Tech Support Workshop
Purpose of the tool:
This tool is primarily designed for use by IT professionals as they attempt to troubleshoot problems. When you click on the TechSupport Workshop, you'll see a multi-part window that looks something like this:
Anything showing in bright red is an error or problem indication, though some things are less critical than others.
The top-left window will scroll down to reveal details about devices the operating system knows about, including network interface devices--your IP addressing, MAC addresses, and much more is revealed here.
The lavender-colored window to the right shows a graphic of your disk drives' available space.
Ping Configuration
Click the menu option for "Configuration -- Ping Configuration" and you'll see an addition to your screen's right side that looks something like this:
Blank buttons inside the light-green "Ping Configurations" group are ready for configuration. You need to know certain things about your system's network configuration. You'll need to know your Gateway, DNS-1, and DNS-2 IP addresses. In addition, if you are on an intranet or small network of some kind, you'll want to know the IP addresses for 1 or 2 other computers on the network. Finally, it will prove helpful to get the IP addresses for a couple of websites out on the internet.
When you click on a blank button to configure it, you will be asked to enter the IP address and a name for the button. The name will show up on your Tech Support Workshop Screen.
Once you have configured your Ping IP's, be sure you use the "Configuration--Save" option to save your configuration.
When the Tech Support Workshop starts there will be an attempt to ping each of the addresses you have configured. In addition, a loop-back ping and a ping to the ITSBITS site will be excuted. This will result in a screen something like the one shown here. Notice that the button with a circular icon can be used to retest the pings. And if there are problems, the question-mark-icon button will give you a verbal description of what the ping results tell you.
In our example here DNS-2 has been set to return an error condition so that you can see what it might look like if there's a problem. Buttons that are light-green in color are all network-related functions. Those that are a pinkish color are for other functions.
To the right of you IP-Ping results are 2 buttons, one of which shows a crash-and-burn scenario. If you click this button, you will see a warning as follows:
If you click the "Call for help" button, the workshop will either tell you it has no information on who to call or, if it has such information, it will show it for you. (Current consumer versions will not have the information.)
ITSBITS® is registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as the property of IHS, Incorporated. ITSBITS® Catapult Garage, all tools, workshops, related software, and documentation, regardless of medium, is ©2007 by IHS, Incorporated...all rights under all applicable copyright laws reserved by IHS, Incorporated.