Chapter 12: Hardware and Network Troubleshooting

Poor Battery Life

•Cause: Running many apps and serviced in the background, faulty battery, improper battery usage •Solution: Force quit background apps when not in use, replace battery.

Overheating

•Cause: Too many applications open, overcharged battery, overused device •Solution: Force quit background apps when not in use, replace battery, replace device

Multiple prints pending in queue

•Cause: Too many print jobs processed at the same time, or low amount of printer RAM (Low memory errors). •Solution: Restart print queue or increase amount of RAM.

Incorrect color patterns

•Cause: Video cable may have bent pins or not connected properly. •Solution: Fix pins if possible or replace cable.

Poor Voice over Internet quality

•Cause: VoIP QoS configuration is set to low priority •Solution: Configure VoIP QoS setting to high priority

Poor/no connectivity

•Cause: Wireless antenna is crimped or damaged, far from access point or airplane mode is enabled •Solution: Replace wireless antenna, move device closer to access point, turn on Wi-Fi setting or turn on airplane mode.

Intermittent Wireless Connectivity

•Cause: Wireless antenna is crimped or damaged, or far from access point. Solution: Replace wireless antenna or move device closer to access point.

Garbled characters on paper

•Cause: Wrong printer drivers installed. •Solution: Install the correct printer drivers.

Cursor drift/touch calibration

•Cause: oil on touch pad, touchpad misconfiguration •Solution: Clean touchpad surface, calibrate touchpad

Paper not feeding or multipade misfeed

•Cause: paper not placed in paper tray properly, dirty pickup rollers, faulty pickup rollers. •Solution: place stock of paper properly in tray, clean pickup rollers, or replace pickup rollers.

creased paper

•Cause: paper not placed in paper tray properly, dirty pickup rollers, faulty pickup rollers. •Solution: place stock of paper properly in tray, clean pickup rollers, or replace pickup rollers.

paper jam

•Cause: paper not placed in paper tray properly, dirty pickup rollers, faulty pickup rollers. •Solution: place stock of paper properly in tray, clean pickup rollers, or replace pickup rollers.

Incorrect data source

•Cause: video cable is not plugged in, or monitor output settings not correctly configured •Solution: plug-in cable, or adjust monitor output configuration

When disassembling a mobile device (laptop, tablet, smartphone), ensure you take the following into consideration:

•Document and label cable and screw locations •Organize parts •Refer to manufacturer resources •Use appropriate hand tools

WiFi analyzer

•Software that could be used to scan the area for 802.11 signals, the SSIDs, wireless frequency and the wireless transmission channels.

Cell Tower Analyzer

•Software that could be used to scan the area for surrounding cellular towers of certain providers. This could be used to troubleshoot Cellular network connectivity issues.

If two or more drives fails in RAID 5

•Solution: replace the drives and recover information from external back up.

distorted geometry

•can be adjusted in projectors by setting the keystone configuration to match the surface the image will be on. Note: CRT monitors can also have distorted geometry and can be fixed by adjusting the screen position setting.

overheat shutdown

•can happen if your projector becomes too hot. As a safety measure some projectors will not turn back on until they are cool enough

Network Tap

•is a hardware device that creates a copy of network traffic for use by monitoring devices without disrupting normal traffic.

Failure to boot or Bootable device not found

•Cause: Misconfigured boot order, missing/corrupted OS, or bad hard drive. •Solution: Adjust boot order, Repair/Reinstall OS, or replace hard drive.

Port Flapping

•Cause: Mismatched network speed and duplex setting, connection issue Solution: Adjust speed and duplex setting, verify cable is plugged into correct network jack

Printing blank pages

•Cause: No ink or toner, drum not storing a charge, or fuser not hot enough. •Solution: Replace ink or toner, replace drum, or replace fuser.

Broken Screen

•Cause: Physical Damage •Solution: Replace screen or device, purchase screen protector

Dead pixels

•Cause: Physical damage to screen. •Solution: Replace screen.

No connectivity

•Cause: Printer is not on, not pointed to correct DNS, or misconfigured printer settings. Solution: Turn on printer, correct DNS settings, or correct printer sharing settings

Limited connectivity

•Cause: Router issues, DHCP issues, DNS misconfiguration, or share settings disabled. •Solution: Resolve router issues, resolve DHCP issues, properly configure DHCP, or enable share settings.

Multimeter

A tool used to measure voltage, current, and resistance of a device

Punchdown tool

A tool used to punchdown or fasten individual wires from a network cable to a patch panel. •66 Blocks or 110 Blocks are types of patch panels.

Troubleshooting RAID

Most errors related to a RAID configuration, are most commonly caused by a hard drive problem.

S.M.A.R.T.

Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology is used for hard drive diagnostics. This feature will provide you with a status update of your system.

If one drive fails in RAID 5

Solution: just replace it and the array will continue to work since the missing data will be rebuilt to the replacement drive

If one drive fails in RAID 1

Solution: stop the RAID and prepare for a replacement drive to mirror your files to

If any drive fails in RAID 0

Solution: you must start completely over since RAID 0 has not redundancy. Hopefully you would have an external backup.

Flashing Screen

•Cause: Loose backlight cable, failing backlight, unsupported resolution, or video driver issue. •Solution: Adjust backlight cable, replace backlight, adjust resolution, or reinstall video driver

Oversized images and icons

•Cause: Low screen resolution. •Solution: Increase screen resolution.

Slow Performance

•Cause: Fragmented files are stored, or too many files stored. •Solution: Run disk defragmenter, upgrade hard drive, or delete unneeded files for more hard drive space.

Toner smearing or not fused to paper

•Cause: Fuser is not hot enough or replace fuser assembly. •Solution: Increase fuser temperatureof possible or replace fuser.

Extended Read/Write Times

•Cause: Hard drive may be too full, slowing down system •Solution: Clear space on the hard drive

Malware

•Cause: Installation of malicious apps, OS vulnerabilities. Clicking suspicious links, unsecure networks Solution: Run AntiMalware, download apps from official sources, update mobile OS, stay away from spam links, use a VPN on unsecure networks

APIPA/link local address

•Cause: Issues with DHCP. •Solution: Use Ipconfig/release and renew commands, reboot PC, or manually adjust DHCP settings.

Digitizer Issues

•Cause: Liquid is on touch screen or digitizer is damaged. •Solution: Clean screen of substance or replace digitizer.

Liquid Damage

•Cause: Liquid spilled on mobile device or device is dopped in body of liquid •Solution: Turn off device, disassemble device and use a cloth or wipe additional liquid

Faded prints

•Cause: Low toner or drum not storing proper charge. •Solution: Replace toner or replace drum.

Video artifact or digital artifacts

are known as a distortion in video quality that could result in unwanted elements and discoloration on the screen's image. •Cause: Overheating GPU/Video card or defective GPU/Video card. •Solution: Cool down GPU/Video card overall or replace GPU/Video card.

CHKDSK

is a command line utility used to scan the HDD and attempt to repair files that have been damaged due to data corruption.

Disk Defragmenter

is a utility organizes your files to make them more contiguous and accessible by the Hard Drive, therefore improving the speed of the drive.

burn-in

is when a screen has the remnants of an image that was on the screen prior. •Cause: Very high brightness for extended amount of time; screen is overheating. •Solution: Turn off Screen, set screensaver to an image that is always moving, replace screen.

Loopback

•A device used to test the functionality of a RJ-45 port.

Crimper

•A tool used to attach a terminator or connector to the end of a cable. •Used for RJ-45 and RJ-11

cable stripper

•A tool used to remove the plastic jacket from a cable, exposing the wires. •Crimpers often include wire strippers

Cable tester

•A tool used to test a cable to find out if it is good or to find out what type of cable it is if the cable is not labeled.

Toner Generator/Probe

•A two-part kit that is used to trace cables in the walls, floors and ceilings of a building.

Swollen Battery

•Cause: Age, device misuse, wrong adapter used for charging, overcharging. •Solution: Turn off device, replace battery, purchase correct mobile device charger, only charge device when needed and unplug when charging is complete

dim image

•Cause: Brightness setting is on lowest level, or backlight is damaged. •Solution: Adjust brightness setting or replace backlight.

audio issues

•Cause: Cable may not be plugged in, or audio is muted •Solution: Reconnect cable, or turn on volume.

Read/Write Failure

•Cause: Damaged hard drive. •Solution: Run CHKDSK if applicable and replace hard drive.

S.M.A.R.T Failure

•Cause: Damaged hard drive. •Solution: Run CHKDSK if applicable and replace hard drive.

Data loss/ corruption

•Cause: Damaged hard drive. •Solution: Run CHKDSK if applicable, use data recovery software and replace hard drive.

Streaks or lines down printed pages

•Cause: Dirty print heads or dirty drum. •Solution: Clean print heads or drum.

Color prints in wrong print color

•Cause: Dirty printer cartridge nozzles or improper cartridge placement. •Solution: Clean printer nozzles or adjust cartridge placement.

High Latency or Jitter

•Cause: Distance between access point and computer, interference •Solution: Reduce distance between device and access point, reduce surrounding devices that could cause interference

Access denied

•Cause: Don't have sufficient privileges to print. •Solution: Obtain permission to print.

Missing drives in OS

•Cause: Drive cable not connected, drive not initialized or damaged drive •Solution: Reconnect drive cable, Initialize drive in Disk Management or Disk Utility, or purchase new hard drive

IP conflict

•Cause: Duplicate IP addresses assigned to a device statically (Manually). •Solution: Enable DHCP.

External Interference

•Cause: EMI, RFI, far from access point, or outdated NIC. •Solution: Remove device from environments of high EMI and RFI, move device closer to access point, or update NIC.

Slow transfer speeds/low RF signal/external interference

•Cause: EMI, RFI, far from access point, or outdated NIC. •Solution: Remove device from environments of high EMI and RFI, move device closer to access point, or update NIC.

Double/echo images on the print

•Cause: Faulty drum cleaning blade •Solution: Clean drum cleaning blade or replace

Finding issues (staple jams or hole punch)

•Cause: Finisher sensor is dirty or obstructed •Solution: Clean sensor from obstruction, staples, adjust paper stock

Drive not recognized

•Cause: Flash drive may still be plugged in during boot, misconfigured boot order. •Solution: Disconnect flash drive, or adjust boot order.

Fuzzy image

•Cause: For Projectors the focus have not been calibrated. For LCD screens there are device close that is causing interference, or a loose video cable •Solution: Calibrate projector's focus, move devices like speakers and fans away or adjust video cable