~/simulation
Help Desk Simulator
Sit down at an old office PC and work real help desk tickets. Each one is a broken machine: read the user's message, find the fault with real Windows commands and network settings, fix it, and close the ticket. It's free, runs in your browser and installs nothing.
How it works
- Press Power. The PC boots to the BitsOS 98 desktop with the help desk ticket queue open on the left.
- Pick a ticket and investigate. Open Command Prompt, Network Connections, Notepad or My Computer from the desktop. The network notes on the desktop list the servers and addresses.
- Fix it and close the ticket. Closing checks the machine. If the user's problem isn't fixed, they reply and the ticket stays open. Up to three hints are there if you get stuck.
The desktop looks like the 90s, but the commands and settings windows are the ones you'll use on a Windows PC at work today.
The six labs
Set up the new print server
A new print server picked up a random DHCP address, but every printer points at a fixed one. You'll set a static IPv4 address, subnet mask, default gateway and DNS server, and learn what each of the four settings does.
My S: drive disappeared
A user's mapped drive is missing on their new PC. You'll find the file server, map a network drive with net use or the Map Network Drive window, and learn how UNC paths like \\FS01\Shared work.
The network says 169.254
A laptop shows a 169.254.x.x address and nothing loads. You'll learn what an APIPA address tells you about DHCP and how to get a proper address back with ipconfig /renew.
Can't open the intranet
The intranet works by IP address but not by name. You'll use ping and nslookup to prove it's DNS, find the wrong DNS server setting and fix it.
Internet's down, but the file server works
Local servers answer but websites don't. You'll use tracert and ipconfig to find a wrong default gateway and learn how a PC decides what is local and what goes through the router.
Intranet works for everyone but me
DNS gives the right answer, yet one PC still goes to the intranet's old address. You'll find a stale hosts file entry and learn why nslookup and ping can disagree.
Commands you'll use
| Command | What it tells you |
|---|---|
ipconfig /all | The PC's address, mask, gateway, DNS servers and whether DHCP is on. |
ping <name or IP> | Whether a device answers. Trying both the name and the IP separates DNS problems from network problems. |
nslookup <name> | What the DNS server says a name's address is. It skips the hosts file. |
tracert <name or IP> | Each router on the way to a destination, and where the path stops. |
ipconfig /renew | Asks the DHCP server for an address right now. |
ipconfig /flushdns | Clears name lookups Windows has cached. |
net use | Lists, maps and removes network drives. |
Keep learning
- Networking fundamentals: VNets, subnets, peering and DNS
- Fix VPN and connection problems with PowerShell
- CMD vs PowerShell: which to use for admin tasks
- Free AZ-900, AZ-104, AZ-140 and PMP practice tests
FAQ
Do I need to install anything?
No. Everything runs in your browser. The commands work against a pretend office network inside the page and never touch your own computer or network.
Are these real Windows commands?
Yes. The output of ipconfig, ping, nslookup, tracert and net use is modelled on real Windows output, so what you practise here works at your desk.
Is my progress saved?
Closed tickets are remembered in this browser. Nothing is sent anywhere, and clearing your browser data resets it.