If you work at the user helpdesk in an IT organization, you know that most users only report two problems related to wireless: (a) “I can’t get connected” and (b) “The network is slow”. Your job is to figure out what’s really going on: Is it a network problem? An RF issue? Or did the @#*&% user change his client settings again? While you have the user on the phone (and before you get too far in your diagnostic process), make sure you know the answer to these basic questions:

1. Is the user actually connected to your wireless network? [Sometimes a user may have connected to a neighbor’s network without knowing it or he might be connected to your network but having difficulty authenticating]
2. Is the user authenticated?
3. Where is the user located? Should you have strong wireless coverage in that area?
4. Are all access points or controllers in the area operational?
5. Which access point is the user closest to?
6. Are other users connected to that AP? [If so, it’s much more likely that the network is fine but your user has a client configuration problem. If not, you might have a network problem.]
7. Is the user receiving a strong RF signal?
8. How does current wireless usage in that area compare to recent trends? [If network usage is a lot higher than usual, you may have a capacity problem]
9. Has the user successfully connected to your wireless LAN in the recent past? Using the same device?
10. Has the user tried enabling and re-enabling hiw wireless radio? Rebooting?