Build an IT Support Knowledge Base

Run Windows diagnostics and document them in a published knowledge base.

Introduction

30 Second Summary

When your internet stops working, most people restart their router and hope for the best. IT support professionals use a systematic set of commands to pinpoint exactly where the problem is in seconds.

In this project, you will run the same diagnostic commands used in real help desk roles, document your findings, and publish a professional troubleshooting knowledge base on Google Sites.

What You'll Build

A professional IT troubleshooting knowledge base published on Google Sites, containing structured articles that document real diagnostic scenarios you ran on your own Windows PC.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

Hands-on experience with the core Windows diagnostic commands used in real help desk roles (ipconfig, ping, nslookup, tracert, systeminfo).
A published Google Sites knowledge base with structured troubleshooting articles following the format used in professional IT support.
A shareable portfolio URL demonstrating your documentation and diagnostic skills to remote IT support employers.
Secret Mission: an advanced escalation workflow article combining multiple diagnostic commands into a single troubleshooting decision tree.

Are there any prerequisites?

You need a Google account and a Windows PC with internet access. No additional software or setup is required.

Set Up Your Tools

Before you can write professional troubleshooting documentation, you need the same tools that real IT support technicians use every day.

In this step, you will open Command Prompt with Administrator privileges, access Google Sites in your browser, and confirm that your internet connection is working.

In this step, get ready to:

Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
Access Google Sites in your browser.
Confirm your internet connectivity.

Open Command Prompt as Administrator

IT support technicians run diagnostic commands with elevated privileges to avoid permission errors. Running Command Prompt as Administrator ensures every command in this project works without restrictions.

Click the Start menu (or press the Windows key on your keyboard).
Type cmd into the search bar.
Right-click Command Prompt in the search results.
Select Run as administrator.

You may see a permission prompt

Windows may show a User Account Control (UAC) dialog asking "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?" Click Yes to continue.

A black Command Prompt window should appear. The title bar shows "Administrator: Command Prompt" to confirm you have elevated privileges.

Confirm Command Prompt is working by running this command:

whoami

You should see your computer name and username displayed (for example, DESKTOP-ABC123\yourname). This confirms Command Prompt is running and can execute commands.

Don't see your username?

If the window closed immediately or you see an error, try searching for cmd again in the Start menu. Make sure you right-click and choose Run as administrator rather than just clicking it.

Help me open Command Prompt as Administrator on Windows.

Open Google Sites

Google Sites is where you will build and publish your knowledge base. It is free with any Google account and produces a shareable URL immediately.

Open your web browser (Google Chrome, Edge, or any browser you prefer).
Navigate to sites.google.com in the address bar.
Sign in with your Google account if prompted.

You should see the Google Sites home page with a Blank option under "Start a new site." This confirms you are signed in and ready to create your knowledge base.

Not seeing the Google Sites home page?

Make sure you are signed into your Google account. Click your profile icon in the top right corner of the browser to check which account is active.

If you do not have a Google account, create one for free at accounts.google.com before continuing.

Help me access Google Sites with my Google account.

Verify internet connectivity

The ping command is the primary tool used to troubleshoot connectivity and reachability. It sends small packets to a target and measures how long they take to come back.

In your Command Prompt window, verify your internet connection by running this command:

ping google.com

You should see four replies with round-trip times (measured in milliseconds). This confirms your internet is working and Command Prompt can reach external servers.

What does this output mean?

Each "Reply from" line shows that a packet successfully reached Google's server and came back. The time= value is the round-trip time in milliseconds. Lower numbers mean a faster connection.

In a real support role, this is the first test you run when a user reports they cannot reach a website. If ping fails, you know there is a connectivity problem before investigating anything else.

Seeing "Request timed out" or no replies?

Check that your Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable is connected. Try opening any website in your browser to confirm you have internet access.

Some corporate or school networks block ping traffic. If your browser can load websites but ping fails, your network firewall may be blocking ICMP packets. Try a different network (like a mobile hotspot) if possible.

Help me troubleshoot why ping is not working in my Command Prompt.

Your tools are ready. Next up, you will run diagnostic commands to capture your system's baseline configuration, just like an IT support tech does when onboarding a new machine.

Gather Your System Baseline

Your tools are verified and your internet connection is working. Now it's time to document what your system looks like when everything is healthy.

In IT support, this is called a system baseline. It's the snapshot of a healthy machine that you compare against when something breaks later. You'll run two core diagnostic commands to capture your network configuration and system specifications.

In this step, get ready to:

Run ipconfig /all to capture your network configuration.
Run systeminfo to capture your system specifications.
Save the output as your baseline reference document.

Run ipconfig /all to see your network configuration

When a user reports "I can't connect to the internet," the first command an IT support tech runs is ipconfig /all. It displays the full TCP/IP configuration for all network adapters on the machine.

Display your full network configuration by running this command in your Command Prompt:

ipconfig /all

What should I see?

A wall of text scrolls by showing every network adapter on your machine. Look for your active adapter (usually labeled "Wireless LAN adapter Wi-Fi" or "Ethernet adapter Ethernet").

Under that adapter, identify four key values:

IPv4 Address - your machine's identity on the local network.
Subnet Mask - defines the size of your local network.
Default Gateway - your router's address (all internet traffic flows through it).
DNS Servers - the addresses your machine uses to translate website names into IP addresses.

Why is this the first command in IT support?

The output tells you immediately whether the machine has a valid IP address or if DHCP failed. If the IPv4 Address starts with 169.254, the machine could not reach a DHCP server and assigned itself a temporary address. That alone narrows the problem to the local network.

Confirm you can see your IPv4 Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS Servers listed under your active adapter.

Not seeing an IPv4 Address?

If you see "Media disconnected" under your adapter, your Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable is not connected. Check your connection and try again.
If your IPv4 Address starts with 169.254, your machine could not reach a DHCP server. Try restarting your router and running the command again.
help me troubleshoot my ipconfig /all output

Run systeminfo to see your system specifications

The next command gives you the big picture of the machine itself. In a help desk role, systeminfo helps you quickly assess what hardware and software you are working with before diagnosing any issues.

Display your system's full hardware and software details by running this command:

systeminfo

What should I see?

This command takes 15-30 seconds to process. It gathers data from multiple system components before displaying results.

Once complete, look for these key values:

OS Name - tells you the Windows edition and which patches are available.
System Type - x64 or x86, which determines which software versions to install.
Total Physical Memory - helps diagnose slow performance (a user with 4GB RAM running heavy apps will struggle).
Network Card(s) - confirms which adapters are installed.

Confirm you can see your OS Name, System Type, Total Physical Memory, and Network Card information in the output.

Command seems stuck?

The systeminfo command can take up to 30 seconds to complete. Wait for the blinking cursor to return to a new line before typing another command.
If you see "Access denied," make sure you are running Command Prompt as Administrator (you set this up in Step 1).
help me troubleshoot the systeminfo command

Save your output to a reference document

You now have both outputs in your Command Prompt window. Before they scroll away or the window closes, you need to save them to a permanent file for reference.

Click anywhere inside the Command Prompt window to make sure it is focused.
Press Ctrl+A to select all text in the window.
Press Enter to copy the selected text to your clipboard.
Open a new Google Doc by navigating to docs.google.com in your browser and clicking Blank document.
Paste the copied text by pressing Ctrl+V.
Title the document System Baseline - [Today's Date] (replacing [Today's Date] with the actual date, e.g. System Baseline - June 16 2026).

Why save this?

This document becomes your reference for the knowledge base articles you'll write in later steps. You'll pull specific values from it when documenting your troubleshooting scenarios.

Confirm your document contains the full output of both ipconfig /all and systeminfo. You should see your IPv4 Address, Default Gateway, DNS Servers, OS Name, and Total Physical Memory all visible in the document.

Only seeing partial output?

Command Prompt has a limited scroll buffer. If your ipconfig /all output scrolled off screen before you ran systeminfo, run each command separately and copy after each one. Paste both into your document.
If Ctrl+A did not highlight the text, try right-clicking the title bar of the Command Prompt, selecting Edit, then Select All.
help me copy text from my Command Prompt window

Your baseline is documented. In the next step, you'll use diagnostic commands to simulate three real IT support scenarios and practice isolating network problems.

Run Troubleshooting Scenarios

You now have a complete system baseline showing your PC's network configuration and hardware details.

In a real help desk call, the baseline tells you what the machine looks like when it is healthy. Now you need a repeatable method to isolate the cause when a user calls in with a problem.

In this step, you will simulate three common support scenarios and run the exact diagnostic commands that Tier-1 technicians use to pinpoint whether the issue is connectivity, DNS, or routing.

In this step, get ready to:

Test network connectivity using ping to isolate connectivity vs DNS problems.
Query DNS servers using nslookup to verify name resolution.
Trace network routes using tracert to identify latency bottlenecks.

Scenario A: user reports they cannot reach a website

When a user says they cannot get to any website, the first thing you need to determine is whether the problem is network connectivity or name resolution. Two quick ping commands can tell you the difference.

In your Command Prompt, test raw IP connectivity by running this command:

ping 8.8.8.8

What does this command do?

This sends ICMP echo requests to Google's public DNS server at 8.8.8.8. Because you are using an IP address directly, this test bypasses DNS entirely. If you get replies, your internet connection is working.

You should see four reply lines showing round-trip times. The time value is your round-trip time in milliseconds.

Now test connectivity plus DNS resolution by running:

ping google.com

Why run both commands?

This second command does the same connectivity test, but it also requires your computer to resolve the name google.com into an IP address first. If ping 8.8.8.8 succeeds but ping google.com fails, the problem is DNS, not the network itself.

This is how you isolate whether the issue is connectivity or name resolution. In a real support call, this distinction changes your entire troubleshooting path.

Compare your two results. Note whether both showed replies, and write down the round-trip times from each command.

What to note for your knowledge base

Write down whether you received replies for both commands and the round-trip times. You will use these notes when writing your troubleshooting articles later.

Not seeing any replies?

If you see "Request timed out" for both commands, your internet connection may be down. Check that your Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable is connected. If only ping google.com fails, you likely have a DNS issue that Scenario B will help you investigate further.

Help me troubleshoot why ping is timing out in my Command Prompt.

Scenario B: user reports website names are not resolving

When a user says websites will not load but you have confirmed basic connectivity works, the next suspect is DNS. The nslookup command lets you query a DNS server directly to see if it can translate domain names into IP addresses.

Query your DNS server for Google's IP address by running:

nslookup google.com

What does this output show?

The output has two sections. The first section shows which DNS server answered your query (its name and address). The second section shows the resolved IP addresses for google.com.

In a real support call, if nslookup fails, you know the DNS server is unreachable or misconfigured. You would then check the DNS server listed in your ipconfig /all output or try ipconfig /flushdns to clear the DNS cache.

Get a second data point by querying a different domain:

nslookup microsoft.com

Note the DNS server name and address shown at the top of each output, and the resolved IP addresses for both domains.

Why query two different domains?

If one domain resolves but the other does not, the problem might be with that specific domain's DNS records rather than your DNS server. If neither resolves, your DNS server itself is likely the problem.

Having two data points helps you narrow the cause, which is a fundamental principle in systematic troubleshooting.

Seeing a timeout or server failure?

If nslookup shows a timeout, your configured DNS server might be unreachable. Check the DNS server address in your ipconfig /all output from earlier to make sure it matches what nslookup is querying.

Help me troubleshoot why nslookup is timing out.

Scenario C: user reports the network is slow or connections time out

Sometimes a user's internet works, but it is painfully slow. The tracert command traces the exact path your data takes to reach a destination, showing every router (hop) along the way and how long each hop takes.

Trace the route to Google by running:

tracert google.com

What does this output show?

Each line represents one hop (a router your data passes through). Each hop shows three round-trip times in milliseconds, plus the IP address or hostname of that router. The command traces up to 30 hops maximum.

High latency at a specific hop indicates a bottleneck at that point in the network. Asterisks (*) mean a router did not respond within the 4000ms timeout. In help desk work, this helps you determine if the slowness is on the user's local network, their ISP, or further upstream.

This command takes a minute

Because tracert waits up to 4 seconds per hop and traces up to 30 hops, expect it to take 30-60 seconds to complete. Let it finish before moving on.

Once the command finishes, note the total number of hops and whether any hops show high latency (much larger numbers than the others) or asterisks.

Seeing all asterisks after a certain hop?

Some routers are configured to not respond to tracert requests. A few lines of asterisks in the middle are normal. If every hop after a certain point shows asterisks, there may be a firewall blocking ICMP packets beyond that point.

Help me understand my tracert output.

You have now completed all three diagnostic scenarios. Your notes from ping, nslookup, and tracert will become the source material for your knowledge base articles. Next up, you will create the Google Sites structure to house these findings as professional troubleshooting documentation.

Create Your Google Sites Knowledge Base

You have all the raw diagnostic data you need. Now you need a professional way to present it.

In this step, you will build a Google Sites knowledge base with a clear page structure. This is the same approach real IT teams use to organize troubleshooting documentation for their support staff.

In this step, get ready to:

Create a new Google Sites knowledge base with a professional theme.
Build a page structure for your troubleshooting articles.
Add a homepage introduction that frames the knowledge base for employers.

Create a new site

Google Sites gives you a free, shareable website with no coding required. You will set up a blank site and give it a professional appearance.

Switch back to your browser where Google Sites is open.
Under Start a new site, click Blank.
In the top left corner, enter a document name. Type IT Support Knowledge Base.
Click the page header area where it says Enter site name.
Type IT Support Knowledge Base as the public site title.

What is the difference between the document name and site title?

The document name (top left) is the file name in your Google Drive. It is how you find the site when you want to edit it later.

The site title (in the page header) is what visitors see when they open your published site. Both should match so everything stays easy to find.

On the right panel, click Themes.
Under Created by Google, select a pre-made theme that looks clean and professional. Browse the options and pick one that suits documentation (simple fonts, minimal decoration).

Choosing a theme

Look for themes with clean typography and neutral colors. You want the focus on your content, not on flashy design elements. You can always change the theme later.

You should now see your blank site with the theme applied and the title displayed in the header.

Don't see the Themes panel?

Make sure you are in edit mode. If you see a pencil icon or an Edit button in the bottom right, click it to enter edit mode. The right panel with Themes, Insert, and Pages tabs only appears in edit mode.

Help me find the Themes panel in Google Sites

Create your page structure

A well-organized knowledge base separates topics into dedicated pages so support staff can find what they need quickly. You will create three pages that map to the diagnostic scenarios you ran earlier.

On the right panel, click Pages.
Hover over the Add button at the bottom right of the Pages panel and click New page.
Type System Baseline as the page name and click Done.
Repeat the process to create a second page named Network Troubleshooting.
Repeat once more to create a third page named DNS Troubleshooting.

Check the Pages panel on the right. You should see your three new pages listed below the Home page. Each page title also appears in your site's navigation menu automatically.

Why these three pages?

Each page maps to a category of diagnostic work. System Baseline documents the machine's starting configuration. Network Troubleshooting covers connectivity and route tracing. DNS Troubleshooting covers name resolution problems.

Professional knowledge base tools like ServiceNow and Freshservice follow this same pattern of separating articles by problem category.

Pages not showing in navigation?

Make sure you clicked Done after entering each page name. If a page is listed in the Pages panel but not in the top navigation, try refreshing your browser tab.

Help me add pages to my Google Sites navigation

Add a homepage introduction

Every professional knowledge base opens with context explaining what it contains and who it is for. This framing shows employers you can write clear documentation.

Navigate back to your Home page by clicking Home in the Pages panel on the right.
On the right panel, click Insert.
Click Text box to add a text block to the page.
Write 2-3 sentences covering: what the knowledge base covers (Windows network troubleshooting), who it is for (IT support reference), and what tools are used (Windows Command Prompt diagnostics).

What should my introduction say?

Here is an example you can adapt: "This knowledge base documents common Windows network troubleshooting scenarios and their resolutions. It serves as a reference for IT support staff diagnosing connectivity, DNS, and routing issues. All diagnostics use built-in Windows Command Prompt tools."

Feel free to rewrite this in your own words. The key is covering those three points: scope, audience, and tools.

Your home page should now display your introduction text below the site header. You have a complete site structure ready for content.

Text box not appearing on the page?

Make sure you are on the Home page (not one of your sub-pages) before clicking Insert. If the text box appears but is empty, click inside it to start typing. Google Sites auto-saves your changes as you type.

Help me add text content to my Google Sites homepage

Your knowledge base structure is ready. Next up, you will fill these pages with the diagnostic data you collected and publish the site for employers to see.

Write and Publish Your Troubleshooting Articles

Your knowledge base has a professional structure with dedicated pages ready for content. Now it is time to fill those pages with real troubleshooting documentation.

In this step, you will write articles using the same format that professional IT support teams use in tools like ServiceNow and Freshservice. Then you will publish your site so anyone with the link can view it.

In this step, get ready to:

Write a System Baseline article documenting your PC's configuration.
Write troubleshooting scenario articles following the Problem / Commands / Interpretation / Resolution format.
Publish your knowledge base with a shareable URL.

Write the System Baseline article

Your System Baseline page documents your PC's configuration. This is the same type of documentation an IT support tech creates when onboarding a new machine or preparing for future troubleshooting.

In your Google Sites editor, click Pages on the right panel.
Click your System Baseline page to open it for editing.
Click Insert on the right panel, then click Text box to add your first content section.
Type Network Configuration as a heading. Select the text, then choose a heading style from the text formatting toolbar.
Below the heading, document the following values from your saved ipconfig /all output: your IPv4 Address, Subnet Mask, Default Gateway, and DNS Servers.
Write a brief plain-language explanation of what each value means. For example, explain that the Default Gateway is your router's address and acts as the exit point from your local network.
Add another text box below and type System Specifications as a second heading.
Document your OS Name, System Type, Total Physical Memory, and Network Card information from your saved systeminfo output.
Write what each value means in plain language, as if explaining to a non-technical user what their computer setup looks like.

Why plain-language explanations?

In real IT support, you write documentation for two audiences: other technicians who need quick reference, and non-technical users who need to understand their own systems. Practising both styles here shows employers you can communicate clearly at any level.

Write the troubleshooting articles

Professional IT knowledge bases follow a consistent structure for every troubleshooting article. You will use four sections: Problem Reported, Diagnostic Commands Run, Output Interpretation, and Resolution.

Click Pages on the right panel.
Click your Network Troubleshooting page to open it.
Click Insert, then Text box to add your first article.

This page covers Scenario A (connectivity test) and Scenario C (route tracing). Write each scenario as a separate article using the structure below.

For Scenario A, type a heading: Scenario A: User Cannot Reach a Website.
Add a Problem Reported section describing what the user said (e.g., "User reports they cannot reach a website").
Add a Diagnostic Commands Run section listing ping 8.8.8.8 and ping google.com. Explain why you chose each command.
Add an Output Interpretation section. Paste or summarise the results from your notes. Explain that if the IP ping succeeds but the domain ping fails, the issue is DNS, not network connectivity.
Add a Resolution section describing what you would tell the user or what action to take next.
Repeat this same four-section structure for Scenario C. Use the heading Scenario C: Network Is Slow or Connections Time Out.
In Scenario C's Diagnostic Commands Run section, document your tracert google.com results. Explain what each hop represents and what high latency or asterisks (*) mean.

Now write the DNS Troubleshooting page.

Click Pages on the right panel.
Click your DNS Troubleshooting page to open it.
Add a text box and type the heading Scenario B: Website Names Are Not Resolving.
Write the Problem Reported section (e.g., "User reports website names are not resolving").
Write the Diagnostic Commands Run section documenting nslookup google.com and nslookup microsoft.com.
Write the Output Interpretation section. Include the DNS server name and address from your output, plus the resolved addresses. Explain that if nslookup fails, the DNS server is unreachable or misconfigured.
Write the Resolution section. Mention checking the DNS server listed in ipconfig /all or running ipconfig /flushdns to clear the DNS cache as possible next steps.

Why this article structure?

The Problem / Commands / Interpretation / Resolution format mirrors how real IT knowledge base tools structure their articles. Whether a company uses ServiceNow, Zendesk, or Freshservice, the template is transferable.

Employers hiring for remote help desk roles look for candidates who can document solutions clearly. This structure proves you can do exactly that.

Not sure what to write for the Resolution section?

Think about what you would tell a non-technical user if they called you with this problem. For Scenario A, you might say "Your internet connection is working, but DNS is not resolving names. Try restarting your browser or flushing your DNS cache." Keep it practical and action-oriented.

Help me write a Resolution section for my troubleshooting article

Publish your site

Your articles are written. Now you will publish the site so it is live on the internet with a shareable URL you can add to your resume.

Click Publish in the top right corner of the Google Sites editor.
In the Web address field, enter a custom URL for your site (e.g., it-support-kb- followed by your name).
Next to Published site, select Public from the drop-down list so anyone with the link can view your knowledge base.
Click Publish.

Your knowledge base is now live. The URL follows the format https://sites.google.com/view/your-site-name.

Open a new browser tab and paste your site URL to confirm it loads correctly.
Check that all three pages (System Baseline, Network Troubleshooting, DNS Troubleshooting) appear in the navigation and display your content.
Copy the URL. This is the link you will add to your resume or share with employers.

Save your URL somewhere safe

Paste the URL into a notes app, bookmark it in your browser, or add it directly to the "Projects" or "Portfolio" section of your resume. Hiring managers for remote IT support roles value candidates who can show documentation skills, not just list them.

Site not loading when you visit the URL?

Make sure you clicked the final Publish button in the publish dialog. If the page shows "This site can't be reached," double-check your web address for typos. You can update it anytime by clicking the drop-down arrow next to Publish and selecting Publish settings.

Help me troubleshoot my Google Sites publishing issue

Secret mission

Build an Escalation Workflow Article

In real IT support, problems rarely have a single cause. Can you combine all five diagnostic commands into a structured escalation workflow that systematically narrows down where a connectivity failure is happening? This is the kind of troubleshooting logic that separates Tier-1 ticket closers from techs who get promoted.

Clean Up Your Resources

This project runs entirely locally and on free Google services, so there are no ongoing costs. Decide whether to keep your resources running, pause them to come back later, or delete them entirely.

Resources you used:

Google Sites knowledge base (free, hosted indefinitely at no cost).
Google Doc or Notepad file with saved command outputs (stored in Google Drive, free).

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you are still actively building or want to keep your knowledge base as a portfolio piece.

Your Google Sites knowledge base costs nothing and stays live indefinitely.
Your System Baseline document remains in Google Drive at no cost.
The published URL is ready to share on your resume or with employers at any time.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Hide your site from public view while keeping your editable draft intact. You can republish it later when you are ready.

Open your site in Google Sites.
At the top, next to Publish, click the drop-down arrow.
Click Publish settings.
Next to Published site, select Restricted from the drop-down list.
Click Save.
Your site is now private. When you want it public again, return to the same setting and switch it back to Public.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project resources permanently. This cannot be undone once you empty your trash.

Delete your Google Sites knowledge base:
Delete your System Baseline document:
Close your Administrator Command Prompt window.

Nice Work!

You just built a professional IT troubleshooting knowledge base and published it live on Google Sites. You now have a shareable URL that demonstrates the exact diagnostic and documentation skills remote help desk employers are looking for.

Here's what you accomplished:

Ran core Windows diagnostic commands (ipconfig /all, systeminfo, ping, nslookup, and tracert) to diagnose network connectivity, DNS resolution, and route tracing on your own PC.
Created professional technical documentation following the industry knowledge base structure used in tools like ServiceNow and Freshservice.
Published a live IT troubleshooting knowledge base with a shareable URL you can add to your resume and show to employers.
Secret Mission: Built a complete connectivity escalation workflow demonstrating systematic multi-step troubleshooting logic from local stack to remote servers.

Ready to quiz yourself?