I know what I'm doing, but not sure how to write it down! Can you help? Re: internet problems!

[MaureenMLove]

I'm doing an NVQ and the question is -

'How can you identify if a problem with your e-mail or browser is local or a problem with your ISP?'

Now, usually I shout, 'DH!!' or 'bloody hell the internets not working again!' or just switch it off and start again.

That won't look good in my NVQ folder though will it?

Help me form proper sentences please. I'm losing the will to live! Sometimes you jut know things, but can't write it down and that's what this whole bloody NVQ is about!

I want it finished - quick smart!

Thanks

I would have thought the first answer to that is to see if you can connect to something else on your own network, like a printer or another computer. Also you could see if you can ping the router and see if you have a valid IP local IP address.

Not quite a proper sentence! Sorry-

Excellent! I do do the printer thing. See, that's my point, you do things so automatically, when it comes to actually explaining it, you forget what you're doing!

Thank you, that has got me started on forming a sentence in English!

But bear in mind the printer thing only answers the question if you connect to it via your network- if you connect to it via USB you will be able to print anyway, regardless of your network problem (unless your computer is just basically shagged).

usually I shout, 'DH!!' or 'bloody hell the internets not working again!' or just switch it off and start again.

LOL! That's exactly how my OH does it. It actually annoys me how little she thinks for herself nowadays. Culminating in a few weeks ago where we had this exchang:

OH: "NG2!! The printers not bloody working!"

Me: "You have to turn it on!"

OH: "Oh but you usually do that"
Me: "Well given I'm working and busy, you think you can manage that yourself??"

Anyway, back to your question. Prism is essentially correct in that you should test another device. I'd suggest a printer isn't the best thing to check unless you have a wireless/network printer. Most don't. The best thing to check would be your router.

If your router responds but nothing else on the internet does then it's your ISP. A good command to use here is PING but not sure if this is covered in your NVQ.

Basically if you PING it will either timeout or reply. A reply is good. A timeout is bad.

So PING www.google.com and PING

HTH