Your first diagnosis

Confirm the install works, then run a real investigation. This turns "it installed" into "it works."

Prove the basics

Before a real problem, prove two things: the engine can run its network probes, and the reasoning model answers. Three checks cover it.

1. Read the startup output. The engine checks itself at boot: that its data volume is writable and that its probes can run. A missing host permission for ping gets a plain warning right there, not a silent failure later.
2. Press Test connection. In Settings, under Model, the Test connection button confirms your chosen model answers with your key, before any investigation depends on it.
3. Run a safe first investigation. Give it a public target, something like "check why example.com might be unreachable from here." You should see the probes fire and narrate live: a DNS lookup, a ping, maybe a trace.

Run a real investigation

Now give PathWise an actual problem, like "I cannot reach a site" or "DNS is slow." It runs the cheapest checks first, builds confidence, and gives you a diagnosis with the evidence behind it. Read How it works for the method, and Reading a diagnosis to understand the output.

If something fails

If a probe cannot run or the model does not answer, see Troubleshooting PathWise itself.