Windows Troubleshooting Starts With Networking | CompTIA A+ Exam Prep Tips
Wed Feb 04 2026
professorjrod@gmail.com
Are you preparing for the CompTIA exam or looking to boost your IT skills development? This episode dives deep into Windows troubleshooting with a focus on network diagnostics — a crucial topic for any tech exam prep. We guide you through validating a Windows machine's network identity using IPConfig, performing a strict ping sequence to verify communication scope, and utilizing NSLookup to troubleshoot DNS issues. Following this disciplined order ensures clarity and efficiency, making every fix both defensible and effective. Whether you're studying solo or in a study group, this step-by-step approach to Windows networking will enhance your technology education and help you succeed in your IT certification journey.
We dig into why a 169.254 APIPA address narrows the culprit to DHCP or network infrastructure, not the NIC or OS. Then we connect the dots between ports and services using Netstat, making it clear when a service is misconfigured rather than the network being “down.” From web ports 80 and 443 to SMB 445 and RDP 3389, you’ll see how listening states reveal the true problem fast.
Powerful remote access demands restraint. We break down when RDP makes sense, why Network Level Authentication should be non-negotiable, and how consent-based Remote Assist reduces risk when users need to stay in control. For scale, we highlight WinRM over HTTPS and SSH as secure, script-friendly options that keep credentials protected and GUIs out of the attack surface.
Performance complaints need evidence, not guesswork. We show how Task Manager, Resource Monitor, Performance Monitor, and Event Viewer combine to reveal bottlenecks, crashes, and policy blocks. When things get critical—no boot, blue screens—we map BIOS vs UEFI realities, then use WinRE tools in the safest order to recover without data loss. By the end, you’ll have a repeatable framework: identity, routing, names, services, performance, platform, recovery. Subscribe, share with a teammate who still starts with the browser, and tell us: what’s your first command when “nothing works”?
Support the show
Art By Sarah/Desmond
Music by Joakim Karud
Little chacha Productions
Juan Rodriguez can be reached at
TikTok @ProfessorJrod
ProfessorJRod@gmail.com
@Prof_JRod
Instagram ProfessorJRod
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professorjrod@gmail.com Are you preparing for the CompTIA exam or looking to boost your IT skills development? This episode dives deep into Windows troubleshooting with a focus on network diagnostics — a crucial topic for any tech exam prep. We guide you through validating a Windows machine's network identity using IPConfig, performing a strict ping sequence to verify communication scope, and utilizing NSLookup to troubleshoot DNS issues. Following this disciplined order ensures clarity and efficiency, making every fix both defensible and effective. Whether you're studying solo or in a study group, this step-by-step approach to Windows networking will enhance your technology education and help you succeed in your IT certification journey. We dig into why a 169.254 APIPA address narrows the culprit to DHCP or network infrastructure, not the NIC or OS. Then we connect the dots between ports and services using Netstat, making it clear when a service is misconfigured rather than the network being “down.” From web ports 80 and 443 to SMB 445 and RDP 3389, you’ll see how listening states reveal the true problem fast. Powerful remote access demands restraint. We break down when RDP makes sense, why Network Level Authentication should be non-negotiable, and how consent-based Remote Assist reduces risk when users need to stay in control. For scale, we highlight WinRM over HTTPS and SSH as secure, script-friendly options that keep credentials protected and GUIs out of the attack surface. Performance complaints need evidence, not guesswork. We show how Task Manager, Resource Monitor, Performance Monitor, and Event Viewer combine to reveal bottlenecks, crashes, and policy blocks. When things get critical—no boot, blue screens—we map BIOS vs UEFI realities, then use WinRE tools in the safest order to recover without data loss. By the end, you’ll have a repeatable framework: identity, routing, names, services, performance, platform, recovery. Subscribe, share with a teammate who still starts with the browser, and tell us: what’s your first command when “nothing works”? Support the show Art By Sarah/Desmond Music by Joakim Karud Little chacha Productions Juan Rodriguez can be reached at TikTok @ProfessorJrod ProfessorJRod@gmail.com @Prof_JRod Instagram ProfessorJRod