Networking toolbox

Whether you are a server administrator, a network administrator, or a combination of the two, there are a number of tools that are useful for testing and monitoring network connections within the Windows Server world. Some of these tools are baked right into the operating system and can be used from Command Prompt or PowerShell, and some of the tools are more expansive graphical interfaces that require installation before running. They are all free, though, so you have no excuse to delay getting acquainted with these helpful utilities.

Ping

Even the newest of IT pros is usually familiar with this one. Ping is a command that you can utilize from Command Prompt or PowerShell, and it is simply used to query an IP address to find out whether or not it responds. Ping is and has always been our "go-to" tool for testing network connectivity between two devices on a network. From my Win10 client on the LAN, I can open a prompt and ping <IP_ADDRESS>. Alternatively, because...