Network Diagnostics Framework

Applies To: Windows Server 2008

The mini-map in the Network and Sharing Center is the first place to go to solve network connectivity problems.

In earlier versions of Windows, when network problems appeared, it was usually up to the user to run one or more tools and submit diagnostic data to a support person. Usually, the tools were not easy to find or use.

In Windows Vista® and Windows Server® 2008, when problems in network connectivity appear, they are identified in the mini-map with a red icon on the lines connecting network components. If you click the Network and Sharing Center icon, and then under Tasks, click Diagnose and repair, a diagnostic subsystem is invoked in the Windows operating system that analyzes the problem and attempts to determine the cause. Windows provides the information it has collected about the problem, and suggests recommended next steps for you to take. If an automated solution is available, then it is provided in the form of a button on the dialog box so you can invoke it with a single click. If the corrective action is not one the system can perform automatically (for example, connecting a disconnected cable), then Windows displays information telling you what needs to be done to correct the problem.

This capability is provided by the Network Diagnostics Framework (NDF), which supports the creation of network troubleshooter modules for each network component. These network troubleshooters monitor the health of their associated network component, and also include a list of known possible problems and their resolutions. The Windows operating system includes network troubleshooters for all of the network components that are part of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

For TCP/IP-based communication, NDF prompts the user through options to eliminate possible causes until the root cause of the problem is identified or all possibilities are eliminated. NDF can diagnose many causes of problems, including the following:

• IP address is incorrect

• Default gateway (router) is not available

• Default gateway is incorrect

• NetBIOS over TCP/IP (NetBT) name resolution failed

• DNS settings are incorrect

• DHCP Client service is not running

Event logs created by NDF

An NDF session logs event messages that can be viewed in Event Viewer. Events are logged both in the System log, as well as the application log found at Application and Service Logs\Microsoft\Windows\Diagnostics-Networking. A complete list of the NDF event IDs can be found at Network and Sharing Center Events.

NDF finds no error

In this case, the following events are logged:

NDF finds an error and corrects it

In this case, events similar to the following are logged. (Details will vary, depending on the error.)

Developers of networking components can implement NDF helper classes in their software that can diagnose the causes of problems with that component. Developers of higher-level network applications can include links to invoke the NDF to diagnose the problem when the application encounters some error condition.

Information about NDF is written primarily for developers, and can be found on MSDN at https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=105690.

Additional references

• Network and Sharing Center Functionality and Navigation

• Network Location Types

• Sharing and Discovery

• Network Map

• Dialing Rules and Canonical Address Format

• How the Network and Sharing Center Works