INZO ARNALDO VILLAGE INTEGRATED SCHOOL

Technology and Livelihood Education Grade 10

Information and Communications Technology - Computer Systems Servicing
Quarter 4 - Module 2: Tasks and Procedures in Maintaining Network Systems

LESSON 1 - Tasks in Maintaining Network

What Is It
Maintaining network system in other words network maintenance is an important component in managing
your computer network. It is all about the tasks and systems in place to monitor updates and run the organization's
computer network before the problems arise. It helps the computers to be in good condition and smoothly running. It
is not just about repair and upgrading computer network. It also includes corrective and preventive measures, which
allow boost of network performance.
The following are some of the network maintenance tasks:
1. Documenting the network
2. Installing, configuring hardware and software
3. Troubleshooting network problems
4. Monitoring and improving network performance
5. Securing the network from both internal and external threats
6. Planning for future network growth
Documenting the Network and Maintaining Network Documentation
As discussed in the previous module, documenting network maintenance is a critical component of network
maintenance along with troubleshooting and other support. Documentation is taken in different forms by different
organizations. This is recording everything within the network, issues that arise and how it was being solved.
Securing the Network from Both Internal and External Threats
Network security is an integral component of network operation and maintenance. It is also very important to
consider in dealing with both internal and external threats. It is preventive in structure. Yet, most organizations have a
dedicated security team, monitoring and using structured maintenance approach to discover vulnerabilities or potential
security threats. This will be discussed in a separate lesson together with monitoring network.
Monitoring, Tuning and Optimizing the Network
This is also called proactive monitoring, which is one of the core facilitators of an effective network
maintenance solution or strategy. It allows potential problems to be detected and remedied before they cause an outage
or affect operation. It includes the following activities:
1. Verify the performance of the network and all internet work devices in the network.
2. Baseline the performance of the network itself.
3. Understand the amount of direction and traffic flows in the network.
4. Identify and troubleshoot potential network issues.
Planning for Network Upgrades, Expansions, or Enhancements
Using network monitoring, you can plan for possible network upgrades or expansions. It is used to define the
maintenance tasks required on the network, prioritize and organize those tasks.
Scheduling Backups and Restoring Services or the Network from Backups
It is important to have up-to-date backups of devices to help the network easily recover from serious or critical
hardware or software failures, or even data (configuration) loss.
Troubleshooting Network Problems
Although troubleshooting varies and can be modified depending on the case and experience, it requires an
organized and logical approach when handling computers and components. Doing so will ensure that the process is in
systematic order. Make sure to ask the right questions, test the right hardware, and examine the correct data to detect
the issues and resolve them.
Troubleshooting is honed over time. Every time an issue is resolved, skills on troubleshooting are also
improved. Through troubleshooting experience, one will be able to know the steps needed to resolve an issue quickly.
The following is a simple process guideline which can also be modified depending on the situation:
1. Explain the purpose of data protection.
2. Identify the root of the problem.
3. List probable causes of the issue.
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 4. Test the theory to determine the exact cause.
5. Plan the course of action to resolve the issue.
6. Implement the solution.
7. Check the system functionality.
8. If applicable, implement preventive measures.
9. Create documentation of findings, action, and outcomes.

LESSON 2 - Routine Network Procedures

What Is It
Common Routine Procedures in Maintaining Network Systems
This lesson will discuss about routine maintenance procedure. Whatever network maintenance model you
decide to use, there are always several routine maintenance tasks that have listed procedures. Below are some
procedures commonly performed for network system maintenance.
Procedures in Maintaining Network Systems
1. Configuration Changes
Sometimes changes to the network must be made to allow access for guest users and normal users moving
from one office to another. Changes of the users also mean facilitating changes in the network as well. Each time
configuration on devices change, they should not only be documented, but should be saved both on the device and
to an alternate backup location, e.g. an FTP or TFTP server (if one is available).
2. Replacement of Hardware
Older hardware must be replaced with more modern equipment and it is also possible that the production
hardware fails so, this has to be replaced immediately.
3. Backups
To recover from network problems such as failing switches or routers, make sure that you have recent
backups of configurations. Normally, the scheduled backups are used so, you will save the running-configuration
each day, week, month or whatever you like.
4. Software Updates
Keep the network devices and operating systems up to date. Bugs are fixed but make sure you do not have
devices that are running older software that has security vulnerabilities.
5. Monitoring
Collect and understand traffic statistics and bandwidth utilization so that you can spot network problems and
can plan for future network growth.

LESSON 3 - Techniques in Maintaining

How to Maintain the Network Systems Following the Best Practice in Troubleshooting
Issues can arise at numerous points along the network. Before you start trying to troubleshoot any issue, have
a clear understanding of what the problem is, how it came up, who is affected, and how long does the problem occur.
By gathering the right information and clarifying the problem, you have the chance to resolve the issue quickly
without wasting time and trying unnecessary fixes.
Start fixing the problem using the simple network troubleshooting steps to help diagnose and refine the issue.
1. Check the hardware.
When you begin the troubleshooting process, check all the hardware to make sure it is connected properly, is
turned on and working. If the cord is loose or somebody has switched off an important router, this can be the problem
behind the networking issues. There is no point in going through the process of troubleshooting network issues if what
you need to do is plug in the cord. Make sure all switches are in correct positions and have not bumped accidentally.
Next, turn the hardware off and back on again. This is the mainstay of IT troubleshooting and while it might
sound simple, often it really solves the problem. Power cycling the modem, router, and PC can solve simple issues.
Just be sure to leave each device off for at least 60 seconds before turning it back on.
2. Use ipconfig.
Open the command prompt and type “ipconfig” (without the quotes) into the terminal. The Default Gateway
(listed last) is the router’s IP. The computer’s IP address is the number next to “IP Address.” If the computer’s IP

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address starts with 169, the computer is not receiving a valid IP address. If it starts with anything other than 169, the
computer is being allocated with a valid IP address from the router.
Try typing in “ipconfig/release” followed by “ipconfig /renew” to get rid of the current IP address and request
a new one. This will in some cases solve the problem. If you still cannot get a valid IP from the router, try plugging
the computer straight into the modem using an ethernet cable. If it works, the problem lies with the router.
3. Use ping and tracert.
If the router is working fine and the IP address starts with something other than 169, the problems most likely
are located between the router and internet. At this point, it is time to use the ping tool. Try sending a ping to a well-
known, large server, such as Google, to see if it can connect with the router. You can ping Google DNS servers by
opening the command prompt and typing “ping 8.8.8.8”; you can also add “-t” to the end (ping 8.8.8.8 -t) to get it to
keep pinging the servers while you troubleshoot. If the pings fail to send, the command prompt will return the basic
information about the issue.
You can use the tracert command to do the same thing by typing “tracert 8.8.8.8”; this will show you each
step, or “hop,” between the router and the Google DNS servers. You can see where along the pathway the error is
arising. If the error comes up early along the pathway, the issue is more likely somewhere in the local network.
4. Perform a DNS check.
Use the command “nslookup” to determine whether there is a problem with the server you are trying to
connect to. If you perform a DNS checking on, for example, google.com and receive results such as “Timed Out,”
“Server Failure,” “Refused,” “No Response from Server,” or “Network Is Unreachable,” it may indicate the problem
originates in the DNS server for the destination. (You can also use nslookup to check your own DNS server.)
5. Contact the ISP.
If all of the above turn up no problems, try contacting the internet service
provider to see if they are having issues. You can also look up outage maps and related information on a smartphone
to see if others in the area are having the same problem.
6. Check on virus and malware protection.
Next, make sure the virus and malware tools are running correctly, and they have not flagged anything that
can affect part of the network and stop it from functioning.
7. Review database logs.
Review all the database logs to make sure the databases are functioning as expected. If the network is working
but the database is full or malfunctioning, it can cause problems that flow on and affect the network performance.

Assessment
Enumeration
Directions: Read and answer the questions below. Write your answer on your activity notebook.
1. List the common tasks in network maintenance you can identify.
2. How do you troubleshoot network problems?

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