CertiGuide to Network+  9  Chapter 1001: Networking in the Real World

Pop Quiz 1001.01 1 2 3 4 5 X  Chapter 1001:  Summary

Despite what it may at first appear there are many sources of good information for troubleshooting. In fact, the challenge comes from having too much data. Again, this is where proactive data gathering pays off. Ideally, gather this information BEFORE there is a problem. In fact, proactively seeking it out as soon as you walk into a new network environment would be a good idea. Some sources include:

• READ.ME files
  
  
• Vendor BBS or Web Site
  
  
• Newsgroups
  
  
• Group Email
  
  
• 3rd Party books
  
  
• Equipment documentation
  
  
• Technical Bulletins
  
  
• SOP manual in your company
  
  
• Co-workers in IT.

The single most important item to remember is to develop a logic scheme that divides the challenge into small pieces.

When starting a troubleshooting task, it is useful to have a systematic plan for how to approach diagnosing and solving the issue at hand. Here is a general troubleshooting strategy that you should be aware of, for Network+:

• Establish the Symptoms
  
  
• Identify the affected area
  
  
• Establish what has changed
  
  
• Select the most probable cause
  
  
• Implement a solution
  
  
• Test the result
  
  
• Recognize the potential effects of the solution
  
  
• Document the solution

Because a good troubleshooting methodology is important to success as a network technician (and success on the Network+ exam), we’ll look at each of these in more detail next.

Pop Quiz 1001.01 1 2 3 4 5 X  Chapter 1001:  Summary