There are several general fault finding methods to help trouble shoot IP networks The best methodology is to start from the physical layer and work up to the application layer
1) Check cabling.This is often the cause of most issues - is the cable the correct type, correctly terminated and connected to the correct equipment/port connector.
2) Check the IP address of the unit you are trying to connect to and its subnet - Check also your PC or equipment's IP address and subnet 
3) Check if there is any Port forwarding or ACL (Access Control Lists ) , Firewall settings on your routers / firewall devices.
4) Check the application you're using is set to the correct parameters . 

There are also 3 simple tests that you can use from your Windows PC "CMD" DOS screen 
a) PING:  PING <ip address/ host name> the remote unit to see if its up
b) TRACE-Route: Tracert <ip address/ host name> command, this is a more detailed PING command as it shows ip addresses for all the inter-mediate routers in the path
c) TELNET: Telnet <ip address/ host name> {port number} , this command is used to prove end-to-end TCP/IP connection and when connected shows that all firewalls and router settings are correct.
Note: You can Telnet to a Concert server or IVC-32 card. The Concert Server / IVC-32 card do not respond to any telnet commands and the link will time out. However the connection will prove that your settings / firewall are correct.