When a user complains that the network is slow?

[londint]

When a user compalins that the network is slow?

What are the things to do?

I was thinking along.

Check since when he has been experiencing this issue

Has he installed anything new

Check if there are any other users experiencing the same

If they are, go straight and check the switch

If they are not:

Check task manager on PC to see which processes are running

Check if there are any viruses

Close down some programs on PC

Reboot PC

Check NIC

Check if NIC card lights are on

Check physical cabling on PC

Check port to which PC is connected

Check speed and duplex

What else can someone check? Even if I have monitoring tools, what else will I be looking for?

Thanks

Please help. ?

Thanks

[burleyman]

Those are all good things to check. Also find out, when they say the network is slow what are they talking about because to most users a slow PC is a slow network. Find out what application they were using when they thought it was slow. Do some ping tests from the users PC to a server and compare to other that are not seeing issues. Check to see if someone connected a HUB, we see that more than we would like....in fact we have, when we find them, tossed all hubs and if needed replaced with mini switches so we don't have duplex problems. You mentioned viruses, in that also check for spyware, we see that much more than anything else. Also, users like things like Weather Bug, Google toolbar, Yahoo tool bar, web screen savers, etc., all those things will slow the PC (network) down and alot of users have all these installed.

Thanks,

Burleyman

[srue]

I've found that 99 times out of a 100, when a user says "the network is slow"...it's not the network at all. It's usually the person...or PC. (just like the previous poster said).

Definitely ask them to clarify EXACTLY what they mean, then ask them to show you.

As a technologist, our jobs are varied. But one of our jobs is to act as a translator for what a person is saying is wrong, and what is actually wrong. Another analogy is similar to doctor/patient relationships. We have to take a history, gather symptoms, get a baseline of health, diagnose, research, and fix.

One more thing, find out if the problem experienced by one user is experienced by some/all users or if it is isolated to the one user.