One of the biggest pains when troubleshooting network problems is gathering all the information you need just to get started. The process usually involves running a series of operations, such as checking configuration settings in various dialog boxes or running DOS-based commands from the command line.
Now, however, you can use the Network Diagnostics tool in Windows XP Professional to save time in the information-gathering phase of your search. In this article, I'll show you how to configure and use this tool to make quick work of your next network troubleshooting expedition.
A little background information
The Network Diagnostics tool is unique because it is actually based on the Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) framework and implemented via an ActiveX object run from an HTML page in the Help And Support Center, rather than from an executable file. When run, the ActiveX object polls the computer and its network connections, performs a series of network connectivity tests, collects all the results, and then delivers the data back to the page in an XML format.
Launching Network Diagnostics
The main place to launch Network Diagnostics is from the Help And Support Center. To begin, click the Start button and select Help And Support. On the Help And Support Center page, select the Tools button under the Pick A Task category. When the Tools page appears, select Network Diagnostics from the scrolling list in the Tools panel.
You can also launch the Network Diagnostics tool from the Control Panel. To begin, click the Start button and select Control Panel. If you're using Category View, select the Network And Internet Connections category. Then, select Network Diagnostics from the Troubleshooters panel. If you're using Classic View, select the Network Connections icon. Then, select Network Troubleshooter from the See Also panel. You'll then select the Diagnose Network Configuration And Run Automated Networking Tests link.
Creating a Network Diagnostics shortcut
If you find yourself repeatedly running the Network Diagnostics tool, you can save yourself time and energy by creating a shortcut. Right-click on the desktop and select New | Shortcut. When the Create Shortcut wizard appears, type this command: Netsh diag gui. Click Next, name the shortcut Network Diagnostics, and click Finish. You can leave the new shortcut on the desktop or move it to the Start menu for easy access.
When you launch the Network Diagnostics tool, it displays the page shown in Figure A. The Network Diagnostics page provides you with two options: You can immediately launch the scan operation with its default settings, or you can customise the scan operation such that it runs only those tests that you choose. Since customising the scan operation can help you quickly drill down on the problem you're attempting to solve, let's take a closer look at the settings revealed by selecting the Set Scanning Options button.
The Network Diagnostics tool runs from an HTML page in the Help And Support Center.
Configuring Network Diagnostics scanning options
When you select the Set Scanning Options button, the page will expand to show you a list of check boxes (Figure B) that you can use to configure the Network Diagnostics tool. The check boxes are broken down into two sections: Actions and Categories. There are five Actions that work in conjunction with the 14 Categories.
There are a number of options you can use to configure how and what the Network Diagnostics tool tests during its scanning operation.
By providing you with the ability to pick and choose from Actions and Categories, the Network Diagnostics tool allows you to fine-tune your search to track down very specific problems. For example, if you suspect that there's a TCP/IP connectivity problem somewhere on the network, you can quickly confirm your suspicion by selecting only Ping under Actions and only Network Adapters under Categories. Network Diagnostics will then ping the gateway, DHCP, and DNS servers, as well as the IP address assigned to the network card, and display the results in an easy-to-read HTML format.
If you hover your mouse over any of the Actions or Categories, Network Diagnostics will display a tool tip containing a description. For your convenience, Tables A and B contain a list of all the Actions and Categories along with the descriptions. The tables also specify whether the settings are enabled by default.
Network Diagnostics' Actions: In its default configuration, Network Diagnostics will track down basic information about the computer, enumerate network adapters, attempt resource connections, and attempt to ping configured network services.
Network Diagnostics' Categories: You'll notice that the last five categories aren't selected by default. However, these tests are already included in the Network Adapter test. They're listed separately to allow you more latitude in your testing and to help you narrow down the cause of the problem.
If you select a custom set of scanning options, you may want to repeat that same set of tests at a later date. If so, you can click the Save Options button.
Running a test
Once you've configured Network Diagnostics to perform the tests in which you're interested, you can then initiate the scan operation by clicking the Scan Your System button. When you do, you'll see a progress bar as well as a percentage that indicates the status of the operation. You'll also receive a brief message indicating which test is occurring at any one time, as shown in Figure C.
While Network Diagnostics is scanning your system, it keeps you apprised of its progress.
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