Network Troubleshooting

Methodology

Ben Piper
AUTHOR, CCNP ENTERPRISE CERTIFICATION STUDY GUIDE: EXAM 350-401

benpiper.com
 Principles of Network Troubleshooting

Don’t make changes unrelated

Prefer the minimal solution
to the problem
 Principles of Network Troubleshooting

Use the quickest diagnostic Avoid searching through the

method available running configuration
 Principles of Network Troubleshooting

Technologies that operate at Those that operate at lower

the higher layers have more layers have simpler
elaborate configurations configurations
 Layer 1—Physical

Is there a physical Is the port

connection? shut down?
 Layer 2—Data Link

Missing VLAN on a switch Missing VLAN on a trunk

Missing trunk VLAN access list

 Layer 3—Network

Dynamic routing
Wrong subnet NAT
protocol

Redistribution IP ACL
L4—TCP, UDP, Extended ACL

L3—IP routing, standard ACL,

NAT

L2—ARP, CDP, PPP

L1—
Physical
A good troubleshooting method will help
you quickly narrow the cause down to a
single layer
The Top-down Method
No troubleshooting method
is 100% efficient
 The Top-down Method

Start at the highest relevant

layer and work down
 Server1 (10.0.0.100/17) can’t ping Server2
(10.0.128.200/17)
Problem You don’t have access to Server1 or Server2
You have access to all other devices
 1. Decide which device to start on
2. Verify your understanding of the
problem

Troubleshooting 3. Narrow the cause to a single layer

Steps 4. Narrow the cause to a subset of

technologies within that layer
5. Troubleshoot the technology
6. Verify the resolution
It’ll Happen to You!

You’ll think you’ve fixed a problem, but

your verification will show otherwise!
 Step 1:
Decide Which Ideally, the device where the problem
Device to shows up

Start On
 Server1 (10.0.0.100/17) can’t ping Server2
(10.0.128.200/17)
Problem You don’t have access to Server1 or Server2
You have access to all other devices
 Step 2:
Verify Your May not be possible if you don’t have
Understanding access to all devices in the network

of the Problem
 Step 3:
Narrow the You must eliminate two layers across
Cause to a six devices!

Single Layer
 Step 4:
Narrow the Knowledge of the fundamentals is critical
Cause to a
IP routing protocols, NAT, and IP ACLs
Subset of
Technologies
 Step 5:
Remember, don’t go digging through show
Troubleshoot run outputs!
the Technology
 Step 6: The problem is that Server1 can’t ping
Server2…
Verify the
Resolution But you don’t have access to either one!
Finding a misconfiguration is often more
difficult than fixing it!
 Narrowing down the cause to a
single layer requires knowing which
technologies operate at which layers
Summary
Summary
Make sure you understand why each step
is important
Troubleshooting is about eliminating
possibilities as quickly as possible
Summary
A single problem can have multiple
contributing causes
Keep track of which devices, layers, and
technologies you’ve already checked
Summary
Fixing a problem is often easy
Finding the cause takes time!
Summary
The top-down troubleshooting method is
not a replacement for your instinct
Use the method to guide you and keep
you from wasting time
Summary
The method is not a replacement for
knowing the fundamentals
In the Next Module

You’re going to start troubleshooting

VLANs!