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Here are some Commands you should know how to use to help you diagnose network issues

PING - Used to find other resources on your network by their name or IP address

Click the Start menu button on the Windows taskbar.
Click 'Run...' on this menu.
Type 'cmd' in the text box that appears. A command prompt window launches on the desktop.
In this command window, type 'ping' followed by an IP address or computer name 'ping 127.0.0.1' or 'ping computername' and press enter.
The next line should appear as 'Reply from 127.0.0.1: bytes=32 time<1ms TTL=128' or Pinging computername [192.168.0.50] with 32 bytes of data
Reply from 192.168.0.50: bytes=32 time=8ms TTL=128
As long as you get a reply you know your computer can see that resource if you get 'Request timed out' or 'Destination host unreachable' then your computer cannot see the network resource
You can also type 'ping 127.0.0.1' to ping your computer itself to make sure you get a reply. If you don't get a reply then your computer has a network problem that needs fixed before you can try connecting to a network resource or even get online. This is a good check if you just cleaned up a virus or malware and Internet Explorer will not connect to the internet.

IPCONFIG /all - Shows you the IP address and physical (MAC) address of your computer

Click the Start menu button on the Windows taskbar.
Click 'Run...' on this menu.
Type 'cmd' in the text box that appears. A command prompt window launches on the desktop.
In this command window, type 'ipconfig /all'. Details are shown for each of the computer's network adapters. Computers installed with VPN software or emulation software will possess one or more virtual adapters.
The 'IP Address' field states the current IP address for that network adapter.
The 'Physical Address' field states the MAC address for that adapter.

IPCONFIG /release and /renew - release and/or renew the Internet Protocol (IP) address of a computer

Click the Start menu button on the Windows taskbar.


Click Run... on this menu.


If the computer is holding a current IP address, type 'cmd' (without the quotes) in the text box that appears. A command prompt window appears on the screen.


Type 'ipconfig' (without the quotes) to view the status of the computer's IP address(es).


If the computer is holding a current IP address, type 'ipconfig /release' to let go of the address.


Type 'ipconfig /renew' to obtain a new IP address (whether or not the computer is holding a current address).

How To: Fix WinSock2 Corruption - Microsoft directions

For Windows XP, Vista and 2003 Server systems, Microsoft recommends following a specific manual procedure to recover from WinSock network issues caused by corruption. The procedure varies depending on which version of Windows you have installed.

With Windows XP SP2, the 'netsh' administrative command-line program can repair WinSock.

For older Windows XP installations without XP SP2 installed, the procedure requires two steps:

modifying the related Windows Registry keys
re-installing the TCP/IP protocol

More - How To Determine and Recover from Winsock2 Corruption

How To Enable and Disable Network Connections in Windows

Windows allows you to enable and disable installed network connections.
When a network connection suddenly stops functioning, disabling and re-enabling it can sometimes fix the problem.
Windows computers usually have multiple network connections installed. Once in a while these connections interfere with each other. Disabling individual connections when they are not being used can sometimes help diagnose your issue.

Open the Windows Control Panel. Control Panel can be found on the Windows Start Menu.


Click the "Network and Internet" or "Network Connections" option in Control Panel. (If necessary, first open the "Network and Internet Connections" icon in Control panel, then choose "Network Connections" from within that screen.) The Control Panel will refresh to show new options.


In Windows 7 or Windows Vista, click the "View network status and tasks" option from the Network and Internet window to open the Network and Sharing Center.

In Windows XP, the Network Connections window lists all Dial-up and LAN / High-Speed Internet connections installed. In the list of LAN / High Speed Internet connections, select the icon that corresponds to the network you wish to enable or disable.

In Windows 7 or Windows Vista, click the "Connect or disconnect" option shown to pop up a window displaying the current connection status. Use this window to first Disconnect from the active network and then immediately reconnect.
In Windows XP, right-click on the selected network connection. A pop-up menu appears. If the connection is currently enabled, the first option in this menu will be "Disable." Otherwise, the first menu option will be "Enable." Select this first menu option to alternately disable or enable the connection.


Close the Network Connections / Control Panel window when finished.

How To Share a Printer with Windows XP

Before You Begin

Ensure Windows File and Printer Sharing services are enabled on the computer before beginning this procedure.

• For other devices to access the shared printer, the host computer must be powered on and connected to the local network.
  

1. On the computer that is wired to the printer (called the host computer), open Windows Control Panel (from the Start menu).
   
   
2. Open (double click) the Printers and Faxes icon from within the Control Panel window. If using the Category View for Control Panel, first navigate to the Printers and Other Hardware category to find this icon. In Classic View, simply scroll down the list of icons in alphabetical order to find the Printers and Faxes icon.
   
   
3. In the list of printers and faxes within the Control Panel window, select (single click) the icon for a printer you wish to share.
   
   
4. From the Printer Tasks pane (left hand side of the Control Panel window), click Share this printer. Alternatively, you can right-click on the selected printer icon to open a pop-up menu and choose the Sharing... option from this menu. In both cases, a new Printer Properties window appears.
   
   However, if at this stage you receive an error message starting with Printer Properties cannot be displayed, this indicates the printer is not currently connected to the computer. You must physically connect the computer and printer to complete this step.
   
   
5. In the Printer Properties window, click on the Sharing tab and select the Share this printer radio button. In the Share name field, enter a descriptive name for the printer: This is the identifier that will be shown to other devices on the local network when they make connections. Click OK or Apply to complete this step.
   
   At this stage, the printer will now be accessible to other devices on the local network. Close the Control Panel window when finished.
   
   
6. To test sharing is configured properly for this printer, attempt to access it from a different computer on the local network. From another Windows computer, for example, you can navigate to the Printers and Faxes section of Control Panel and click the Add a printer task. The share name chosen above identifies this printer on the local network.

HOW TO: Share a Single IP Address from your DSL or Cable Connection Using a Router
Follow these instructions to set up a router device that allows several computers to share a single IP address.

An Internet Service Provider (ISP) usually provides you with only a single IP address. Use this info if you have more than a single computer or device like a laptop and a desktop computer you want to use at the same time.  You can share your single IP address with all devices by using a router (or router and switch), a host with a shared Internet connection, or an all-in-one device that acts as a wireless access point, router, switch, and even a cable or DSL modem.

Before You Begin

To use this info you must have:

a wireless network interface card installed in each device
all documentation for your wireless cards
a router
a hub or switch (Depending on configuration)
two or three Category 5 or 5e Ethernet cables

Step 1a - Install and Configure Router (follow this step if you are NOT using a switch)

Follow these steps to install a router on your wireless network without using a hub or a switch.

Turn the power off for all devices connected to the network.
Obtain an Category 5 or 5e Ethernet cable that is long enough to connect your access point to your router.
Plug one end of the cable into any Ethernet port on the router, except the one marked WAN or UPLINK. (Some routers have only one other port, while others may have two, four, or even eight usable ports.)
Plug the other end of the cable into the Ethernet port marked LAN, located on the back of your access point.
Plug a second Category 5 or 5e Ethernet cable into the WAN port on the back of the router.
Plug the other end of the second Ethernet cable into the LAN port on the back of the Internet access device (cable or DSL modem).
Restore power to all devices, in this order: cable/DSL modem, router, access point, then all computers.
Turn on all computers attached to the network.
Make sure that any IP-sharing applications are disabled on all computers (WinProxy, Internet Connection Sharing, etc.).

Step 1b - Install and Configure Router (follow this step if you are using a switch)

Follow these steps to install a router and hub or a switch on your wireless network.

Turn the power off for all devices connected to the network.
Obtain an Category 5 or 5e Ethernet cable that is long enough to connect your access point to your hub or switch.
Plug one end of the cable into the Ethernet port marked LAN, located on the back of your access point.
Plug the other end of the cable into any Ethernet port on the hub or switch, except the one marked UPLINK.
Plug a second Category 5 or 5e Ethernet cable into the UPLINK port on the back of the router.
Plug the other end of the second Ethernet cable into any port on the router, except the one marked WAN. (Some routers have only one port, while others may have two, four, or even eight usable ports.)
Plug a third Category 5 or 5e Ethernet cable into the WAN port on the back of the router.
Plug the other end of the third Ethernet cable into the LAN port on the back of the Internet access device (cable or DSL modem).
Restore power to all devices, in this order: cable/DSL modem, router, hub or a switch, access point, then all computers.

Step 2 – Configure the Router

Access the router's interface.

You may need to run a configuration utility provided by the manufacturer.
You may need to use a web-based configuration utility from a computer attached to the network.
If you have a wired Ethernet card, you may be able to use a special crossover cable.
Often, you can access the interface by opening a Web browser and typing http://192.168.1.1 (the default setting for many routers designed for home use). However, your device may use a different method, such as a desktop software program.
Many routers ship by default with a blank user name and standard password (for example, "admin"). Be sure to change this information the first time you log in.
Configure the router settings according to its documentation. (Hubs or switches do not usually require configuration.) The following settings are basic functions common to most routers:

Router and Domain name. Contact your ISP to see if you need to enter a specific host name or domain name.

Enable DHCP for the WAN. Unless your ISP has provided you with a permanent (static) IP address, you should enable DHCP for the wide-area network (WAN) connection. This allows your router to obtain its public IP address from your ISP.

Enable DHCP for the LAN. The router can automatically assign IP addresses, subnet, and gateway information to all computers connected to your home network that are set to obtain information from a DHCP server. Alternatively, you can use permanent (static) IP addresses, but this requires in-depth knowledge of IP addressing.

Enable NAT. You can use network address translation (NAT) to re-address all data packets flowing out of your network. This function makes it look like all outgoing traffic is originating from one computer. Through mapping, incoming traffic is routed to the appropriate computer.

Block WAN. If it's available, this feature prevents outside computers from "pinging" your router and computers to see if they are active.

Filtering. Some routers can prevent certain computers or ports on the router from accessing the Internet. This feature usually requires you to assign static IP addresses to each computer on the network. Disabling 192.168.1.12 means the computer with that address cannot access the Internet. Disabling Port 2 means the second port on the back of the router cannot access the Internet.

Port Forwarding. Some routers can forward requests for certain services to specific services. This feature is normally used only if you are operating an e-mail or web server on your local area network. For instance, you may want to send all Web traffic to one computer configured with a static IP address. Note that this potentially opens your computers to outside attacks.

DMZ. Short for "de-militarized zone," this feature is normally used to temporarily expose a single computer for gaming, chatting, or remote access. It also makes that system more vulnerable to attack.

MAC Address Filtering. Finally, you can enter media access control (MAC) addresses, or unique identifiers for each hardware device. This gives you fine control over exactly which systems can access the network.

Step 3 -Test the Network Connection

Follow these steps to check your router setup.

Make sure the access point has power and that any wireless devices are within range of the access point.
Restart (or turn on) all devices connected to the network and check to see if you can connect to the network.

If you are using this at the University, open your browser to load the Public Network authentication screen. Use your EID to log in. Then, you can access the Internet.
All properly configured wireless devices should automatically connect when you use any application that accesses the network or Internet. If not, try the following solutions:
- Check that device's TCP/IP settings - for example, is it using DHCP, or manually assigned IP addresses?
- Completely power down the device and then turn it on.
- For Windows systems using DHCP, click Start > Run and type ipconfig  /release. Then, click Start > Run and type ipconfig  /renew.
- Check the access point as described in the access point install document.
If you can see other computers on your network but cannot access the Internet, your LAN configuration is correct, but your WAN (Internet Service Provider) configuration is not. Open your router configuration utility or browser address.
- You may need to power down your router and cable modem, wait several minutes, then restart them both. Many devices can cache data for a few minutes, even without power.
- You may need to specify a different domain or DNS server in the WAN settings.
- You may need to leave the domain name blank in the WAN settings.
- You may need to request a new WAN IP address. Most router configuration utilities have a button for this task.
Check your router documentation and call your ISP if you can't resolve the problem.
If you can access the Internet, but can't see other computers on your network, your ISP and client TCP/IP configurations are correct, but your client LAN settings may be incorrect.
- Completely power down the device and then turn it on.
- Check your Network ID, workgroup, domain, or AppleTalk Zone to see if it matches those settings for other computers on the same network.

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