20 tools to diagnose internet connection problems

Trying to diagnose what’s gone wrong with an internet connection can be an absolute nightmare if you don’t know where to start.

IPNetMonitorX is a network troubleshooting toolkit for debugging Internet service problems and optimizing performance. Featuring 20 integrated tools, IPNetMonitorX is designed to help you quickly locate where the problem is and gather data which can be used to solve the problem either directly or through your Internet Service Provider.

Designed to make things easier, IPNetMonitorX tests 20 different possibilities that are the most common cause of connection problems. These are Address Scan, AirPort Signal, Connection List, DHCP Lease, DHCP Test, DNS RBL, Finger, Interface Info, Link Rate, Lookup, Monitor, Name Server Query, Ping, Port Scan, Server Scan, Subnet Calculator, TCP Dump (including TCP Flow), TCP Info, Trace Route, and Whois.

This holistic approach to detecting connection problems allows you to see in a glance where the problem may lie. The difficult bit is in interpreting the results. Unless you know something about TCP connections, DHCP leases and port configuration, it won’t mean a great deal to you. Unfortunately, the developers don’t help in this respect by providing a glossary of terms or even tips on what each one represents and what may indicate a problem.

If you’re a network administrator, you’re sure to find some use in IPNetMonitorX 20 different tests but if you’re a novice user, then you might find it less than helpful.