps.org. I also want to hear what you think about my columns and about all the editions of Windows XP. However, please understand that it is not possible for me to acknowledge or answer individual e-mail messages, nor can I provide individual technical support via e-mail. If you have a question or a problem, please ask it in the appropriate Microsoft public newsgroup or community where all can benefit from the discussion. I regularly participate in the Microsoft Windows 64bit Newsgroup, Microsoft Tablet PC Newsgroup, and the Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX newsgroups, among others. I look forward to seeing you there.
