Network Problems

Most computers fail to function and even sometimes crash for many reasons. The best way to resolve this is by equipping oneself with basic skills with which one can recover the lost home networks fast. Most people do not have this knowledge and even connecting two computers becomes an issue. This was my first assignment when I landed a job at Ali Mnesh limited. This company dwelt with computer networking and was reputable due to the services it offered outside their headquarters. They contacted with users through a mere phone call unlike many companies where users had to visit company personally to rectify an anomaly in one’s device. My duties and responsibilities were to facilitate networking at users’ homes. The effectiveness of my work was to be evaluated by clients and they would report to the main office. I found this interesting though it was not what I had earlier anticipated it would be like. I, actually, did it in a fraction of a second. I was required to set up a friend’s network involving a couple of computers. However, the work was not simple and technical difficulties arose. The computers were encountering a technical failures and the first step I undertook was checking the message that was displayed. The importance of studying these messages cannot be undermined since they offer vital clues to the nature of the problem (Hunt, 2002). Once this is done, you can now troubleshoot the problem so as to fix the anomaly that prevailed beforehand.

These computer networks have so many advantages such the internet, offer entertainment and one is in a position to share information and files at the comfort of his house. The challenge now arises, since most people, especially elderly, will face challenges with their home network technology. These people will easily give up once something goes wrong and, therefore, they will never realize the potential of their PCs. I was on probation for six months and this meant a field worker position.

The first step during this time was to help the clients decide what kind of network they needed. This is because most, if not all, networks can be designed with different combinations of the software and hardware. This became tricky as some heard this for the first time and did not know which one they wanted. There are many types of combinations and most clients gave me the liberty to choose the one I thought was the best while some took the first one available. This was also challenging since I had to explain them that it was not that simple. Every type had its challenges and they had to choose the one that best suited their needs. It was vital to note that network could not be everywhere and could not reach some areas those clients would want it to reach. Fixing the cables to some apartments and rooms is very tricky and difficult. It is even impractical due to their size.

However, the wireless networks could be installed anywhere, even in a porch or bedroom. This had to be areas where radio signals wouldn’t interfere with the connection. This necessitated the need to have an installation plan whenever duty called. There were many challenges encountered. This process required time so as to evaluate everything. Sometimes I would take my time and do everything perfectly and to the best of my knowledge but the system failed and refused to work. Error messages, which appeared whenever there was a wrong connection, did not appear and this was very frustrating. It is imperative to take a step by step approach to ensure that the network is connected well without any hitches. Computers do not connect to each other so when one part is not working efficiently, it will not communicate with the other, thus the need for careful and slow, but sure mode of installation. It became hard to convince the elder users why they could not connect to the internet when all the devices in their house could communicate with each other well. One has to go through the network set up all over again and ensure that all its components are working well. During network installation, it was important to ensure that you use compatible devices, lest they refuse to cooperate with others. This mostly comes in the form of hardware (Tomsho et al., 2007). One has also to find ways of dealing with software that is outdated and eradicate use of old versions of Microsoft Windows that would also not pass the compatibility test. Sometimes, the client encountered challenges differentiating a wireless and wired network. It was also my duty to explain in details in a layman’s language the distinct differences between the two. I had to consult with the more experienced colleagues on some unique problems that arose.

This was mainly concerning some of the network applications that would constantly refuse to work. Specific professional knowledge was required to counter some of the new features such as instant messaging and online games that became a nuisance. Games were part of the reason why most clients came for the network installation so the need to have them functioning efficiently 24/7 was imperative. File sharing was also a major problematic application that needed rectifying. This process required support from all stakeholders. Clients were sometimes not very supportive since they did exactly what you asked them not to do and later would come citing incompetence on my part. These applications mainly refused to connect to the server due to constant interferences with the settings.

They encountered technical difficulties since this kind of mobility required settings in the form of profiles to facilitate this. These clients were so pleased when I formulated this, since they were at the point of giving up, because they had to leave office very late, thus causing tensions in the families. It is very easy to create office/home networks to ensure one can work from anywhere. Surprisingly, this was embraced by many people and a high percentage of people nowadays works from home. Some clients were also expressing concerns about the networks not being secure.

This was very true but to allay their fears, there are a number of steps that have to be put in place to alleviate these problems. I came up with the latest versions of firewalls to counter this. This is to counter threats of hacking and gaining private data that could be work related. I made it my duty to constantly monitor all my clients progress and whether they were encountering any challenges. Improvement in computer security is very crucial in the whole network experience. It is important that the clients are in possession of the best antivirus softaware so as to assist in the improvement of their computer security. This I advised the clients and ensured that all had computer and network antivirus software.

The major challenge, as far as information and technology is concerned, is ignorance. I came to understand that most of the clients in the company were ignorant of how to use the networks and a small error made them complain. Therefore, proper training was necessary, as far as networking is concerned and other issues that are connected with information technology. When installing the network it was crucial to train the clients on the network operations and management and how to manage challenges with the networks. Training the staff turned out to be effective as it enabled clients to better use the network and easily address the challenges that arose.

Implementation and communication of the solution

After making changes to the problems, it is crucial to ensure that there is monitoring and reviewing of the measures to ensure that they are effective. Every measure that has been put in place to assist the clients has to be recorded and documented within the company. All the problems reported by the clients have to be documented and a comparison must be made, using the documents we have on the problem before and after the challenge was sorted out, so to check whether the rate of such occurrences reduced. We also communicate with the customers to ensure and check on the progress of the corrective action and how it has assisted. We also have to check how effective our training has been on educating the customers on use of their networks.