Can you reliably function without an internet connection? I suppose I could, in theory, but I'd be out of a job. If you're like me, an unreliable network is a real nightmare, and you never know when connection issues will rear their ugly heads, thrusting you right back into hours of annoying troubleshooting.
This has happened to me all too many times. Whether it was my own connection or someone else's, I found myself going through the same boring steps each and every time. Step one: finding all the tools I needed to effectively troubleshoot Ethernet and Wi-Fi problems. So, I decided to build a so-called "go bag" to help me the next time this issue comes up.
A few Ethernet cables that I trust
Nothing beats a good Ethernet cable (well, almost)
The first thing I put in my network go-bag was a handful of Ethernet cables that I know for a fact work properly. As convenient as Wi-Fi is, Ethernet is the true way to diagnose network issues , whether we like it or not.
Knowing whether those cables actually work is the key here. If your internet keeps dropping, you want to be able to plug it in via an Ethernet cable that works well for sure. If it helps, you might be dealing with Wi-Fi dead zones . If it doesn't, at least you know it's not because the Ethernet cable itself is dead.
You don't have to overspend on these. A couple of short Cat6 cables will do the trick for testing a PC, router, switch, console, or access point.
A USB to Ethernet adapter
Because laptops keep losing useful ports
Monica J. White / How-To Geek
A $10 USB to Ethernet adapter is my favorite networking purchase . I said what I said.
Sure, it's an incredibly basic piece of tech, but it's also one of those things that you don't appreciate until you desperately need it. Most modern laptops (especially ultrabooks) have dropped Ethernet entirely, which is fine up until you want to check whether the problem is Wi-Fi or something else, but you don't have any way to connect via Ethernet.
Being able to plug that device right into the router without relying on a wireless connection can be huge during hectic troubleshooting. This is especially handy when you're helping someone else troubleshoot their network, because you can't always count on their devices having the ports you need.
With this adapter, you can check most devices and find out how they behave over Ethernet vs. Wi-Fi.
A small Wi-Fi analyzer setup
Your phone can be a great network tool
Analiti Wi-Fi Analyzer
Did you know that your phone can actually be a serious champ when it comes to troubleshooting network problems ?
You can use a separate phone for this, but honestly, I just use my own. It can tell you a lot about what's happening around your network, especially if you're dealing with stuff like a weak signal, crowded channels, or dead zones.
A simple Wi-Fi analyzer app can be used to diagnose issues with router placement. It's also handy if you want to check whether you're actually connected to the band you think you're using. If some devices are using 2.4GHz when they should be on 5GHz, that's an easy fix.
A basic cable tester
The tiny gadget that ends the guessing
Patrick Campanale / How-To Geek
A basic cable tester might feel overkill if you're not dealing with this for a living, but to that, I say: why not have one anyway? It can help rule out all manner of issues before you start pulling your hair out.
If you're dealing with longer runs, wall jacks, or a bunch of cables that all look the same, a tester can tell you whether the cables are wired correctly in the first place.
To be clear, a cheap cable tester won't clarify that your cable can handle every speed under the sun. Its job is more along the lines of catching stuff that's broken, like wires, crossed pairs, bad terminations, and so on. For something that costs very little and takes up zero space, a cable tester is a worthy addition to your new go-bag.
A tiny unmanaged switch
The simplest way to isolate a bad port
Adam Davidson / How-To Geek
I'll be honest with you, most people don't know what an unmanaged switch even is, so the odds of finding one in a drawer are low. But those switches are cheap and so worth it. They can isolate many problems and save you a bunch of time.
If a wired device is having connection issues, plugging it into a small switch can help you figure out whether the issue is with the device itself, the cable, the router port, or the network path you're using. It's also useful when you need to temporarily wire up more than one device in the same room.
None of this is fancy stuff, and that's the best part
Every single thing outlined above cost me very little on a case-by-case basis, but it's proven to be worth its weight in gold. Whether you stock up on all of this and keep it in a drawer, or throw it all in a bag, I recommend owning each one of these network-related goodies so that you don't have to spend hours optimizing your Wi-Fi .
