Comptia A+ Chapter 21/22: Troubleshooting Printers & Troubleshooting Wired and Wireless Network Problems

How can you troubleshoot a computer with no connectivity (7 methods)?

1. Check to make sure the patch cable is plugged in and that there is a link light. 2.Make sure the computer is actually connected to the network. 3. Test the patch cable. 4. Make sure the network adapter is enabled. 5. Run ipconfig.all and check settings. Then ping the local computer to see if TCP/IP works. 6. If that doesn't work check Network and Sharing Center and check and check for any problems and use the network troubleshooter if necessary. 7. Check for the latest drivers as well and that proper ports are enabled.

What are the three options that a print job has before going to a printer?

1. Print directly to the printer. 2. Start printing immediately. 3. Start printing after the last page is spooled.

What should you check on a printer if there's no connectivity?

1. The printer is plugged into an AC outlet and is "online." 2. The printer is securely connected and is shared to the network. 3. The printer has a properly configured IP address. 4. Remote computers can connect over the network. 5. The printer is set up as the default printer if necessary.

What are some solutions for printers that are printing blank pages?

1. The toner cartridge is empty or has failed. Install a new one. The toner cartridge could have also been installed without the sealing tape removed. 2. The transfer corona wire has failed. There will be no positive voltage, replace the wire.

How can you troubleshoot a computer with an IP conflict?

A message will pop up on both computers using the IP address about the conflict. The first computer using the address will work fine but the 2nd won't. Reconfigure the 2nd computer's IP address to resolve the conflict.

What is done when maintaining a 3D printer?

Clean the filament nozzle/platform and check if the fans are working, check the axis and gear movement.

What should you check in a printer if there isn't an image on printer display?

Check if the printer is in sleep mode/turned on and that it's plugged in. In rare cases, the internal connector that powers the display might be loose.

What should you check if you are unable to install a printer?

Check if the printer is physically connected to the computer or network properly. Check if it's getting an IP address. Start the Print Spooler service, and update the driver.

What should you check if multiple pages are being fed in at once in a printer?

Check if the separation pad is getting enough traction, it might need to be cleaned. Check if the paper is too thin, 20 lb. or heavier paper is usually recommended.

How can you access the Print Spooler Service from Computer Management?

Computer Management > Services and Applications > Services then scroll until you see the Print Spooler Service.

What should you check if you have a ghosted image?

Could be a sing that the drum has some kind of imperfection or is dirty, especially if the image reappears at equal intervals. Replace the drum. The fuser assembly has been damaged and needs to be replaced.

What should you check if you get a garbage printout or garbled characters on paper.

Could be an incorrect driver. Always use the exact driver for the exact model. A bad formatter board or printer interface can also be the cause. Can be easily replaced.

How can you manage a printer or print job in Windows?

Double click the right printer.

How can you troubleshoot a computer with a link-local/APIPA address?

If a computer is showing an IPv4 link-local address such as 169.254.49.26 when you type ipconfig /all it generally means that the computer is attempting to obtain an IP address from the DHCP server but is failing. IPv4 link-local addresses always start with 169.254. A link local address is assigned internally, so the real problem could be the the computer is not getting connectivity to the network.

What should you check if there's a backed up printer queue?

If your printer window shows several documents listed but nothing is printed then a document might have stalled and you need to restart the printer. The print spooler might also need to be restarted.

How can you access the Print Spooler Service from Command Prompt?

Open Command Prompt and type in net start spooler will start the service while typing net stop spooler will stop it.

How can you access the Print Spooler Service through Task Manager?

Open Task Manager from the taskbar or Power User menu, or by pressing ctrl+shift+esc or going to Run and typing taskmgr.exe then under the services tab right click spooler service.

What should you do to fix a computer with no connectivity due to a network wide problem?

Power down the network equipment and disconnect the network and power cables and then wait and reinstall. If the computers can't find the network then use Windows, the wireless adapter's software, or third-party software. These will locate all wireless networks in the areas.

What should you check if you see error codes in a printer?

Read it and if it doesn't display what's wrong check documentation to see what the error code means.

What should you check if there's faded prints.

Replace ink or toner, clean the ink cartridge head. Also, check the fuser, and increase humidity if necessary.

What is done when maintaining a thermal printer?

Replace paper, clean the heating element and remove any debris.

What is done when maintaining an impact printer?

Replace the ribbon, replace print head, and replace paper.

What is done when maintaining a laser printer?

Replacing the toner, applying the maintenance kit, and calibrate and clean.

What should you check if multiple failed jobs are in logs?

Reset the printer and analyze the controlling operating system or print server, clear the print queue and reconfigure the spooler.

What is the Print Spooler Service?

Service that processes print requests and sends them to the printer. This service can be controlled entirely from the command prompt, computer management, or task manager.

What is the start printing after the last page is spooled option?

The entire document is spooled to the hard drive and then the pages are sent to the printer for printing. Slower than other options but comes with fewer issues.

How can you troubleshoot a computer with limited and intermittent connectivity?

Try and ping the local host to see if TCP/IP is functioning. If successful, ping the router or another system in the network. If that fails, the user only has local connectivity. Run ipconfig /all and check the rest of the IP settings. If the router works then ping a website by domain name, if that fails then DNS server is probably not configured properly. Check with ipconfig /all and modify in the IP properties dialog if necessary. Run ipconfig /release and /renew to check if the issue is with the DHCP server. It could be a physical issue like faulty patch cable or a wireless network adapter that is too far away from the WAP. If the computer is in a larger network and has access to some networks but not others, run a tracert command to the inaccessible networks to see where the problem lies.

How can you fix a paper jam or creased paper problem in a printer?

1. Power cycle the printer, turn it on and off. 2. Remove the paper trays and inspect them for crumpled paper. Remove any paper. 3. Verify the right paper type is in the printer. 4. Check for dirty or cracked rollers. You can wipe down dirty rollers with alcohol but you'll need to replace them. 5. Check whether the fusing assembly has overheated. Sometimes the printer needs to cool or it's not in a well ventilated space. 6. Check the entire paper path, some printers have longer paths and will have more opportunities for paper jams.

What should you check if you cannot access the printer?

Check user permissions, see if you actually have permission to use the printer. If not an admin will need to grant access.

What is done when maintaining an inkjet printer?

Clean the heads, replace cartridges, calibrate and clear any jams?

How can you troubleshoot a computer with low RF signal?

Check the distance of the computer from the WAP to make sure it's in range. Also check to see if the protocols being used (802.11ac, etc.) by the WAP and the adapter match, and upgrade if it's an issue. Update the software on the wireless adapter and WAP as well. Make sure the router is placed in a central location for all users.

What should you check if color printouts are different (wrong) color from the screen?

Check the ink/toner cartridges and make sure none of the colors are empty. Verify that the printer is a PostScript-capable printer that can do raster image processing (RIP).

What should you check if paper isn't feeding in a printer?

Check the type and condition of the paper. Check and clean the rollers as well. Then reset the printer.

What should you check if a printer has a out of memory or low on memory message?

Check to see if the user's computer is spooling documents. The setting with the least chance of error si the Start Printing Immediately spool setting. If a user tries to print a large image, he might need to change settings in the app where the image was made.

What should you check if you see vertical lines on pages, streaks, smearing, or the toner isn't fusing to the paper?

Could be caused by a scratch in the laser printer drum or a dirty primary corona wire. Usually the toner cartridge needs to be replaced. White lines could be caused by a dirty transfer corona wire, it'll need to be cleaned or replaced. Wide white vertical liens can occur when something is stuck to the drum. Smearing occurs if the fusing assembly has failed. If the printer is an inkjet one or more ink cartridges might need to be replaced or the printer could need to be calibrated.

What is the start printing immediately option?

First of two spooling options, will send one page at a time of the document being printed to the hard drive. When the entire page has been spooled it's sent to the printer for printing. Repeats until all pages have been printed. This is the default setting in Windows.

What is the print directly to printer?

The print job goes right to the printer with no delays. Relies solely on the memory of the printer but if the job is too big the printer will fail. Spooling the document is usually a better option.

How should you troubleshoot a computer with slow transfer speeds?

The biggest issue will be the type of internet connection you have, such as a dial-up connection. Could also be caused by network equipment, patch cables, and the network adapter. Could also be caused by network congestion, run a netstat -a to see which types of connections the computer has. Also check the router and see what kind of traffic is passing through it. Update everything, clear all cache, power cycle all equipment, and you can see an improvement.

What is spooling?

The page-by-page processing done at the local system before the print job goes to the printer.