Other Computers

Run commands on another computer, and check the network between you. Practiced against the learner's own PC (localhost), so nothing costs money.

Updated

Remoting

  1. PowerShell Remoting: Invoke-Command and Enter-PSSession (Freelancer): Invoke-Command carries a script block to one computer or many at once and brings each answer back with a PSComputerName, Enter-PSSession moves your prompt onto another computer until Exit-PSSession, and both travel over WinRM between Windows PCs at work, or over SSH with -HostName at home and on a Mac or Linux.
  2. Copying to Another Computer (Journeyman): A shared folder has a network address, a UNC path such as \\back-office\reports, that Test-Path, Get-ChildItem and Copy-Item use like any other path, and where there's no share, Copy-Item -ToSession and -FromSession copy a file through a remoting session made with New-PSSession and closed with Remove-PSSession.

The Network

  1. Is It the Network? Test-Connection and Friends (Journeyman): When one computer can't reach another, four questions in order find where it breaks, each with its own command, Get-NetIPAddress for whether this PC has an address, Resolve-DnsName for whether the name turns into an address, Test-Connection for whether the computer answers, and Test-NetConnection -Port for whether the program's door is open.

Exercise: Check a Remote PC

  1. Exercise: Check a Remote PC (Freelancer): Finish two tools for a small office's PCs, Test-PcConnection to say whether each PC answers and whether its remoting door is open, and Get-PcHealth to check free space and the print service right here for your own PC and through Invoke-Command only for another PC whose door is open, while a Pester check stands in for the other PCs so nothing needs remoting turned on.