I sit cross-legged on the floor surrounded by a mess of cables, routers, and an open laptop. My younger brother’s favorite video game keeps lagging, and I’ve been trying to fix it for hours. The screen displays error messages in red, each one more frustrating than the last.

First, I check all the cables. They’re loose or disconnected—easy enough to spot. Next, I try resetting the router. It’s a simple click of the reset button on the back, but after five minutes, it still doesn’t work. The network light isn’t turning green like it should.

I pull out my phone and open Google to search for troubleshooting tips. A video pops up showing someone using a ping test to check connectivity. I follow along—type ping google.com into the terminal window. It’s a series of responses, some with delays or timeouts. This confirms there’s an issue with the network.

Deciding to try something more drastic, I reset everything again, this time including the modem. Five minutes pass, and still no change. Frustration builds as I stare at the screen, but I can’t give up just yet. Maybe if I reboot the router one last time…

The network light flickers back on, then stays green. A sense of relief washes over me as the game starts without any lag. I test it a few more times to make sure everything is working smoothly. Then, I save a screenshot of the successful ping test and post it online for my gaming community, explaining what fixed the issue.

As I sit back, watching the game run smoothly now, I feel a bit proud. Problem solved!