CONFIGURING AND TROUBLESHOOTING NETWORK CONNECTIVITY | MCSA/MCSE 70-291 Exam Cram: Implementing, Managing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network Infrastructure (2nd Edition)

When troubleshooting network connectivity, check that the network adapter is properly seated and that the cables are properly connected.
You can use Device Manager to check the status of a device. Device Manager displays whether a device is functioning correctly.
You can use the Phone and Modem Options applet to run diagnostic tests on your modem. You can also enable the logging of modem commands to a text file.
Windows 98 clients and later support Automatic Private IP Addressing (APIPA). If a DHCP server is not available, clients self-assign an IP address in the range of 169.254.0.1 to 169.254.255.254.
The ipconfig command enables you to view IP configurations on a computer. You can use the ping command to test network connectivity between two TCP/IP hosts . The tracert command determines the route a packet takes to reach a destination host.
The default steps for using the ping command are as follows : ping loopback , ping local host , ping default gateway , ping remote IP address , and ping remote name (for example,www.quepublishing.com).
If a DNS name cannot be resolved, check that an entry for the host is included in the DNS database. Also, check that the client is configured with the correct IP address for the DNS server. You also can use the NSLOOKUP command to troubleshoot DNS.
Windows XP includes a firewall solution called Internet Connection Firewall (ICF).