Network Plus Certification/Management/Troubleshooting Methodology

Objective 4.6: Given a scenario, implement the following network troubleshooting methodology

These steps should be followed in the order that they appear.

Information gathering - identify symptoms and problems
Ask the user to describe the problem, check for error messages, and recreate the problem. Resist the urge to start fixing things at this point.

Identify the affected areas of the network
Determine how large the problem is. For example, fixes for one client workstation would likely be very different than fixes for an entire network segment.

Determine if anything has changed
Most often, problems are caused by new hardware or software or changes to the configuration. If necessary, ask questions to discover what might have changed that could have caused the problem.

Establish the most probable cause
Look for common errors or solutions that can be tried quickly.

Determine if escalation is necessary
When forwarding the problem on to someone else, be sure to describe the nature of the problem, the actions you have already taken, and the symptoms that lead you to believe the problem is outside of your area of responsibility.

Create an action plan and solution identifying potential effects
Your plan might include purchases for hardware or equipment that need approval before proceeding. In addition, your plan might involve taking some services offline for a period of time. Identifying the affects ahead of time helps you put measures into place to eliminate or reduce any potential negative consequences.

Implement and test the solution
When side effects have been weighed against the fix and all concerns have been addressed, fix the problem. If necessary, implement additional steps to correct the problem if your first solution did not work. After you think you have resolved the problem, test the result.

Identify the results and effects of the solution
Make sure that the solution has fully fixed the problem and has not caused any other problems.

Document the solution and the entire process
In the future, you can check your documentation to see what has changed or to help you remember the solution to common problems.