As a desktop support technician (DST), your job is to isolate and solve problems. To do this, you must understand your role in the support environment. You must also know how to talk to users with different levels of experience—how to ask questions, how to interpret what users say, and how to suggest changes. You must know where to search for answers to problems and how to apply and document the solutions to those problems.

The goal of this chapter is to introduce you to desktop support and common network configurations and to teach you how best to support the end user in these varied settings. The chapter begins with an introduction to supporting users and then discusses corporate environments, the help and support tier structure, and common job titles and duties . A discussion of workgroups, domains, and reasons for multiple domains is also included. Noncorporate environments are introduced, including Internet service providers (ISPs), call centers, and large and small repair shops . This chapter also introduces you to basic troubleshooting techniques, including how to gather information about a problem, research and implement solutions, and document your activities.

Lessons in this Chapter:

• Lesson 1: Introduction to Supporting Users

• Lesson 2: Overview of Corporate Environments

• Lesson 3: Overview of Noncorporate Environments

• Lesson 4: Overview of Basic Troubleshooting