Don't be afraid to try

When I interviewed for my current job, I was asked how I learn things. I replied "I learn things by trying them and seeing what happens. There's a lot to be said from learning from your mistakes."

That was the right answer.

A tech person is often confronted with puzzling situations. Most tech people with fiddle with it, with a little of a theory of "why" in mind, and fix it.

There's the shotgun approach to troubleshooting, where you try everything under the sun to fix something, but it will just waste time. I suggest a more directional troubleshooting. If something is wrong with the network connection, start with your network components. 90% of the time the problem is the cable anyway, so start there. You'll find your answer quick enough.

But don't be afraid to get your hands dirty and see what happens. You can always restore it to the way it was. (Because you've created a backup, because you are careful and responsible, right?)