Networking and Remote Access

Understand the basic networking model of identity, local scope, routing, and name resolution so common network problems feel explainable instead of mysterious.

Inspect network state from the command line and treat live configuration changes with enough caution to avoid breaking access unexpectedly.

Inspect DNS resolution directly so you can separate naming problems from connectivity problems and understand local overrides such as the hosts file.

Troubleshoot network problems layer by layer using connectivity tests, route tracing, DNS checks, and port inspection.

Use safer remote-access patterns for SSH, RDP, and PowerShell remoting, and understand why bastion hosts and VPNs reduce exposure.

Inspect network settings in graphical tools and understand when a static IP is appropriate versus when DHCP should remain in control.

Identify local network interfaces and addresses so you can tell which interface is active and which address actually matters for the current network path.

Use ping to test reachability in a more structured way, separating local stack checks, gateway checks, and broader connectivity checks.

Query DNS directly and recognize when a hostname problem is different from a reachability problem.

Inspect listening ports and active connections so you can tell whether a service is actually waiting for traffic.

Understand name resolution, routing, service reachability, and firewall checks as one layered network path.

Check which ports are listening, which process owns them, and whether that actually matches the service you expect.

Use this when direct IP connectivity works but hostnames do not resolve or connect correctly.