Troubleshooting Tips

Now that you’ve got the basics of network troubleshooting down pat, I’m going to go over a few really handy troubleshooting tips for you to arm yourself with even further in the quest to conquer the world’s networking evils.

Don’t Overlook the Small Stuff

The super simple stuff (SSS) I referred to at the beginning of this chapter should never be overlooked—ever! Here’s a quick review: Just remember that problems are often caused by little things like a bad power switch; a power switch in the wrong position; a card or port that’s not working, indicated by a link light that’s not lit; or simply operator error (OE). Even the most experienced system administrator has forgotten to turn on the power, left a cable unplugged, or mistyped a username and password—not me, of course, but others . . .

And make sure that users get solid training for the systems they use. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure...