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The document outlines a structured approach to network troubleshooting, consisting of seven key steps: identifying the problem, developing a theory, testing the theory, planning action, implementing the solution, verifying system functionality, and documenting the issue. It also highlights various tools, including command-line utilities, standalone applications, and hardware tools, that can assist in diagnosing and resolving network issues. This systematic method ensures thorough analysis and effective resolution of network problems.

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ttooffee23
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8 views

net3

The document outlines a structured approach to network troubleshooting, consisting of seven key steps: identifying the problem, developing a theory, testing the theory, planning action, implementing the solution, verifying system functionality, and documenting the issue. It also highlights various tools, including command-line utilities, standalone applications, and hardware tools, that can assist in diagnosing and resolving network issues. This systematic method ensures thorough analysis and effective resolution of network problems.

Uploaded by

ttooffee23
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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BASIC NETWORK

TROUBLESHOOTING STEPS L7
Network troubleshooting is a
repeatable process, which means
that you can break it down into
clear steps that anyone can follow.
1. IDENTIFY THE PROBLEM
The first step in troubleshooting a network is to identify the problem. As a part of this step, you should
do the following:
A- Gather information about the current state of the network using the network troubleshooting tools
that you have available to you.

B- Duplicate the problem on a test piece of hardware or software, if possible. This can help you to
confirm where your problem lies.
C- Question users on the network to learn about the errors or difficulties they have encountered.
D- Identify the symptoms of the network outage. For example, do they include complete loss of
network connection? Slow behavior on the network? Is there a network-wide problem, or are the issues
only being experienced by one user?
E- Determine if anything has changed in the network before the issues appeared. Is there a new piece
of hardware that’s in use? Has the network taken on new users? Has there been a software update or
change somewhere in the network?
F- Define individual problems clearly. Sometimes a network can have multiple problems. This is the
time to identify each individual issue so that your solutions to one aren’t bogged down by other
unsolved problems.
2. DEVELOP A THEORY
Once you have finished gathering all the information that you can
about the network issue or issues, it’s time to develop a working
theory.

While you’re producing your theory about the causes of the


network issue, don’t be afraid to question the obvious, but remain
on the lookout for more serious issues. Sometimes a network
outage occurs because someone tripped on a wire or some other
simple problem. However, at other times the problems might be
related more complicated causes, like a breach in network
security
3. TEST THE THEORY
– Using the tools at your disposal, it’s time to test your theory.

- If your theory is that the network router is defective, try replacing it


with another router to see if that fixes the issue.

- At this stage, it’s important to remember that proving your own


theories wrong doesn’t mean that you’ve failed.

- Instead, it means that it’s time to return to step two, develop a new
theory, and then find a way to test that one. Sometimes your first
theory may be right, but it’s also common to go through several
theories before arriving at the true cause of your network’s issues.
4. PLAN OF ACTION
- Once you’ve confirmed your theory about the causes
of the network issues, you’re in a position to solve
them.

- Come up with a plan of action to address the


problem. Sometimes your plan will include just one
step. For example, restart the router. In other cases,
your plan will be more complex and take longer, such
as when you need to order a new part or roll a piece of
software back to a previous version on multiple users’
computers.
5. IMPLEMENT THE SOLUTION

Now that you have a plan for fixing the


network, it’s time to implement it.

- There are some solutions that you may be


able to do by yourself, while others may
require cooperation from other network
administrators or users.
6. VERIFY SYSTEM FUNCTIONALITY
- Once you’ve implemented your solution, be sure to test the
network.

- Make sure that the issue in question has been resolved, but
also be on the lookout for other issues that may have arisen from
the changes that you made to the network.

- As part of your verification process, make sure to consult both


the network tools at your disposal as well as individual user
accounts of their experiences on the network.
7. DOCUMENT THE ISSUE
- If you are a network professional or an enthusiast who is around networks
often, then it’s safe to say that this won’t be the last time you encounter this
particular issue.

- Make sure to document each stage of troubleshooting the problem,


including the symptoms that appeared on the network, the theory you
developed, your strategy for testing the theory and the solution that you
came up with to solve the issue.

- Even if you don’t reference this documentation, it may be helpful to


another network engineer at your company in the future and could help to
shorten network downtime.
Network Troubleshooting
Tools
- In addition to user reports and firsthand
experience on the network, there are a number of
tools available for you to use when it comes to
diagnosing and treating network issues.

- These tools may exist in the computer’s


operating system itself, as standalone software
applications or as hardware tools that you can use
to troubleshoot a network.
COMMAND-LINE TOOLS
- On Windows PCs, the command prompt can be
accessed by searching for it in the start menu or by
typing “cmd” into the Run window.

- On a Linux system, you can press Ctrl + Alt + T to open


the command line.

- The following commands can be entered into the


command prompt one at a time to reveal specific
information about the network status:
1- ping — A TCP/IP utility that transmits a datagram to another
host, specified in the command.
2- ipconfig — A Windows TCP/IP utility that verifies network
settings and connections. It can tell you a host’s IP address, subnet
mask and default gateway, alongside other important network
information.
3- ifconfig — A Linux or UNIX TCP/IP utility that displays the current
network interface configuration and enables you to assign an IP
address to a network interface. Like ipconfig on Windows, this
command will tell you vital information about the network and its
status.
4-iptables — A Linux firewall program that protects a network. You
can use this tool if you suspect that your firewall may be too
restrictive or too lenient.
5- netstat — A utility that shows the status of each active network
connection. This tool is useful for finding out what services are running on
a particular system.
6- tcpdump — A utility that is used to obtain packet information from a
query string sent to the network interface. It’s available for free on Linux
but can be downloaded as a command for Windows.
7- nmap — A utility that can scan the entire network for various ports and
the services that are running on them. You can use it to monitor remote
network connections and get specific information about the network.
8- route — A command that enables manual updating of the routing table.
It can be used to troubleshoot static routing problems in a network.
9- arp — A utility that supports the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP)
service of the TCP/IP protocol suite. It lets the network admin view the ARP
cache and add or delete cache entries. It can be used to address problems
having to do with specific connections between a workstation and a host.
NETWORK TROUBLESHOOTING APPLICATIONS
- In addition to command-line tools, there are also a number of standalone
applications that can be used to determine the status of a network and to
troubleshoot issues
- Some of these applications may be included in the system that you are
working with, while others may need to be installed separately.
Packet Sniffer

Port Scanner

Protocol Analyzer

Wi-Fi Analyzer

Bandwidth Speed Tester


HARDWARE TOOLS
Command-line tools and applications are software tools for troubleshooting, but
some network problems have hardware causes and solutions.

Here are some hardware tools that can help you diagnose and solve network issues:

- Wire Crimpers

- Cable Testers

- Punch Down Tool

- TDR — A time-domain reflectometer (TDR) is a measuring tool that transmits an


electrical pulse on a cable and measures the reflected signal. In a functioning
cable, the signal does not reflect and is absorbed in the other end. An optical time-
domain reflectometer (OTDR) is a similar tool, but used for measuring fiber optic
cables, which are becoming more common in modern networks.

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