Question 1

Wi-Fi drops randomly across the office

Accepted Answer

1. Plug into a wired LAN cable on the same switch: does it stay up while Wi-Fi drops? Then it is the APs, not your internet.
2. Reboot the most-used access point by powering it off for 30 seconds. If the issue is gone for 24 hours, it was a memory leak.
3. Open your Wi-Fi dashboard (Ubiquiti, Aruba, Meraki, etc.) and look for one AP with many more disconnects than the others. Possibly faulty or under interference.
4. Check non-IT sources: a new microwave, a 2.4 GHz cordless phone, or a heavy Bluetooth installation can disrupt an AP.

When to bring us in: 
If it happens everywhere simultaneously and at random times, look at the uplink (your internet line) or the DHCP server. We can join via remote access on your gear.

Question 2

One room or corner has no or bad Wi-Fi

Accepted Answer

1. Walk through the area with a phone and watch signal strength fall. Below -70 dBm it gets uncomfortable.
2. Look physically: is there a metal cabinet, foil-backed drywall, concrete wall, or large mirror between the AP and the corner? That blocks Wi-Fi.
3. Frequency band: 5 GHz is faster but poor at penetration. In difficult rooms 2.4 GHz works better.
4. A well-placed AP often beats a poorly placed mesh router. Try repositioning before ordering more hardware.

When to bring us in: 
For a proper review with a heatmap and channel analysis we bring gear. Two hours on site and we know what should happen.

Question 3

Internet is suddenly slow for everyone

Accepted Answer

1. Run speedtest.net on a wired laptop. Compare against your plan. Four times slower than promised is probably the provider.
2. Check your provider's status page and call them. On major outages they know and you keep your line free for other matters.
3. Look in your router for which devices are sending heavy traffic. Sometimes one laptop is mid-cloud-sync or OS update.
4. Reboot the router or firewall for 30 seconds. Do this LAST; everyone is down during the reboot. Not during important calls.

When to bring us in: 
Persistently slow while speedtest is fine points to DNS issues or a tangled gateway. Drop us a line; usually within an hour.

Question 4

Guest Wi-Fi reaches the corporate network

Accepted Answer

1. Connect to guest Wi-Fi on a phone and try to reach an internal share or printer. Works? Then the gap exists.
2. Open your router or AP controller and confirm the guest SSID is on a separate VLAN or has client isolation.
3. Turn on client isolation on the guest SSID. That alone prevents guests from seeing each other and reaching corporate.
4. Block guest-Wi-Fi access to internal services in the firewall: drop all traffic from guest VLAN to LAN VLAN.

When to bring us in: 
VLAN and firewall work is delicate; one wrong rule and the office has no internet. Safer to do together, typically about an hour.

Question 5

A specific device (server, NAS, printer) is unreachable

Accepted Answer

1. Ping the device from your laptop (cmd: ping ip-address). No response? Physically unreachable.
2. Walk to the device. Lights on? Power-cycle it (off, wait 30 seconds, on).
3. Swap the network cable or switch port. Two minutes; often the cause.
4. On your router: does the device have an IP? No IP = DHCP issue. Sometimes a static IP is needed.
5. If hostname does not resolve but IP does: DNS cache. ipconfig /flushdns or a laptop restart.

When to bring us in: 
On a server, NAS, or switch dropping: do not casually power-cycle. Call us; we connect via remote or console and avoid data loss.

Question 6

Internet works, but one cloud service is unreachable

Accepted Answer

1. Try the service over 4G on your phone. Works there? Your office network blocks it; not a your-laptop issue.
2. Open cmd and run "nslookup service-name.com". Get an IP? No IP = DNS issue.
3. Ask if colleagues hit the same. Only you = your IP or hardware. Everyone = firewall or DNS level.
4. Check the service status page. Sometimes it is just an outage on their side.
5. Recent change in firewall, antivirus, or security tool? Often the cause.

When to bring us in: 
For critical services (Microsoft 365, Adobe, ERP) a temporary mobile hotspot workaround keeps you working while we look in the firewall. Call right away.

Question 7

Home internet works fine, but video meetings stutter

Accepted Answer

1. Run speedtest.net and look specifically at UPLOAD speed. Below 5 Mbps upload, video meetings hurt.
2. Close other bandwidth eaters: cloud backups, OS updates, family streaming or gaming on the same line.
3. Wired instead of Wi-Fi during important calls. Wi-Fi jitter is amplified by video codecs.
4. In Teams: three dots > Device settings > Video > Advanced > cap video quality as an emergency.

When to bring us in: 
Persistently bad home internet may justify fibre or a business 4G/5G router for certain roles. Happy to advise on that choice.

Question 8

Wi-Fi extender gives weak or slow signal

Accepted Answer

1. Position the extender exactly between the main router and the dead zone, not at the edge of the dead zone itself.
2. Many extenders create two SSIDs ("Name" and "Name_EXT"). Devices sometimes stick to the weak one. Give both the same name + password, or disable the "EXT" one.
3. Test speed at the extender with speedtest.net. Half or less of the main router? It is sharing capacity; invest in a mesh set rather than another extender.
4. Wired backhaul (Ethernet from extender to main router) often triples throughput. If cabling is possible, do it.

When to bring us in: 
For office Wi-Fi a proper mesh or AP set almost always beats extenders. We advise, install, and run heatmap measurements.

Question 9

A device cannot see the Wi-Fi while other devices connect fine

Accepted Answer

1. Identify the device type. Smart plug, scale, older printer, camera? Almost always 2.4 GHz only.
2. In your AP controller, check that the SSID broadcasts on both bands. With band steering or a single merged SSID, the 2.4 part can be invisible to some clients.
3. Temporarily create a separate 2.4 GHz-only SSID with a different name (e.g. "office-iot"). Connect the device there.
4. Put the phone you use for pairing on that same 2.4 GHz network during initial setup. Many IoT apps require it.

When to bring us in: 
If you have many IoT devices, a dedicated IoT VLAN with its own 2.4 GHz SSID is cleaner. We can set that up without touching guest or office Wi-Fi.

Question 10

Wi-Fi is slow everywhere, especially at busy times

Accepted Answer

1. Open a free Wi-Fi analyzer on your phone ("WiFiman" or similar). Look at how crowded channels 1, 6, and 11 are.
2. Is your AP on a channel other than 1, 6, or 11 on 2.4 GHz? That is always wrong, regardless of how busy it is.
3. On 5 GHz: enable auto-channel in your controller, or manually pick a channel your analyzer shows as empty.
4. Where possible, push devices to 5 GHz by lowering the 2.4 radio power or offering some SSIDs on 5 GHz only.

When to bring us in: 
In genuinely crowded buildings only a physical survey helps: lower transmit power, smaller cells, more APs at less power. We do it in half a day.

Question 11

A mesh node keeps losing connection to the main router

Accepted Answer

1. In your mesh app, check the uplink strength of the troublesome node. Below the "good" mark means: too far, or a wall in between.
2. Move the node half a meter to a meter closer to the main router. Often enough.
3. Reboot both (main first, wait until online, then node). Mesh systems remember routes; sometimes a stale one is stuck.
4. Still bad? Connect the node with a UTP cable as wired backhaul. That fixes almost every mesh issue.

When to bring us in: 
If your building is too large for consumer mesh, we replace it with business APs on cable. Often cheaper long-term than buying new mesh sets repeatedly.

Question 12

The login page of guest or hotel Wi-Fi will not appear

Accepted Answer

1. Open the browser manually and go to an unencrypted site like http://neverssl.com; that forces the portal.
2. Check the top of your phone or the Wi-Fi menu for a "sign in to network" notification. Tap it.
3. Turn VPN off before opening the portal. VPN intercepts the redirect and you will never see the page.
4. Forget the network and reconnect. Then open the browser within a minute.

When to bring us in: 
For your own guest portal not working for visitors: often a DNS or certificate issue on the controller. We check that in 20 minutes.

Question 13

Everyone offline after rotating the Wi-Fi password

Accepted Answer

1. Build a list up front of devices on the business Wi-Fi: laptops, phones, printers, IP cameras, smart thermostat, presentation systems.
2. Rotate on a Friday afternoon or in a holiday period. Not Monday morning.
3. Only share the new password with colleagues after you have reconnected a test device successfully.
4. For printers and IoT: you often have to be physically at the device. Reserve time for that.

When to bring us in: 
For teams over 15 people, WPA2-Enterprise (per-user login) is nicer than a shared password. One setup; never rotate again on staff changes.

Question 14

Phone keeps getting a new IP at the office, or blocked access

Accepted Answer

1. On the phone, open the Wi-Fi settings for your office network. Find "private address" (iOS) or "randomized MAC" (Android).
2. Disable it for the office SSID. The phone will then use its real hardware MAC.
3. Reconnect to the network. Sometimes "forget and re-add" once is needed.
4. Tell IT that your MAC needs to be re-registered if the office network uses MAC filtering or reservations.

When to bring us in: 
MAC filtering is not strong security anyway and often breaks on modern phones. We replace it with WPA2-Enterprise or 802.1X.

Question 15

Devices struggle or fail to connect to a hidden Wi-Fi

Accepted Answer

1. Test if the problem disappears when you make the SSID visible in your controller. Yes? Then "hidden" was the cause.
2. On the problem phone or laptop: forget the network and add it manually as hidden, with the exact same name (case sensitive).
3. Keep in mind that your phone now probes for that hidden network everywhere. Privacy downside, no security upside.
4. Consider just making the SSID visible. An attacker sees it anyway with simple tools.

When to bring us in: 
If hidden SSID is required by old documentation or policy: we help justify why that is no longer relevant, and what does work.

Question 16

Smart device (printer, camera, sensor) will not pair with Wi-Fi

Accepted Answer

1. Make sure your phone is on 2.4 GHz during pairing, with location and bluetooth permission granted for the app.
2. Temporarily disable WPA3 on your router and use WPA2. Many IoT devices do not speak WPA3.
3. Factory-reset the IoT device before the second attempt. Half-configured sessions cause chaos.
4. Temporarily disable client isolation on the SSID you pair on. Some apps need to talk locally to the device.
5. Keep the device close to the router during initial pairing. Move it after.

When to bring us in: 
Lots of IoT at the office? A dedicated IoT VLAN with its own WPA2-only SSID is cleaner and safer. Set up once, no more drama.

Question 17

After a firmware update an AP works worse or not at all

Accepted Answer

1. Read the release notes of the new firmware. Sometimes a known issue is listed for your AP model.
2. Reboot the AP again. Some updates need two reboots before all services come up cleanly.
3. In the controller, check the AP is on the right version and whether there is a rollback option. Ubiquiti, Aruba, Meraki usually have a "downgrade" button.
4. Wait 24-48 hours before grabbing a hotfix. Patches often arrive quickly after issues are reported.

When to bring us in: 
For business networks a test AP or slow-rollout strategy makes sense: update one AP first, wait a week, then the rest. We set up that pattern for you.

Question 18

A wired connection runs at 100 Mbit while you expect 1 Gbit

Accepted Answer

1. Click the network icon in Windows or macOS and look at "link speed". Says 100 Mbit? Then the cable did not negotiate gigabit.
2. Swap the UTP cable for one you know is good (cat6 or better, undamaged, no tape).
3. Swap the switch port. Some ports are 100 Mbit only, or there is an internal fault.
4. Inspect the cable: kinks, sharp bends, or someone extending it with a dubious coupler are common causes.

When to bring us in: 
If whole groups of desks are stuck at 100 Mbit, your cabling is probably cat5 or worse. Replace with cat6 over a quiet weekend; we arrange it.

Question 19

Unsure whether a switch port is working: how do you read the LEDs?

Accepted Answer

1. Light off with cable plugged in? Then there is no link. Try another cable or another port.
2. Light blinking orange or yellow? Often that is 100 Mbit instead of 1 Gbit. Not broken, but half speed.
3. Steady green or blue? Link is fine; the issue is higher up (DHCP, firewall, software).
4. Lights flashing wildly on all ports at once? Possibly a loop in your network. Pull suspect cables and see if it stops.

When to bring us in: 
An unknown loop on your network calls for spanning-tree settings or port filters. Do not experiment during office hours. Call us; usually fixed in 30 minutes.

Question 20

Access point or camera does not get power over PoE

Accepted Answer

1. Check which PoE standard your AP needs (PoE, PoE+, PoE++) and what your switch or injector delivers. A mismatch gives no power or half power.
2. Try the AP on another PoE port on the same switch. Some ports are not PoE-capable.
3. Test with a fresh short UTP cable right next to the switch. Long or poor cables drop voltage.
4. Check the remaining PoE budget on the switch. If all ports are loaded, the switch cannot power another.

When to bring us in: 
For large PoE installations a stronger PoE switch or a power-budget plan is needed. We calculate it and help with replacement.

Question 21

Device unreachable after a VLAN change

Accepted Answer

1. Grab a laptop on cable and plug into the problem port. Do you get an IP? No IP = probably wrong VLAN on the port.
2. In your switch controller, check that the device port is untagged on the correct VLAN. For PCs and printers almost always untagged.
3. For APs: usually untagged on the management VLAN and tagged for the other SSIDs. Reversed = AP gone.
4. Just made a change? Roll back that one change, verify it works, then redo step-by-step.

When to bring us in: 
VLAN work is best not done alone under pressure. Plan calmly with us and we document the right config so the second time is easier.

Question 22

Internet down, provider says "reboot your modem"

Accepted Answer

1. First unplug power from your own router or firewall, then from the provider modem. Wait 1 minute.
2. Power on the provider modem first. Wait until all lights are steady (can take 3-5 minutes).
3. Only then power on your own router. Otherwise your router gets a bad answer from a not-ready modem.
4. Test on a wired laptop. Works? Done. Does not work? Call the provider back; ask specifically about an outage in your postcode.

When to bring us in: 
If the provider keeps blaming your side while nothing changed: request a technician. We can be there at the same time to rule out the inside quickly.

Question 23

Fiber NTU box has a red light or no light

Accepted Answer

1. Look at the lights on the small provider box (NTU or ONT). Power should be on; the signal or LOS light should be steady green (or OFF on some models).
2. Red, blinking, or LOS lit = no fiber signal. Rarely caused by anything in your office.
3. Do not unplug fiber connectors. A finger on the end = dirty = a technician has to come anyway.
4. Call the provider with the serial or customer number on the box and report "NTU LOS" or "signal loss". They know what to schedule.

When to bring us in: 
For long fiber outages a 4G failover is handy: a backup router with a data SIM. We install that so you are never offline a full day again.

Question 24

Some sites or services work only halfway

Accepted Answer

1. Test the problem site by replacing the URL with the raw IP. Works? Then it is DNS, likely IPv6.
2. Test on a phone over 4G whether the site works there. Yes? Then it is your network.
3. Temporarily disable IPv6 on the affected laptop (Windows: adapter > properties > uncheck IPv6) and retest. Works? Then the problem is at the IPv6 level.
4. If it works without IPv6, turn it back on; leaving it off is a workaround, not a fix.

When to bring us in: 
IPv6 issues need calm tracing: firewall, DNS resolver, routes. We have tools to find where it breaks; usually half a day's work.

Question 25

Video calls or certain apps work poorly despite decent speed

Accepted Answer

1. Look at the provider modem. Does it have its own Wi-Fi and a separate LAN port your router is behind? Likely double NAT.
2. In the provider modem's admin page, find "bridge mode" or "modem-only". That hands routing over to your device.
3. Not all providers allow this. Call them and ask if they can flip bridge mode remotely.
4. Bridge mode not possible? Put your own router in "AP mode" or "bridge" and let the provider modem be the only router. Less control, but no double NAT.

When to bring us in: 
For business setups with VoIP, RDP or heavy video, double NAT is genuinely annoying. We arrange bridge mode with your provider and put your firewall in charge.

Question 26

On public Wi-Fi you see odd ads or strange error pages

Accepted Answer

1. Open the browser and try a known site like https://www.example.com. Strange certificate warning? Stop immediately.
2. Always enable VPN on public Wi-Fi. Most traffic, including DNS, then goes through a safe tunnel.
3. VPN blocked? Use the network minimally: light browsing only, no passwords, no banking.
4. For longer work sessions: use mobile data via a hotspot, not the hotel or cafe Wi-Fi.

When to bring us in: 
For frequent travelers: we set up always-on VPN on your laptop so public Wi-Fi never opens a hole. Set once and forget.

Question 27

Internet briefly becomes unusable on and off, with no clear reason

Accepted Answer

1. In your router or firewall, look at the bandwidth chart. See unexplained spikes on inbound or outbound?
2. Ask around the office: did anyone do a big upload, video export, or cloud sync? Often a harmless cause.
3. Schedule large backups and cloud syncs for nighttime. No reason to load office hours.
4. If you genuinely suspect an attack: call the provider. Some can apply rough filters on the inbound line temporarily.

When to bring us in: 
A pattern of spikes calls for logging and analysis. We place a temporary monitor and usually identify the cause within a few days.

Question 28

Provider asks you for a "traceroute" or "tracert" to a server

Accepted Answer

1. Windows: open command prompt and run "tracert name-or-ip.com". macOS/Linux: "traceroute name-or-ip.com".
2. Wait for the list to finish (can take 30 seconds). Take a screenshot of the result.
3. Read line by line: the first is your router, the second your provider, then further. The line where it goes wrong often shows asterisks (***) or timeouts.
4. Send the full output to whoever asked. Not just the last line; the whole picture matters.

When to bring us in: 
For repeated outages a single traceroute is not enough; we measure continuously and pinpoint the failing hop.

Question 29

After changing DNS servers internet works half or not at all

Accepted Answer

1. Test on a laptop: set DNS back to "automatic" or "obtain via DHCP". Everything works now? Then the custom DNS was the cause.
2. Check which DNS servers are configured in your router. A typo (8.8.8.8 vs 8.8.8.0) is more common than you think.
3. Test each DNS server separately: "nslookup google.com 1.1.1.1" returns an answer? Then it works. No answer? Server unreachable.
4. Always set two DNS servers (primary + secondary). One alone means total outage on a single failure.

When to bring us in: 
With DNS filtering (Cisco Umbrella, NextDNS, AdGuard, etc.) office apps occasionally hit walls. We tune the policy to what you actually want filtered.

Question 30

Browser routes DNS around your office filter

Accepted Answer

1. In Edge, Chrome or Firefox: find the "secure DNS" or "DNS over HTTPS" setting. Disable it on the work laptops.
2. Then verify that internal servers and cloud services are reachable by name (not only by IP).
3. For a fleet of laptops: this is easy to set in one go via Windows Group Policy or MDM.
4. Leave it on for personal laptops; there DoH is a privacy plus.

When to bring us in: 
For a wider rollout via Microsoft 365 or Intune we centralize this. Set once and forget.

Question 31

A website or service still goes to the old server after a migration

Accepted Answer

1. Windows: open command prompt as admin and run "ipconfig /flushdns". macOS: terminal and "sudo dscacheutil -flushcache; sudo killall -HUP mDNSResponder" (both are needed since Big Sur, otherwise mDNSResponder keeps serving stale answers).
2. Fully quit all browsers (not just close the tab). Browsers keep their own DNS cache.
3. Reboot your router. Sometimes a stale DNS record sits there. Especially on older gear.
4. Test on your phone over 4G. Works there? Confirms the local cache is the cause.

When to bring us in: 
For your own server moves, lowering TTL beforehand helps so clients pick up the new address faster. We set that before the switch.

Question 32

Internal server names no longer resolve, only IP addresses work

Accepted Answer

1. Open command prompt and run "ipconfig /all". See which DNS servers are listed under your active adapter.
2. Is your internal DNS server (usually a local IP like 10.x.x.x or 192.168.x.x) at the top? If not, your laptop is asking internet DNS that does not know your internal names.
3. On VPN: check that the VPN sets up "split DNS" correctly. Otherwise your laptop keeps using public DNS for everything.
4. Test "nslookup servername" directly against the internal DNS server: "nslookup servername ip-of-DNS". Answer? Problem is in DHCP or VPN settings. No answer? Problem is on the internal DNS itself.

When to bring us in: 
Internal DNS often gets forgotten during maintenance. We tidy up stale records, ensure zone backups, and make sure colleagues never have to notice.

Question 33

Conference room touchscreen or AV system is offline

Accepted Answer

1. Walk up to the display and look for a network LED (often on the back or top). LED off = check the UTP cable behind it.
2. Is there a separate media player or mini-PC behind the screen? Power-cycle it for 30 seconds.
3. Look at the clock on the screen. Wrong? The network or NTP is often gone, and then the calendar integration breaks.
4. On Microsoft Teams Rooms or Google Meet hardware: sign back in with the admin account. Tokens expire after some months.

When to bring us in: 
Conference-room AV is not consumer kit; vendor service hours are not always quick. We have experience with Crestron, Logitech, Yealink and can move faster.

Question 34

Unsure if new APs should be Wi-Fi 6E or Wi-Fi 7

Accepted Answer

1. Inventory which clients speak 6 GHz
2. Check switch uplinks can carry it
3. Migrate by zone, not all at once

When to bring us in: 
Ping us if you want an AP or switch quote reviewed.

Question 35

AP keeps swapping channels or briefly drops on 5 GHz

Accepted Answer

1. Check controller for which channels are DFS
2. Exclude channels that keep seeing radar
3. Force non-DFS in noisy areas

When to bring us in: 
We can read the RF logs if channel choice is unclear.

Question 36

Calls drop when people walk through the office

Accepted Answer

1. Enable 802.11r on all APs serving the SSID
2. Confirm clients support 11r
3. Measure roaming time before and after

When to bring us in: 
We can tune roaming if calls keep cutting out.

Question 37

Laptop holds onto a far AP while a closer one is free

Accepted Answer

1. Lower AP transmit power slightly
2. Enable client steering or min-RSSI
3. Check if the client roams aggressively itself

When to bring us in: 
We tune power and steering when this keeps recurring.

Question 38

Devices sit on 2.4 GHz while 5 GHz is better

Accepted Answer

1. Compare RX power on both bands from the client spot
2. Lower 2.4 GHz power a bit
3. Confirm band-steering is enabled

When to bring us in: 
We can survey and rework steering if needed.

Question 39

Visitors need guest Wi-Fi without a shared password

Accepted Answer

1. Pick between captive portal or voucher system
2. Set expiry and bandwidth caps
3. Test on one phone before rollout

When to bring us in: 
We can set up a voucher portal if this is new.

Question 40

Personal phones on office Wi-Fi see internal servers

Accepted Answer

1. Create an SSID with its own VLAN for BYOD
2. Block access to internal subnets
3. Allow only internet and maybe print

When to bring us in: 
We can design the VLAN plan if segmentation is missing.

Question 41

iPhone can't see the 6 GHz SSID, other phones can

Accepted Answer

1. Set WPA3 required on the 6 GHz SSID
2. Check regulatory domain on the AP
3. Update iOS to a recent build

When to bring us in: 
We can review AP config if 6 GHz stays hidden.

Question 42

Wi-Fi feels slow in a full office despite full signal

Accepted Answer

1. Review transmit power per AP in the controller
2. Lower in steps and watch retransmit rate
3. Aim for overlap at low power, not shouting

When to bring us in: 
We do power tuning when signal is strong but throughput poor.

Question 43

Wi-Fi stats show high retransmits

Accepted Answer

1. Check which SSID and band shows high rates
2. See if it's one client or the whole cell
3. Plan a channel or power rework

When to bring us in: 
We analyze controller stats and find the real source.

Question 44

One AP feels slow even with good signal

Accepted Answer

1. Check the AP CPU graph
2. Count active clients per radio
3. Disable unused heavy features

When to bring us in: 
We split load with an extra AP if needed.

Question 45

Unsure if AP placement matches the floorplan

Accepted Answer

1. Load floorplan to scale in the survey tool
2. Walk every room with the sensor
3. Judge signal and SNR, not only RSSI

When to bring us in: 
We run the survey and deliver an AP plan.

Question 46

New AP or camera gets no power on a busy switch

Accepted Answer

1. Add up draw across all PoE ports
2. Compare against the switch's stated budget
3. Move light clients or add a PoE injector

When to bring us in: 
We advise a larger PoE switch if budget keeps biting.

Question 47

A port keeps going up and down in the logs

Accepted Answer

1. Swap the patch cable first
2. Test on a different port or switch
3. Check the cable run for pinching or EMI

When to bring us in: 
We can certify the cable if swaps don't help.

Question 48

Unsure if new runs should be Cat6 or Cat6a

Accepted Answer

1. Decide if 10 Gbit will ever land on this run
2. Measure length (over 55 m, Cat6 wobbles at 10G)
3. Pick one standard for the whole building

When to bring us in: 
We can draft the cable plan so you don't run twice.

Question 49

A whole subnet is down after plugging in a new switch

Accepted Answer

1. Check which port shows BLOCKING in the switch
2. Unplug the suspect uplink
3. Enable BPDU guard on edge ports

When to bring us in: 
We can stabilize STP and root bridge if it stays unstable.

Question 50

Device can't see its VLAN after a switch link

Accepted Answer

1. Check which VLANs are allowed on the trunk port
2. Add the VLAN on both ends
3. Test with a laptop on an access port of that VLAN

When to bring us in: 
We can audit and align the trunk config.

Question 51

VoIP phones don't ring or sound choppy

Accepted Answer

1. Check voice VLAN on the phone port
2. Confirm QoS marks survive the path
3. Test a call during a heavy download

When to bring us in: 
We configure voice VLAN and QoS where needed.

Question 52

Fiber uplink won't come up or shows errors

Accepted Answer

1. Compare SFP markings on both ends
2. Check fiber is single-mode or multi-mode
3. Read RX power in the switch CLI

When to bring us in: 
We measure link budget if errors persist.

Question 53

10 Gbit uplink can't reach 10 Gbit in practice

Accepted Answer

1. Test with iperf between two 10G clients
2. Check the cable (Cat6a or fiber) and length
3. Confirm the NIC negotiates 10G

When to bring us in: 
We troubleshoot the whole path if it stays at 1G.

Question 54

New devices get no IP and old ones drop

Accepted Answer

1. Compare active leases vs scope size
2. Shorten lease time on guest VLAN
3. Grow the scope or split the VLAN

When to bring us in: 
We size scopes and lease times so they hold.

Question 55

Two devices claim the same IP

Accepted Answer

1. Find which device has it statically
2. Make a DHCP reservation on MAC and set client to DHCP
3. Split the range so statics live outside

When to bring us in: 
We can draft an IPAM plan so this stops recurring.

Question 56

A server or printer must always keep the same IP

Accepted Answer

1. Get the MAC address from the device
2. Make a DHCP reservation on the DHCP server
3. Reboot the device and confirm the IP

When to bring us in: 
We can set up reservations for the whole estate.

Question 57

Unexpected subdomains resolve to the wrong server

Accepted Answer

1. List all explicit records in the zone
2. Decide if the wildcard is still needed
3. Add explicit records that win over the wildcard

When to bring us in: 
We can clean up DNS zones that grew messy.

Question 58

Internal name points outside, or the other way

Accepted Answer

1. Confirm which view is served on which network
2. Add records to both views as needed
3. Test resolve from inside and outside

When to bring us in: 
We can design split-horizon DNS that holds.

Question 59

Certain domains fail to resolve from the office

Accepted Answer

1. Inspect forwarder list on the DNS server
2. Test if the target IP still answers
3. Replace or remove dead forwarders

When to bring us in: 
We tidy forwarders to the right targets.

Question 60

One domain fails to resolve from the whole network

Accepted Answer

1. Resolve on an external resolver outside the network
2. Check if the error is SERVFAIL with DNSSEC flag
3. Wait or report to the domain owner

When to bring us in: 
We analyze DNSSEC errors when it spreads.

Question 61

An unknown SSID with your name shows up nearby

Accepted Answer

1. Check rogue detection in the AP controller
2. Locate the source via signal strength
3. Escalate per security policy

When to bring us in: 
We can hunt rogue APs and shape the policy.

Question 62

Unexplained connection redirects on one LAN

Accepted Answer

1. Check ARP table on a client several times in a row
2. Compare gateway MAC against the switch table
3. Enable dynamic ARP inspection on the switch

When to bring us in: 
We can enable DAI and trace the source.

Question 63

Someone plugs in their own switch and everything dies

Accepted Answer

1. Check err-disable status of the port
2. Remove the personal switch
3. Reset the port to recover

When to bring us in: 
We can set port-security to realistic values.

Question 64

Smart device shouldn't share the office VLAN

Accepted Answer

1. Create an IoT VLAN with its own DHCP
2. Set firewall rules: outbound internet only
3. Allow mDNS relay only where needed

When to bring us in: 
We design IoT segmentation and mDNS relay.

Wi-Fi and network