5 common network error mishaps—and how to fix them

When a network error crops up and affects your users, you can bet they'll be quick to let you know. Though you may feel tempted to duck when a user lobs a complaint your way—particularly if your team already spends a significant time cleaning up user-generated IT messes—you should be ready with an answer.
Here are five of the most frequent user complaints you'll hear, paired with fixes that'll have your colleagues back up and running in no time:

1. "The Internet is slow."

This complaint can easily frustrate those of us in IT, because it's more often subjective than objective. After all, what qualifies as "slow"? In many cases, this problem is isolated to a few users' laptops or computers, but you'll want to start by making sure a significant portion of the office isn't similarly impacted.
From there, check to see what types of applications your users have open and if they're using any bandwidth-intensive services affecting their experience. Sometimes, it's a simple issue of streaming too much video content, whether it's for business purposes, such as videoconferencing, or something not sanctioned by the company, like watching a live sporting event online.

2. "The Wi-Fi is spotty."

A close cousin of slow Internet complaints, you'll hear this if you offer wireless connectivity at the office. If you offer BYOD, you'll find your users expect a high standard of Wi-Fi reliability and coverage, as well.
Check to see if they're connecting to the right network with the correct credentials. According to PC Magazine, you may also want to review your Wi-Fi network's channel settings. If there are a host of other networks available in the same range, they may crowd out your signal, making it tough for your users to log on.
Next, check for low signal strength in a place where it should be robust. If you encounter this issue, you may want to consider setting up wireless access points throughout the office to offer adequate coverage.

3. "We can't get on."

While not exactly illuminating, this complaint usually translates to a login issue. If so, you should check for a few common culprits. For instance, users may have simply forgotten their passwords, left caps lock on, or failed to reset their passwords after expiration.
If these avenues prove futile, it may signal a larger issue. You'll need to determine if you can trace the issue to their computers. If so, a solid reboot may help. While you're at it, check for dislodged network cables or network cards that may be experiencing difficulties.
If a large group of users can't log on, check your local area network and server environment for any issues preventing access to the network or domain.

4. "Our computers are slow."

You'll often hear this lament while working in IT—typically followed by, "We need new computers."
If users feel their computers are performing sluggishly, the culprit might be malware, spyware, or a virus. Run a full scan to search for any of these bad actors. Neutralize the ones you find, and make a note to offer security awareness training across the company, so your colleagues can learn how to spot phishing attempts and other exploits.
If no digital gremlins pop up, TechRadar advises looking at the number of apps and browser tabs running at the same time, which may cause the computer to reach the limits of what its memory can handle.

5. "This app isn't working."

When a particular app runs slowly or fails to launch properly, check for any user error first. Your colleagues may have inadvertently done something in the program to cause it to stall. Your next course of action should involve reinstalling the app from scratch. If this doesn't work, a network error may be causing the slowdown. Also, make sure you check the app's network settings for any unusual network configurations it relies on to properly operate.
If your business employs telecommuting users, check their connectivity to ensure there are no network glitches, such as latency or packet loss, impacting their ability to use the application.
When a user comes down the hallway or lights up your phone with a complaint, it's important to take a proactive approach. A can-do attitude paired with timely resolution will keep your business running and turn any gripes into glowing praise.