Networking Chapter 14 Troubleshooting And Support Glance Instructors Manual

Guide to Networking Essentials, Eighth Edition 14-1

Chapter 14

Troubleshooting and Support

At a Glance

Instructor’s Manual Table of Contents

• Overview

• Objectives

• Teaching Tips

• Quick Quizzes

• Class Discussion Topics

• Additional Projects

• Additional Resources

• Key Terms

• Technical Notes for Hands-On Projects

• Using Virtualization for Hands-On Projects

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Lecture Notes

Overview

Chapter 14 covers the importance of documentation and what should be documented in

a typical network. Students will be introduced to a variety of approaches to solving

problems with examples of when an approach is and isn’t recommended. They will be

made aware of some common steps to take or procedures to step through in order to

solve a problem. This chapter also covers the most common tools for network

monitoring and analysis that will help them gather information and concludes with a

discussion of disaster recovery, which includes backup and system repair and recovery.

Objectives

• Describe the benefits of documenting a network and list what elements should be

documented

• List the steps of the problem-solving process

• Explain different approaches to network troubleshooting

• Make use of problem-solving resources

• Describe network troubleshooting tools

• Summarize common troubleshooting situations

• Describe disaster recovery procedures

Teaching Tips

Documenting Your Network

1. Discuss with students what sort of documentation should be kept, and why good

documentation is essential to keeping a network running properly. Point out the

following reasons network documentation is good for a network:

a. Makes equipment and workstation moves, additions, and changes easier

b. Provides information needed for troubleshooting

Change Management

2. Point out that documenting changes in your network should include reasons for the

Documentation and Troubleshooting

1. Explore how documentation can aid the troubleshooting process by keeping a record of

common issues.

2. Point out that when troubleshooting sessions that require protocol analysis,

Documentation and IT Staffing

1. Discuss how documentation can improve staff utilization. Point out that this

Documentation and Standards Compliance

1. Explain the necessity of ensuring standards compliance in today’s networks. Be sure to

mention the following advantages:

a. Ensures correct network operation

Documentation and Technical Support

1. Discuss the importance of having proper equipment documentation when the need to

Documentation and Network Security

1. Documentation of network security measures should be discussed. Point out that

What Should Be Documented?

1. List the elements of a network that should be documented:

a. Description of the network

b. Cable plant

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f. Workstations

The Problem-Solving Process

1. Use Figure 14-1 to introduce students to the basic problem-solving process.

Step 1: Determine the Problem Definition and Scope

1. Explain to students how to define a problem and its scope, paying special attention to

how the issue affects users and in what ways.

2. Discuss some questions that technicians can use to start to define the problem:

a. Is anyone else near having the same problem?

b. What about other areas of the building?

3. Discuss the examples of a problem definition and scope given in the text.

Step 2: Gather Information

4. Emphasize the use of information as a tool in the problem solving process. Give some

examples of questions that students should ask to ensure that they get the information

they need when seeking a resolution:

a. Did it ever work?

b. When did it stop working?

c. Has anything changed?

Step 3: Consider Possible Causes

1. Explain how possible causes should be formulated at this step, and what criteria should

Step 4: Devise a Solution

1. Discuss how to go about determining a solution to a problem, and what should be

considered before determining a solution:

a. Is the identified cause of the problem truly the cause, or is it just another

Guide to Networking Essentials, Eighth Edition 14-5

2. Explain the importance of having a rollback plan so that things can be returned to their

Step 5: Implement the Solution

1. Explain the importance of designing the implementation so that you can stop and test it

at critical points.

2. Teach students how to implement a solution properly, by informing users and

Step 6: Test the Solution

1. Students should be taught to test a solution thoroughly to ensure that the solution itself

Step 7: Document the Solution

1. If the solution has worked as intended, document the solution for future reference.

2. Discuss the items that should be included when documenting a solution to a problem:

a. Problem definition

Step 8: Devise Preventive Measures

1. Discuss how to come up with preventive measures, such as installing virus protection to

prevent future virus infection.

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Teaching

Tip

The problem solving process is only a guide to problem solving, not the

definitive means. Sometimes students might have to circumvent a step due to

inability to estimate or fully determine any given variable that might be affecting

a network. Experience will help a student to determine when strict adherence to

the problem solving process will be useful.

Approaches to Network Troubleshooting

Trial and Error

1. Define the trial-and-error approach and discuss the circumstances it should be used

2. Mention examples of when the trial-and-error method is not advisable.

3. Discuss some of the guidelines that should be followed when using the trial-and-error

Solving by Example

1. Explore the “Solving by Example” approach and give examples of when this method is

2. List the general rules that should be followed when using the method:

a. Use the solve-by-example approach only when the working sample has a

The Replacement Method

1. Describe the replacement method of troubleshooting, where parts are swapped out to

verify the cause of an issue.

2. List the rules that should be followed when using the replacement method:

a. Narrow the list of the potentially defective parts down to a few possibilities.

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Step by Step with the OSI Model

1. Define the step by step method and explore where this method can be used. You might

want to review the OSI model while discussing this process and give a scenario of a

step by step troubleshooting scenario.

Teaching

Tip

The step by step method with the OSI model is very commonly used by tech

supporters from equipment manufacturers. If necessary, review the OSI model

with students and give a few scenarios to be worked out using the OSI model to

give students a feel for how this works.

Quick Quiz 1

1. When documenting a network, what section describes the physical layout of network

cabling and the terminations used?

2. Which of the following approaches to network troubleshooting involves an assessment

of a problem, followed by an educated guess of the solution, an implementation of the

solution, and finally a test of the results?

a. Trial and Error

b. Solve by Example

c. The Replacement method

d. Step by Step with the OSI model

3. Under what circumstance would using the Solve by Example method be productive?

a. When comparing a Linux machine and a Windows Machine

b. Comparing two machines on different networks

c. Comparing two machines of exact make and build on the same network

d. Comparing a machine to a mobile device

4. What is the first step in the problem solving process?

a. Gather information

b. Devise a solution

c. Implement a solution

d. Determine the problem definition and scope.

5. A list of instructions or a plan detailing how to reverse any changes made so that

configurations can be returned to their original state if something doesn’t work is

known as what?

Making Use of Problem-Solving Resources

Experience

1. Explore some of the different ways a student might be able to get information or help on

solving a problem.

a. Experience in problem solving will be the most useful resource

b. Look through documentation to see if you can find an example of the same

The Internet

1. Point out that the Internet is one of the best resources for computer and networking

professionals.

a. Show students ways to get in touch with others who might have experienced the

same issue, either via search engine or by a manufacturer’s forums. These are

Network Documentation

1. Explain to students how network documentation should be handled.

2. Give examples of network diagrams and explain how diagrams can be used to

3. Describe how documentation differs depending on what device is being examined.

Internetworking devices require varying amounts of documentation, such as a router vs.

Network Troubleshooting Tools

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Using ping and tracert

1. Explore the use of the ping tool as a means to troubleshoot network connectivity, and

2. Demonstrate some basic troubleshooting procedures using ping and other commands in

3. In a similar fashion, show how tracert can be used to test a routing table or the path

Network Monitors

1. Detail how a network monitor can provide useful information for troubleshooting issues

Protocol Analyzers

1. Introduce students to protocol analyzers as a means to capture and analyze network

traffic generated by different protocols. In addition, list some tools that can be used to

Time-Domain Reflectometer

1. Explain how a TDR is used to troubleshoot cable breaks and test cable length.

Basic Cable Testers

1. Point out that basic cable testers can only test for correct termination of a twisted-pair

cable or continuity of a coaxial cable.

Advanced Cable Testers

1. Explain that advanced cable testers may be called “cable certifiers” or “cable

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Additional Tools

1. Discuss some of the other tools you might use when troubleshooting networks:

a. Multimeter

b. Tone generator and probe

Teaching

Tip

For more information about cable testers and the types of tests that can be

performed, visit:

https://www.cablewholesale.com/support/technical_articles/network_testing.php

Common Troubleshooting Situations

Cabling and Related Components

1. Give students a typical troubleshooting situation involving cabling or a misconfigured

NIC card, and then list steps that could be taken to resolve whatever the issue might be.

Power Fluctuations

Upgrades

1. Upgrades and updates can cause issues, teach students to test and document any

Poor Network Performance

1. Discuss how you might diagnose or troubleshoot poor network performance, and what

questions should be asked:

a. What has changed since the last time the network functioned normally?

b. Has new equipment been added to the network?

c. Have new applications been added to computers on the network?

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Disaster Recovery

Backing Up Network Data

1. Teach students some basic steps to ensure that network data is backed up properly. For

example:

a. Determine what data should be backed up and how often

b. Develop a schedule for backing up data

Backup Types

1. Show students the differences between the different backup types:

a. Full backup

2. Students should be taught some basic backup planning skills, and time should be spent

explaining how backups should be configured to achieve a desired result. After

Business Continuity

2. Discuss the three options for housing IT infrastructure off-site:

a. Cold sites

b. Warm sites

c. Hot sites

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Teaching

Tip

For more information about setting up an appropriate data backup schedule, visit:

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/devops/server/admin/backup/config-

backup-sched-plan?view=azure-devops

Quick Quiz 2

1. When using ping, which field denotes the amount of time elapsed before receiving a

reply?

a. Bytes field

b. Time To Live field

c. Time field

d. The average field statistic

2. Name a network troubleshooting device that can track all or part of a network’s traffic

by examining packets sent across the network.

3. Which of the following tools will measure a cable’s length (select all that apply)?

a. Basic cable testers

b. Advanced cable testers

c. Time-Domain Reflectometer

d. NIC Card

4. This network-troubleshooting device is used to measure the amount of light on a fiber-

optic circuit.

a. Multimeter

b. Tone generator and probe

c. Protocol Analyzer

d. Optical power meter

5. Which type of backup copies all files changed since the last full or incremental backup

and marks files as backed up?

a. Differential

b. Incremental

c. Full

d. Copy

Class Discussion Topics

1. Have students with previous tech experience discuss what methods they’ve used for

2. Whether you are a novice in networking technology or have some previous experience,

you surely have experience using a network to access a school, business, or home

network and the Internet. From your experience, where in the OSI model do you think

the majority of networking problems occur and why?

Additional Projects

1. Task students with designing a backup plan for a network. They should include a basic

draft of what data should be included with the backup, as well as the schedule for the

Additional Resources

1. Network Documentation Best Practices

2. Network Documentation 101

3. Troubleshooting Networking Using the OSI Model

4. Microsoft Support

5. 9 Best Network Diagram Mapping and Topology Software

Key Terms

➢ bare metal restore backup

➢ change management

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➢ incremental backup

➢ knowledge base

➢ maintenance window

➢ multimeter

➢ network monitors

Technical Notes for Hands-On Projects