“The internet is not working”: the troubleshooting question

Almost every IT support interview includes a live scenario: a user calls and says the internet is not working. The panel is not waiting for one magic command. It scores whether you narrow the problem down in a sensible order, whether you talk to the user like a person, and whether you know when to hand over. Say your steps out loud, in order, and you will score even if the panel had a different fault in mind.

1. 1Ask two questions before touching anything: is it one device or everyone, and what exactly does the user see: no Wi-Fi icon, a page that will not load, or only one website failing? “Everyone” points to the router or the provider; “only me” points to the device.
2. 2Check the simple things first: Wi-Fi switched on, aeroplane mode off, the cable clicked in, the router lights, a password that was changed this morning. Most tickets end here.
3. 3Then the network layer, one change at a time: does the device have a valid IP address (ipconfig or ifconfig), can it ping the router, can it ping 8.8.8.8, does a website open by name? If the address works but the name does not, it is DNS.
4. 4If the whole office is down, check the router and the fibre or radio link, then call the provider with the account number and the time it started. Give staff a time for the next update.
5. 5Confirm with the user that it works, then write two lines in the ticket log: what the problem was and what fixed it. The next person fixes it in five minutes.