A network administrator begins receiving reports that several users in the company cannot access the corporate website hosted internally. The users affected are from different departments but seated in the same area of the building. Before escalating the issue, what should the administrator's first step be in identifying the problem?
Run a virus scan on each user's computer in the affected area
Gather information
Ask the users if they have installed new software
Immediately begin replacing network cables in the affected area
The correct answer is Gather information. According to the CompTIA troubleshooting methodology, the first step is to identify the problem, which begins with gathering comprehensive information. This includes determining the scope of the issue (e.g., who is affected, what services are unavailable) and identifying commonalities, such as the users' physical location. The other actions represent steps taken later in the process. Replacing cables or running a virus scan would be part of implementing a solution or testing a theory, which should not be done without prior investigation. Asking specifically about new software is a valid question, but it's a subset of the broader initial step of gathering all relevant information to form a complete picture of the problem.
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