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Troubleshooting TCP - IP - Cisco Systems

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Troubleshooting TCP - IP - Cisco Systems

Uploaded by

Harish Khan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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7/15/2015 Troubleshooting TCP/IP ­ Cisco Systems

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Troubleshooting TCP/IP
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Table Of Contents Downloads
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Troubleshooting TCP/IP Troubleshooting TCP/IP
Troubleshooting TCP/IP TCP/IP Introduction
Internet Protocols Feedback
The Network Layer
Addressing
Internet Routing
ICMP
The Transport Layer
TCP
UDP
Upper­Layer Protocols
Domain Name System
Tools for Troubleshooting IP Problems
ping
traceroute
Packet Debugging
General IP Troubleshooting Suggestions
Narrowing Down the Problem Domain
Troubleshooting Local Connectivity Problems
Check for Configuration Problems
Check for Local Connectivity
Ruling Out Duplicate IP Addresses
Troubleshooting Physical Connectivity Problems
Rule Out a Configuration Problem
Check Cable Connections
Check the Configuration
Check the Network Interface
Troubleshooting IP Connectivity and Routing Problems
Determining Where to Start
Check for Resources
Check for Connectivity
Check for ACLs
Check for Network Address Translation
Troubleshooting Upper­Layer Problems
Generic
Hypertext Transport Protocol
FTP
MAIL (IMAP, POP, and SMTP)
Telnet
Troubleshooting Domain Name Server Problems
Before Calling Cisco Systems' Technical Assistance Center
For More Information

Troubleshooting TCP/IP
The sections in this chapter describe common features of TCP/IP
and provide solutions to some of the most common TCP/IP
problems. The following items will be covered:
• TCP/IP Introduction
• Tools for Troubleshooting IP Problems
• General IP Troubleshooting Theory and Suggestions
• Troubleshooting Basic IP Connectivity
• Troubleshooting Physical Connectivity Problems
• Troubleshooting Layer 3 Problems
• Troubleshooting Hot Standby Router Protocol (HSRP)

TCP/IP Introduction
In the mid­1970s, the Defense Advanced Research Projects
Agency (DARPA) became interested in establishing a packet­
switched network to provide communications between research
institutions in the United States. DARPA and other government
organizations understood the potential of packet­switched
technology and were just beginning to face the problem that
virtually all companies with networks now have—communication
between dissimilar computer systems.
With the goal of heterogeneous connectivity in mind, DARPA
funded research by Stanford University and Bolt, Beranek, and
Newman (BBN) to create a series of communication protocols.
The result of this development effort, completed in the late
1970s, was the Internet Protocol suite, of which the Transmission
Control Protocol (TCP) and the Internet Protocol (IP) are the two

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best­known protocols.
The most widespread implementation of TCP/IP is IPv4 (or IP
version 4). In 1995, a new standard, RFC 1883—which
addressed some of the problems with IPv4, including address
space limitations—was proposed. This new version is called
IPv6. Although a lot of work has gone into developing IPv6, no
wide­scale deployment has occurred; because of this, IPv6 has
been excluded from this text.

Internet Protocols
Internet protocols can be used to communicate across any set of
interconnected networks. They are equally well suited for local­
area network (LAN) and wide­area network (WAN)
communications. The Internet suite includes not only lower­layer
specifications (such as TCP and IP), but also specifications for
such common applications as e­mail, terminal emulation, and
file transfer. Figure 7­1 shows some of the most important
Internet protocols and their relationships to the OSI reference
model.
As an interesting side note, the seven­layer model actually came
about after TCP/IP. DARPA used a four­layer model instead,
which the OSI later expanded to seven layers. This is why
TCP/IP doesn't generally fit all that well into the seven­layer OSI
model.

Figure 7­1 The Internet Protocol Suite and the OSI Reference
Model

Creation and documentation of the Internet Protocol suite closely


resemble an academic research project. The protocols are
specified and refined in documents called Requests For
Comments (RFCs), which are published, reviewed, and
analyzed by the Internet community. Taken together, the RFCs
provide a colorful history of the people, companies, and trends
that have shaped the development of what is today the world's
most popular open­system protocol suite.

The Network Layer


IP is the primary Layer 3 protocol in the TCP/IP suite. IP provides
the logical addressing that enables communication across
diverse networks. IP also provides fragmentation and
reassembly of datagrams and error reporting. Along with TCP, IP
represents the heart of the Internet Protocol suite. The IP packet
format is shown in Figure 7­2.

Figure 7­2 The IP Packet Format

The fields of the IP packet are as follows:

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• Version—Indicates the version of this IP datagram.
• IP Header Length (IHL)—Indicates the datagram header
length in 32­bit words.
• Type­of­Service—Specifies how a particular upper­layer
protocol would like the current datagram to be handled.
Datagrams can be assigned various levels of importance
using this field.
Today this field is used primarily to provide quality of service
(QoS) capabilities to TCP/IP for applications requiring
predictable bandwidth or delay. RFC 2474 describes a
method by which the TOS field is replaced by a DS field that
is used to provide differentiated services (DiffServ) on
networks. This field is split into two parts. The first 6 bits are
used for the DSCP codepoint, which is used to differentiate
traffic. The last 2 bits, or CU, are ignored by DiffServ­
compliant nodes.
• Total Length—Specifies the length of the entire IP packet,
including data and header, in bytes.
• Identification—Consists of an integer identifying this
datagram. This field is used to help piece together datagram
fragments.
• Flags—Consists of 3 bits, of which the low­order 2 bits
control fragmentation. One bit specifies whether the packet
can be fragmented; the second bit specifies whether the
packet is the last fragment in a series of fragmented packets.
• Time­to­Live—Maintains a counter that gradually
decrements down to zero, at which point the datagram is
discarded. This keeps packets from looping endlessly.
• Protocol—Indicates which upper­layer protocol receives
incoming packets after IP processing is complete.
• Header Checksum—Helps ensure IP header integrity.
• Source Address—Specifies the sending node.
• Destination Address—Specifies the receiving node.
• Options—Allows IP to support various options, such as
security.
• Data—Contains upper­layer information.

Addressing
As with all network layer protocols, the addressing scheme is
integral to the process of routing IP datagrams through an
internetwork. An IP address is 32 bits in length, divided into
either two or three parts. The first part designates the network
address, the second part (if present) designates the subnet
address, and the final part designates the host address. Subnet
addresses are present only if the network administrator has
decided that the network should be divided into subnetworks.
The lengths of the network, subnet, and host fields are all
variable.
Today's Internet does not segment addresses along classful
bounds—it is almost entirely classless. The separation between
networks and subnets has been effectively eliminated. The
requirement to understand network classes and the difference
between a network and a subnet remains solely because of
configuration and behavioral issues with network devices.
IP addressing supports five different network classes, and the
high­order—far­left—bits indicate the network class:
• Class A networks provide 8 bits for the Network Address
field. The high­order bit (at far left) is 0.
• Class B networks allocate 16 bits for the Network Address
field and 16 bits for the Host Address field. This address
class offers a good compromise between network and host
address space. The first 2 high­order bits are 10.
• Class C networks allocate 24 bits for the Network Address
field. Class C networks provide only 8 bits for the Host field,
however, so the number of hosts per network may be a
limiting factor. The first 3 high­order bits are 110.
• Class D addresses are reserved for multicast groups, as
described formally in RFC 1112. The first 4 high­order bits
are 1110.
• Class E addresses are also defined by IP but are reserved
for future use. The first 4 high­order bits are 1111.
IP addresses are written in dotted decimal format (for example,
34.10.2.1). Figure 7­3 shows the address formats for Class A, B,
and C IP networks.

Figure 7­3 Class A, B, and C Address Formats

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IP networks can also be divided into smaller units called


subnets. Subnets provide extra flexibility for network
administrators. For example, assume that a network has been
assigned a Class B address, and all the nodes on the network
currently conform to a Class B address format. Then assume that
the dotted decimal representation of this network's address is
172.16.0.0 (all zeros in the Host field of an address specifies the
entire network). Rather than change all the addresses to some
other basic network number, the administrator can subdivide the
network using subnetting. This is done by borrowing bits from
the host portion of the address and using them as a subnet field,
as shown in Figure 7­4.

Figure 7­4 Subnet Addresses

If a network administrator has chosen to use 8 bits of subnetting,


the third octet of a Class B IP address provides the subnet
number. For example, address 172.16.1.0 refers to network
172.16, subnet 1; address 172.16.2.0 refers to network 172.16,
subnet 2; and so on. In today's world, the difference between
subnet bits and the natural mask has become blurred, and you
will often see only a prefix length that specifies the length of the
entire mask (natural mask plus subnet bits). It is still important to
understand the difference between the natural network mask,
which is determined by the network class, and the subnet mask,
because routers sometimes make assumptions based on the
natural mask of an address. For example, the natural mask of
10.1.1.1/24 is 8 bits because this is a class A network, even
though the subnet mask is 24 bits.
Subnet masks can be expressed in two forms: prefix length (as
in /24), or dotted­decimal notation (As in 255.255.255.0). Both
forms mean exactly the same thing and can easily be converted
to the other, as seen in Example 7­1.

Example 7­1 Subnet Mask Expressed in Prefix Length and Dotted


Decimal

255.255.255.0 = 11111111 11111111 11111111 00000000 = /24 bits (count the


ones).

On some media (such as IEEE 802 LANs), the correlation


between media addresses and IP addresses is dynamically
discovered through the use of two other members of the Internet
Protocol suite: the Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) and the
Reverse Address Resolution Protocol (RARP). ARP uses
broadcast messages to determine the hardware Media Access
Control (MAC)­layer address corresponding to a particular IP
address. ARP is sufficiently generic to allow use of IP with
virtually any type of underlying media­access mechanism. RARP
uses broadcast messages to determine the Internet address
associated with a particular hardware address. RARP is
particularly important to diskless nodes, which may not know
their IP address when they boot.

Internet Routing
Routing devices in the Internet have traditionally been called
gateways—an unfortunate term because elsewhere in the
industry, the term gateway applies to a device with somewhat
different functionality. Gateways (which we will call routers from
this point on) within the Internet are organized hierarchically.
Dynamic routing protocols, such as RIP and OSPF, provide a
means by which routers can communicate and share information

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about routes that they have learned or are connected to. This
contrasts with static routing, in which routes are established by
the network administrator and do not change unless they are
manually altered. An IP routing table consists of destination
address/next­hop pairs. A sample entry, shown in Figure 7­5, is
interpreted as meaning, "To get to network 34.1.0.0 (subnet 1 on
network 34), the next stop is the node at address 54.34.23.12."

Figure 7­5 An Example of an IP Routing Table

IP routing specifies that IP datagrams travel through


internetworks one hop at a time; the entire route is not known at
the outset of the journey. Instead, at each stop, the next
destination is calculated by matching the destination address
within the datagram with an entry in the current node's routing
table. Each node's involvement in the routing process consists
only of forwarding packets based on internal information,
regardless of whether the packets get to their final destination. In
other words, IP does not provide for error reporting back to the
source when routing anomalies occur. This task is left to other
Internet protocols, such as the Internet Control Message Protocol
(ICMP) and TCP protocol.

ICMP
ICMP performs a number of tasks within an IP internetwork, the
principal of which is reporting routing failures back to the source
of a datagram. In addition, ICMP provides helpful messages
such as the following:
• Echo and reply messages to test node reachability across
an internetwork
• Redirect messages to stimulate more efficient routing
• Time exceeded messages to inform sources that a datagram
has exceeded its allocated time to exist within the
internetwork
• Router advertisement and router solicitation messages to
determine the addresses of routers on directly attached
subnetworks

The Transport Layer


The Internet transport layer is implemented by Transport Control
Protocol (TCP) and the User Datagram Protocol (UDP). TCP
provides connection­oriented data transport, whereas UDP
operation is connectionless.

TCP
TCP provides full­duplex, acknowledged, and flow­controlled
service to upper­layer protocols. It moves data in a continuous,
unstructured byte stream in which bytes are identified by
sequence numbers. TCP can support numerous simultaneous
upper­layer conversations. The TCP packet format is shown in
Figure 7­6.

Figure 7­6 The TCP Packet Format

The fields of the TCP packet are described here:


• Source port and destination port—Identify the points
(sockets) at which upper­layer source and destination
processes receive TCP services.
• Sequence number—Usually specifies the number assigned
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to the first byte of data in the current message. Under certain
circumstances, it can also be used to identify an initial
sequence number to be used in the upcoming transmission.
• Acknowledgment number—Contains the sequence
number of the next byte of data that the sender of the packet
expects to receive.
• Data offset—Indicates the number of 32­bit words in the
TCP header.
• Reserved—Is reserved for future use.
• Flags—Carries a variety of control information.
• Window—Specifies the size of the sender's receive window
(buffer space available for incoming data).
• Checksum—Provides information used to determine
whether the header was damaged in transit.
• Urgent pointer—Points to the first urgent data byte in the
packet.
• Options—Specifies various TCP options.
• Data—Contains upper­layer information.

UDP
UDP is a much simpler protocol than TCP and is useful in
situations in which the reliability mechanisms of TCP are not
necessary. The UDP header has only four fields: Source Port,
Destination Port, Length, and UDP Checksum. The Source and
Destination Port fields serve the same functions as they do in the
TCP header. The Length field specifies the length of the UDP
header and data, and the UDP Checksum field allows packet
integrity checking. The UDP checksum is optional.

Upper­Layer Protocols
The Internet Protocol suite includes many upper­layer protocols
representing a wide variety of applications, including network
management, file transfer, distributed file services, terminal
emulation, and electronic mail. Table 7­1 maps the best­known
Internet upper­layer protocols to the applications that they
support.

Table 7­1 Internet Protocol/Application Mapping


(with Common Port Numbers)

Application Protocols
WWW HTTP (TCP port 80)
browser

The Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is used


by Web browsers and servers to transfer the files
that make up web pages.

File transfer FTP (TCP ports 20 and 21)

The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) provides a way


to move files between computer systems. Telnet
allows virtual terminal emulation.

Terminal Telnet (TCP port 23)


emulation

The Telnet protocol provides terminal emulation


services over a reliable TCP stream. The Telnet
protocol also specifies how a client and server
should negotiate the use of certain features and
options.

Electronic SMTP (TCP port 25), POP3 (TCP


mail port 110), IMAP4 (TCP port 143)

The Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (SMTP) is used


to transfer electronic mail between mail servers,
and is used by mail clients to send mail. Mail
clients do not generally use SMTP to receive mail.
Instead, they use either the Post Office Protocol
version 3 (POP3) or the Internet Message Access
Protocol (IMAP); this will be discussed in greater
detail later in this chapter.

Network SNMP (UDP port 161)


management

The Simple Network Management Protocol


(SNMP) is a network management protocol used
for reporting anomalous network conditions and
setting network threshold values.

Distributed NFS, XDR, RPC (UDP port 111), X

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file services Windows (UDP ports 6000­6063)

X Windows is a popular protocol that permits


intelligent terminals to communicate with remote
computers as if they were directly attached.
Network file system (NFS), external data
representation (XDR), and remote­procedure call
(RPC) combine to allow transparent access to
remote network resources.

These and other network applications use the services of TCP/IP


and other lower­layer Internet protocols to provide users with
basic network services.

Domain Name System


TCP/IP uses a numeric addressing scheme in which each node
is assigned an IP address that is used to route packets to a node
on the network. Because it is much easier for people to
remember names such as www.somedomain.com instead of
10.1.1.1, a protocol called Domain Name System (DNS) is used
to map numbers to names, and vice versa. Most web pages refer
to other web pages or links using these names instead of their IP
addresses. This provides many advantages; for example, the
address can change without breaking any links to a web page if
the DNS table is also changed to point to the new address.

Tools for Troubleshooting IP Problems


The tools ping and traceroute, both in the TCP/IP protocol suite,
will greatly assist in troubleshooting IP connectivity. Most
operating systems and IP implementations come with these tools
installed by default. On some UNIX platforms, however, you may
need to download and install a traceroute package.
Cisco routers provide a basic method of viewing IP traffic
switched through the router called packet debugging. Packet
debugging enables a user to determine whether traffic is
travelling along an expected path in the network or whether
there are errors in a particular TCP stream. Although in some
cases packet debugging can eliminate the need for a packet
analyzer, it should not be considered a replacement for this
important tool.
Packet debugging can be very intrusive—in some cases, it can
cause a router to become inoperable until physically reset. In
other instances, packets that are present on the network and
switched through the router may not be reported by packet
debugging. Thus, a firm conclusion cannot be drawn that a
packet was not sent solely from the output of packet debugging;
a network analyzer must be used to accurately make this
assessment. Packet debugging should be used with extreme
caution by only advanced operators because it can cause the
router to lock up and stop routing traffic, if not used carefully. The
risks of using packet debugging may be compounded by the
necessity of disabling fast switching for packet debugging to be
effective. As a general rule, packet debugging should not be
used on a production router unless you have physical access to
the router and are willing to risk it going down.

ping
The ping tool uses the IP ICMP echo request and echo reply
messages to test reachability to a remote system. In its simplest
form, ping simply confirms that an IP packet is capable of getting
to and getting back from a destination IP address (Figure 7­7).
This tool generally returns two pieces of information: whether the
source can reach the destination (and, by inference, vice versa),
and the round­trip time (RTT, typically in milliseconds). The RTT
returned by ping should be used only as a comparative
reference because it can depend greatly on the software
implementation and hardware of the system on which ping is
run. If ping fails or returns an unusual RTT, traceroute can be
used to help narrow down the problem. It is also possible to vary
the size of the ICMP echo payload to test problems related to
maximum transmission unit (MTU).

Figure 7­7 ping Example (pingfig.gif/cdr)

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Example 7­2 shows ping returning three values separated with
the slash "/," the minimum, average, and maximum RTT. Large
differences in these values could indicate network congestion or
a network problem. In most cases, the average value accurately
portrays the network latency to the destination. By default, ping
uses small packets for connectivity testing; the packet size will
influence the RTT values. The packet size may be changed in
some implementations, including that of Cisco Systems's IOS.

Example 7­2 ping Returning Three Values Separated with the


Slash "/," the Minimum, Average, and Maximum RTT

CiscoRtr1>ping 10.3.1.6

Type escape sequence to abort.

Sending 5, 100‐byte ICMP Echoes to 10.3.1.6, timeout is 2 seconds:

!!!!!

Success rate is 100 percent (5/5), round‐trip min/avg/max = 4/4/4 ms

Firewalls and routers can be configured to not allow devices to


be pinged but to still permit other types of IP traffic. For this
reason, a ping failure between two devices should not be
misconstrued as a lack of IP connectivity between those devices.
Table 7­2 shows a list of some of the codes returned by the
Cisco ping utility, along with their meanings and possible cause.

Table 7­2 Cisco ping Return Codes

Code Meaning Possible Cause(s)


! Each The ping completed
exclamation successfully.
point indicates
receipt of an
ICMP echo
reply.

. Each period This message can


indicates that indicate many problems:
the network • ping was blocked by
server timed an access list or
out while firewall.
waiting for a
reply. • A router along the
path did not have a
route to the
destination and did
not send an ICMP
destination
unreachable
message.
• A physical
connectivity problem
occurred somewhere
along the path.

U An ICMP A router along the path


unreachable did not have a route to
message was the destination address.
received.

C An ICMP A device along the path—


source quench possibly the destination—
message was may be receiving to much
received. traffic; check input
queues.

& An ICMP time A routing loop may have


exceeded occurred.
message was
received.

traceroute
The traceroute utility sends out either ICMP echo request
(Windows) or UDP (most implementations) messages with
gradually increasing IP TTL values to probe the path by which a
packet traverses the network (see Example 7­3). The first packet
with the TTL set to 1 will be discarded by the first hop, and the
first hop will send back an ICMP TTL exceeded message

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sourced from its IP address facing the source of the packet.
When the machine running the traceroute receives the ICMP
TTL exceeded message, it can determine the hop via the source
IP address. This continues until the destination is reached. The
destination will return either an ICMP echo reply (Windows) or a
ICMP port unreachable, indicating that the destination had been
reached. Cisco's implementation of traceroute sends out three
packets at each TTL value, allowing traceroute to report routers
that have multiple equal­cost paths to the destination.
Traceroute can return useful information about TCP/IP
connectivity across your network. Table 7­3 shows some of the
codes that can be returned by the Cisco traceroute utility, along
with their possible cause.

Table 7­3 Cisco traceroute Return Codes

Code Meaning Possible Cause(s)


nn This gives, for This is normal.
msec each node, the
round­trip time
(in milliseconds)
for the specified
number of
probes.

* The probe timed A device along the path


out. either did not receive
the probe or did not
reply with an ICMP
"packet life exceeded"
message.

A Administratively A device along the


prohibited. path, such as a firewall
or router, may be
blocking the probe and
possibly other or all
traffic; check access
lists.

Q Source quench. A device along the path


may be receiving to
much traffic; check
input queues.

H An ICMP A routing loop may


unreachable have occurred.
message has
been received.

Example 7­3 (Taken from a Cisco Router)


traceroute

CiscoRtr1>traceroute 10.3.1.6

Type escape sequence to abort.

Tracing the route to 10.3.1.6

1 CiscoRtr2 (10.1.1.2) 0 msec

CiscoRtr3 (10.1.1.3) 0 msec

CiscoRtr4 (10.1.1.4) 4 msec

2 CiscoRtr5 (10.2.1.6) 4 msec 4 msec 0 msec

3 CiscoRtr6 (10.3.1.6) 4 msec 4 msec 4 msec

If there had been a problem between CiscoRtr5 and CiscoRtr6,


you would have seen the following on a Cisco router:
CiscoRtr1>traceroute 10.3.1.6

Type escape sequence to abort.


Tracing the route to 10.3.1.6

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1 CiscoRtr2 (10.1.1.2) 0 msec
CiscoRtr3 (10.1.1.3) 0 msec
CiscoRtr4 (10.1.1.4) 4 msec
2 CiscoRtr5 (10.2.1.6) 4 msec 4 msec 0 msec
3 * * *
4 * * *

Although it may also be possible to trace the path between


source and destination using ping and the IP record route
option, traceroute is preferred because the record route option
can alter the way in which packets are forwarded by routers in
the network, yielding incorrect path information.

Packet Debugging
The following example is applicable to Cisco 16xx, 25xx, 26xx,
36xx, 40xx, 45xx, 70xx, and 75xx series routers. Consult the
Cisco TAC web page www.cisco.com/tac for instructions on
using this command on other Cisco router platforms.

Caution The debug ip packet command should always be run with an


access list to restrict the traffic that it will display. Failure to do so
will almost certainly lock up the router. Even with an access list,
there is always a possibility that packet debugging will lock up
the router. Do not run this utility on a router that cannot be
brought down or physically reset.

To use the debug ip packet command, you must do the


following:
1. Enter enable mode.
CiscoRtr> enable
CiscoRtr#

2. Disable console logging. (This command can be run with


console logging, but this increases the likelihood of locking
up the router.)
CiscoRtr# configure terminal
CiscoRtr(config)# no logging console
CiscoRtr(config)# end
CiscoRtr#

3. Enable buffer logging.


CiscoRtr# configure terminal
CiscoRtr(config)# logging buffered
CiscoRtr(config)# end
CiscoRtr#

4. Turn on logging timestamps with millisecond output.


CiscoRtr# configure terminal
CiscoRtr(config)# service timestamps log datetime msec
CiscoRtr(config)# end
CiscoRtr#

5. Ensure that the router's CPU is not overloaded. This


depends greatly on the amount of traffic to capture and the
type of router. As a general rule, a CPU percentage
(highlighted here) less than 30 percent should be safe.
Note: This may still cause your router to lock up!
CiscoRtr#show processes cpu
CPU utilization for five seconds: 2%/0%; one minute: 0%; five minutes: 0%
PID Runtime(ms) Invoked uSecs 5Sec 1Min 5Min TTY Process
1 2075 308386 6 0.00% 0.00% 0.00% 0 Load Meter
2 273 55 4963 1.55% 0.18% 0.06% 0 Exec
[snip]
CiscoRtr#

6. Disable fast­switching on the inbound and outbound


interfaces from which you would like to capture traffic.
CiscoRtr#configure terminal
CiscoRtr(config)# interface ethernet 0
CiscoRtr(config‐if)# no ip route‐cache
CiscoRtr(config‐if)# interface ethernet 1
CiscoRtr(config‐if)# no ip route‐cache
CiscoRtr(config‐if)# end
CiscoRtr#

7. Create an access list that matches only the traffic that you
want to capture. In this example, we are using access list
101 to match all DHCP traffic. The number 101 should be
replaced with an available IP access list on your router.
CiscoRtr#configure terminal
CiscoRtr(config)# access‐list 101 permit udp any any eq bootpc
CiscoRtr(config)# access‐list 101 permit udp any any eq bootps
CiscoRtr(config)# access‐list 101 permit udp any eq bootpc any
CiscoRtr(config)# access‐list 101 permit udp any eq bootps any
CiscoRtr(config)# end
CiscoRtr#

8. Double­check that the access list exists and is correct. (A


nonexistent or incorrect access list can lock up your router.)
CiscoRtr# show ip access‐lists

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Extended IP access list 101
permit udp any any eq bootpc
permit udp any any eq bootps
permit udp any eq bootpc any
permit udp any eq bootps any

9. Start packet debugging with the access list. (Omitting the


access list can lock up your router.)
CiscoRtr# debug ip packet 101 detail

10. Stop debugging.


CiscoRtr# undebug all

11. View results in the log.


CiscoRtr# show log
Syslog logging: enabled (0 messages dropped, 0 flushes, 0 overruns)
Console logging: disabled
Monitor logging: level debugging, 0 messages logged
Buffer logging: level debugging, 16 messages logged
Trap logging: level informational, 0 message lines logged
Log Buffer (4096 bytes):

*Mar 16 18:00:10.485: IP: s=0.0.0.0 (Ethernet0), d=255.255.255.255, len 328, rcvd 2


*Mar 16 18:00:10.485: UDP src=68, dst=67
*Mar 16 18:00:10.485: IP: s=10.1.1.1 (local), d=10.1.2.2 (Ethernet1), len 328, sending
*Mar 16 18:00:10.485: UDP src=67, dst=67
*Mar 16 18:00:10.492: IP: s=10.1.2.2 (Ethernet1), d=10.1.1.1, len 328, rcvd 4
*Mar 16 18:00:10.492: UDP src=67, dst=67
*Mar 16 18:00:10.492: IP: s=10.1.1.1 (local), d=10.1.1.10 (Ethernet0), len 328,
sending
*Mar 16 18:00:10.492: UDP src=67, dst=68
*Mar 16 18:00:10.510: IP: s=0.0.0.0 (Ethernet0), d=255.255.255.255, len 328, rcvd 2
*Mar 16 18:00:10.510: UDP src=68, dst=67
*Mar 16 18:00:10.510: IP: s=10.1.1.1 (local), d=10.1.2.2 (Ethernet1), len 328, sending
*Mar 16 18:00:10.510: UDP src=67, dst=67
*Mar 16 18:00:10.530: IP: s=10.1.2.2 (Ethernet1), d=10.1.1.1, len 328, rcvd 4
*Mar 16 18:00:10.530: UDP src=67, dst=67
*Mar 16 18:00:10.530: IP: s=10.1.1.1 (local), d=10.1.1.10 (Ethernet0), len 328,
sending
*Mar 16 18:00:10.530: UDP src=67, dst=68

General IP Troubleshooting Suggestions


This chapter approaches the process of troubleshooting TCP/IP
connectivity issues with the assumption that you will have
access to the client (or source) and may not have access to the
server (or destination). If the problem is determined to be a
server issue, you contact the server administrator. If you are the
server administrator, you can apply the troubleshooting process
in reverse (server to client) to further troubleshoot connectivity
issues. This chapter will not address the specifics of
troubleshooting server­side IP services; for this, consult the
manual or web page for the software or service running on the
server.
Because TCP/IP does not store path information in its packets, it
is possible for a packet to have a working path from the source to
the destination (or vice versa), but not to have a working path in
the opposite direction. For this reason, it may be necessary to
perform all troubleshooting steps in both directions along an IP
path to determine the cause of a connectivity problem.

Narrowing Down the Problem Domain


To efficiently troubleshoot a TCP/IP connectivity problem, it is
necessary to identify a single pair of source and destination
devices that are exhibiting the connectivity problem. When
you've selected the two devices, test to make sure that the
problem is actually occurring between these two devices.
Possible problems include these:
• Physical layer issue somewhere along the path
• First­hop Layer 3 connectivity issue, local LAN segment
• Layer 3 IP connectivity issue somewhere along the packet's
path
• Name resolution issue
Where to start:
1. Try to ping from the source to destination device by IP
address. If the ping fails, verify that you are using the correct
address, and try the ping again. If the ping still fails, go to the
next section, "Troubleshooting Local Connectivity
Problems." Otherwise, proceed to Step 2.
2. Try to ping from the source to the destination device by
name. If the ping fails, verify that the name is correctly
spelled and that it refers to the destination device, and then
try the ping again. If the ping still fails, go to the section
"Troubleshooting Domain Name Server Problems," later in
this chapter. Otherwise, proceed to Step 3.
3. If you can ping the destination by both name and address, it
appears that the problem is an upper­layer problem. Go to
the section "Troubleshooting Upper Layer Problems," later

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in this chapter.

Troubleshooting Local Connectivity Problems


This section describes how to troubleshoot local connectivity
problems on LAN segments such as Ethernet or Token Ring.
Going through the methodology in this chapter with help
determine and resolve problems moving packets on the local
LAN segment or to the next­hop router. If the problem is
determined to be past the local LAN segment, then you will be
referred to the section "Troubleshooting IP Connectivity and
Routing Problems," later in this chapter. If the source device is
connected via a modem, then you should consult Chapter 16,
"Troubleshooting Dialup Connections."
Possible problems include these:
• Configuration problem
• DHCP or BOOTP issue
• Physical layer issue
• Duplicate IP address

Check for Configuration Problems


To begin troubleshooting, display and examine the IP
configuration of the source device. The method to determine this
information varies greatly from platform to platform. If you are
unsure of how to display this information, consult the manual for
the device or operating system. Refer to the following examples:
• On a Cisco router, use show ip interface and show
running­config.
• On Windows 95 or 98, use winipcfg.exe.
• On Windows 2000 or NT, use ipconfig.exe.
• On a UNIX platform, use ifconfig.
Examine the configuration, looking specifically for the IP address
and subnet mask. On Windows 9x or Windows 2000 platforms,
the default gateway address should also be displayed.
If no IP address is configured, verify that this node receives its IP
address from BOOTP or DHCP. Otherwise, an IP address should
be statically configured for this interface. Configure an address if
one is not present. If the source is configured to receive an IP
address via DHCP or BOOTP and is not receiving one, make
sure that the bootp (IP) helper address is configured on the
router interface facing the source device.
If the incorrect IP address, subnet mask, or default gateway is
configured, verify that this node receives its IP address from
BOOTP or DHCP, and then contact the DHCP or BOOTP
administrator. Ask the administrator to troubleshoot the DHCP or
BOOTP server's configuration. If the address is statically
configured, configure the correct address.

Check for Local Connectivity


If the destination is on the same subnet as the source, try pinging
the destination by IP address. If the destination is on a different
subnet, then try pinging the default gateway or appropriate next
hop obtained from the routing table. If the ping fails, double­
check the configuration of the next­hop router to see if the subnet
and mask match the source's configuration.
If the configuration is correct, check that the source or next­hop
router is capable of pinging any other device on the local LAN
segment. If you cannot ping the next­hop address, and if the
next­hop address is an HSRP virtual address, try pinging one of
the next­hop router's actual IP addresses. If the actual address
works but the virtual address does not, you may be experiencing
an HSRP issue. Failure to communicate with some or all devices
on the LAN segment could indicate a physical connectivity
problem, a switch or bridge misconfiguration, or a duplicate IP
address.

Ruling Out Duplicate IP Addresses


To rule out a duplicate IP address, you can disconnect the
suspect device from the LAN or shut down the suspect interface
and then try pinging the device from another device on that
same LAN segment. If the ping is successful, then there is
another device on that LAN segment using the IP address. You
will be able to determine the MAC address of the conflicting
device by looking at the ARP table on the device that issued the
ping.
If at this point you still do not have local connectivity for either the
source or the next­hop router, proceed to the next section.

Troubleshooting Physical Connectivity Problems


This section describes how to troubleshoot Layer 1 and 2
physical connectivity issues on LANs such as Ethernet or Token
Ring. For troubleshooting information on dialup links or WAN
connections, consult the chapters in Part IV, "Troubleshooting
Serial Lines and WAN Connections."

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Even though it may seem logical to first troubleshoot at the
physical layer, problems can generally be found more quickly by
first troubleshooting at Layer 3 and then working backward when
a physical problem is found or suspected.
Possible problems include these:
• Configuration is incorrect.
• Cable is faulty or improperly connected.
• Wiring closet cross­connect is faulty or improperly
connected.
• Hardware (interface or port) is faulty.
• Interface has too much traffic.

Rule Out a Configuration Problem


Check to make sure that all cables are connected to the
appropriate ports. Make sure that all cross­connects are properly
patched to the correct location using the appropriate cable and
method. Verify that all switch or hub ports are set in the correct
VLAN or collision domain and have appropriate options set for
spanning tree and other considerations.

Check Cable Connections


Verify that the proper cable is being used. If this is a direct
connection between two end systems (for example, a PC and a
router) or between two switches, a special crossover cable may
be required. Verify that the cable from the source interface is
properly connected and is in good condition. If you doubt that the
connection is good, reseat the cable and ensure that the
connection is secure. Try replacing the cable with a known
working cable. If this cable connects to a wall jack, use a cable
tester to ensure that the jack is properly wired. Also check any
transceiver in use to ensure that it is the correct type, is properly
connected, and is properly configured. If replacing the cable
does not resolve the problem, try replacing the transceiver if one
is being used.

Check the Configuration


Verify that the interface on the device is configured properly and
is not shut down. If the device is connected to a hub or switch,
verify that the port on the hub or switch is configured properly
and is not shut down. Check both speed and duplex.

Check the Network Interface


Most interfaces or NICs will have indicator lights that show
whether there is a valid connection; often this light is called the
link light. The interface may also have lights to indicate whether
traffic is being sent (TX) or received (RX). If the interface has
indicator lights that do not show a valid connection, power off the
device and reseat the interface card.

Troubleshooting IP Connectivity and Routing


Problems
When troubleshooting IP connectivity problems across large
networks, it always helps to have a network diagram handy so
that you can understand the path that the traffic should take and
compare it to the path that it is actually taking.
When IP packets are routed across a network, there is the
potential for problems at every hop between the source and the
destination, so test connectivity at each hop to determine where
it is broken is the logical troubleshooting methodology.
The following could be wrong:
• A router may not have a route to the source or destination.
• The network might have a routing loop or other routing
protocol­related problem.
• A physical connectivity problem might have occurred.
• A resource problem on one router might be prohibiting
proper router operation. This could possibly be caused by
lack of memory, lack of buffers, or lack of CPU.
• A configuration problem might have occurred on a router.
• A software problem might have occurred on a router.
• A packet filter or firewall might be preventing traffic from
passing for an IP address or protocol.
• An MTU mismatch problem might have occurred.

Determining Where to Start


The most detailed method to find a problem would obviously be
to start at the next hop away from the source and work your way
one hop at a time toward the destination, exploring all possible
paths along the way. You would then test basic IP connectivity
and possibly protocol connectivity from each router forward.
Although in some cases this method is the only one available,
the process can generally be shortened by first performing a

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traceroute from the source to the destination to determine the
first problematic hop. If the traceroute method does not provide
an answer, you will have to fall back to the longer method.
When you have found a starting point, connect to that router via
telnet or console, and verify that it is capable of pinging the
source and the destination. When doing this, keep in mind that
the router will source the ping packet from the interface closest to
the ping target. In some cases, you may want to use an extended
ping to specify a source interface because the ping target may
not know how to get to the default source address; this is
common on serial interfaces configured with private addressing.

Check for Resources


If the router appears sluggish or does not respond (echo) to what
you are typing quickly, or if you suspect a resource issue, check
the router's resources. Check memory using show memory; be
sure not to have terminal length 0 configured when doing this,
or it make take a long time. Look at how much memory is
available in the largest free field. If this number is low (less than
5 percent of total router memory), use show process memory to
identify which process(es) are "holding" the memory.
Sluggish router response can also be caused by CPU overload.
This can be checked using show process cpu. You will see two
percentages listed (such as 75%/24%). The first number is the
total CPU utilization for the router, and the second is interrupt­
generated processor utilization. If the total CPU utilization is
greater than 90 percent for an extended period of time (10 to 15
minutes), then you should investigate what is using all the CPU.
Show process cpu will show which processes are running and
how much CPU they are using. If the CPU is too high, it is
possible to lose console and Telnet access to the router.
Although I will not cover all the processes that could possibly be
running, a few have special meaning. The IP Input process is
tied to process­switched traffic. Some traffic that will frequently
cause an increase in process­switched traffic includes broadcast
traffic, multicast traffic, routing updates, or traffic destined for an
IP address on the router. For example, a broadcast storm will
cause IP Input to increase and can cause CPU to jump to 99
percent. You will also see processes for the individual routing
protocols such as these:
• IP BGP
• IP EIGRP
• IP OSPF
If a routing protocol is converging, it is possible that one of these
processes may increase CPU utilization; in most cases, this is
normal.

Check for Connectivity


If you cannot ping from this router to either the source or the
destination, check the routing table for a route to the ping target.
Keep in mind that it may be desirable for the router to use the
default route to this destination, and ip classless may need to
be configured for this to happen. If there is no route to the ping
target, you will need to either troubleshoot your routing protocol,
if you are running one, or add a static route to the destination
network. The router will need to have both a route to the source
and to the destination for communication to succeed.
If ping succeeds only a percentage of the time, look to see if
there are multiple paths to the destination. If there are multiple
paths, it is possible that one path may be failing while the others
are working. This can be symptomatic of a routing loop or
physical problem somewhere along the path. The only way to
test whether a path is failing is to go to all the next hops and test
connectivity from there.
Pings with less than 100 percent success rate can also indicate
problematic links or links with high utilization. Look at the
interface statistics using show interface for outgoing interfaces
to see if any have problems. When reviewing statistics, keep in
mind that the router may have been collecting information for
years; always look at the uptime for the router, reported in show
version, and the last time that the counters were reset, reported
at the top of show interface. Generally, the counters can be
looked at as an accurate percentage of packets received or sent.
If the counters have not been reset in a long time, or if a problem
is suspected, the counters should be reset using clear counters
command, and a new reading should be taken after a
reasonable period of time has elapsed. If a problem is detected
on a WAN or dialup link, refer to Part IV. If a problem is detected
on a LAN connection, see the section "Troubleshooting Physical
Connectivity Problems," earlier in this chapter.

Check for ACLs


Check this router for any access lists applied to an interface
using ip access­group, or any other firewall or packet filters
configured. Does the packet filtering permit the desired
source/destination to communicate using the requested

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protocol? If you are unsure, see the section "Troubleshooting
Upper­Layer Problems."

Check for Network Address Translation


Check to see if this router is configured for network address
translation. If it is, is it supposed to translate packets between the
source and destination? Has it been configured correctly?
At this point, you will want to move on to one of the next­hop
routers. Record routers that you have already visited on a piece
of paper. Also record any problems or questions that arose at the
router. This record will help you detect routing loops and will
provide useful information if you find it necessary to call for
support.

Troubleshooting Upper­Layer Problems


Even though there may be IP connectivity between a source and
a destination, problems may still exist for a specific upper­layer
protocols such as FTP, HTTP, or Telnet. These protocols ride on
top of the basic IP transport but are subject to protocol­specific
problems relating to packet filters and firewalls. It is possible that
everything except mail will work between a given source and
destination. Before troubleshooting at this level, it is important to
first establish whether IP connectivity exists between the source
and the destination. If IP connectivity exists, then the issue must
be at the application layer.
The following could go wrong:
• A packet filter/firewall issue might have arisen for the
specific protocol, data connection, or return traffic.
• The specific service could be down on the server.
• An authentication problem might have occurred on the
server for the source or source network.
• There could be a version mismatch or incompatibility with
the client and server software.

Generic
To troubleshoot an upper­layer protocol connectivity problem,
you must understand how it works. You can generally find this
information in the latest RFC for the protocol or on the
developer's web page. Questions that you should answer to
make certain that you understand the protocol include these:
• What IP protocols does the protocol use (TCP, UDP, ICMP,
IGMP, or other)?
• What TCP or UDP port numbers are used by the protocol?
• Does the protocol require any inbound TCP connections or
inbound UDP packets?
• Does the protocol embed IP addresses in the data portion of
the packet?
• Are you running a client or a server for the protocol?
If the protocol embeds IP addresses in the data portion of the
packet and you have NAT configured anywhere along the path
of the packet, the NAT gateway will need to know how to deal
with that particular protocol, or the connection will fail. NAT
gateways do not typically change information in the data portion
of a packet unless they have been specifically coded to do so.
Some examples of protocols that embed IP addresses in the
data portion of the packet are FTP, SQLNet, and Microsoft WINs.
If there is a question whether a firewall or router is interfering
with the flow of data for a particular application or protocol, you
can take several steps to see what exactly is happening. These
steps may not all be possible in all situations.
• Move the client outside the firewall or address translation
device.
• Verify whether the client can talk to a server on the same
subnet as the client.
• Capture a network trace at the client's LAN and on the LAN
closest to the server (or, preferably, on the server's LAN, if
possible).
• If the service is ASCII­based, you can try Telnetting to the
service's port from the router closest to the server; then work
backward into the network toward the client.

Hypertext Transport Protocol


HTTP is the protocol used to transfer the files that make up web
pages. Although the HTTP specification allows for data to be
transferred on port 80 using either TCP or UDP, most
implementations use TCP. A secure version of the protocol,
SHTTP, uses TCP port 443.
You can test HTTP connectivity using any Telnet application that
allows a port number to be specified by Telnetting to the IP
address of the destination server on port 80. You should see a
hello message, which indicates that you have HTTP connectivity

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to the server.

FTP
FTP uses two or more TCP connections to accomplish data
transfers. To start a session, the FTP client opens a TCP
connection to port 21 on the FTP server. This connection is
called the control connection and is used to pass commands
and results between the client and the server. No data, such as
file transfers or directory listings, is passed over the control
connection; instead, data is transferred over a separate TCP
connection created specifically to fulfill that request. This data
connection can be opened in several different ways:
• Traditional (or active)—The FTP server opens a TCP
connection back to the client's port 20. This method will not
work on a multiuser system because many users may make
simultaneous FTP requests, and the system will not be
capable of matching incoming FTP data connections to the
appropriate user.
• Multiuser traditional (or active)—The FTP client instructs
the FTP server to open a connection on some random port
in the range 1024 through 65535. This method creates a
rather large security hole because it requires system
administrators to permit inbound TCP connections to all
ports greater than 1023. Although firewalls that monitor FTP
traffic and dynamically allow inbound connections help
close this security hole, many corporate networks do not
permit this type of traffic. Most command­line FTP clients
default to this method of transfer and offer a passive
command (or something similar) to switch to passive mode.
• Passive mode—The FTP client instructs the FTP server that
it wants a passive connection, and the server replies with an
IP address and port number to which the FTP client can
open a TCP data connection. This method is by far the most
secure because it requires no inbound TCP connections to
the FTP client. Many corporate networks permit only this
type of FTP transfer. Although most of the popular web
browsers default to this method of FTP transfer, you
shouldn't assume that they do.
You can test the FTP control connection using any Telnet
application that allows a port number to be specified. Telnet to
the IP address of the destination server using port 21, and you
should see a hello message indicating that you have FTP
connectivity to the server.
Generally, if a client has connectivity via the control connection
but cannot retrieve directory listings or transfer files, there is an
issue with opening the data connection. Try specifying passive
mode because this is permitted by most firewalls.
Another common problem with FTP is being able to transfer
small files but not large files, with the transfer generally failing at
the same place or time in every file. Remember that the data
connection (and the transfer) will be closed if the control
connection closes; because the control connection is typically
dormant during large file transfers, it is possible for the
connection to close in NAT/PAT environments in which there is a
timeout on TCP connections. Increasing the timeout on dormant
TCP connections may resolve this problem. If an FTP client is not
properly coded, you may also see this problem.
Because FTP file transfers generally create packets of maximum
size, an MTU mismatch problem will almost always cause file
transfers to fail in a single direction (gets may fail, but puts may
work). This can be caused by a server located on a LAN media
that support larger MTUs (such as Token Ring, which can have
an MTU of 4096 or larger). Normally this problem is resolved
automatically by fragmentation, but misconfigurations or having
the IP Don't Fragment option set in the IP datagrams can prevent
proper operation.

MAIL (IMAP, POP, and SMTP)


Two types of machines exist in the e­mail universe, and they
work in different ways. E­mail servers communicate with each
other using the Simple Mail Transport Protocol (SMTP) to send
and receive mail. The SMTP protocol transports e­mail
messages in ASCII format using TCP; it's possible to connect to
an SMTP server by Telnetting to the SMTP port (25). This is a
good way to test whether a mail server is reachable.
When a mail server receives a message destined for a local
client, it stores that message and waits for the client to collect the
mail. There are several ways for mail clients to collect their mail:
They can use programs that access the mail server files directly,
or they can collect their mail using one of many network
protocols. The most popular mail client protocols are POP3 and
IMAP4, which both use TCP to transport data. Even though mail
clients use these special protocols to collect mail, they almost
always use SMTP to send mail. Because two different protocols,
and possibly two different servers, are used to send and receive
mail, it is possible that mail clients can perform one task and not
the other—so you should troubleshoot sending and receiving

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mail separately.
When verifying the configuration of a mail client, both the mail
relay (SMTP) server and mail (POP or IMAP) servers should be
verified. The SMTP protocol does not offer much in the way of
security and does not require any sort of authentication, so to
prevent unauthorized users from bouncing mail messages off
their servers, administrators don't often allow hosts that are not
part of their network to use their SMTP server to send (or relay)
mail.
You can test SMTP, IMAP, and POP connectivity using any
Telnet application that allows a port number to be specified.
Telnet to the IP address of the destination server using ports 25,
143, and 110 respectively. You should see a hello message,
which indicates that you have connectivity to that server.

Telnet
If the Telnet to a particular server fails from one host, try
connecting from a router and several other devices. If when
Telnetting to a server you do not receive a login prompt, you will
want to check the following:
• Are you able to do a reverse DNS lookup on the client's
address? Many Telnet servers will not allow connections
from IP addresses that have no DNS entry. This is a
common problem for DHCP­assigned addresses in which
the administrator has not added DNS entries for the DHCP
pools.
• It is possible that your Telnet application cannot negotiate
the appropriate options and therefore will not connect. On a
Cisco router, you can view this negotiation process using
debug telnet.
• It is possible that Telnet is disabled or has been moved to a
port other than 23 on the destination server.

Troubleshooting Domain Name Server Problems


It is possible for IP connectivity to work but for DNS name
resolution to fail. To troubleshoot this situation, use one of the
following methods to determine whether DNS is resolving the
name of the destination:
• Ping the destination by name, and look for an error message
indicating that the name could not be resolved.
• If you are working on a UNIX machine, use nslookup <fully­
qualified domain name> to perform a DNS lookup on the
destination. If it is successful, the host's address should be
displayed:
unix% nslookup www.somedomain.com
Server: localhost
Address: 127.0.0.1

Non‐authoritative answer:
Name: www.somedomain.com
Address: 10.1.1.1

If nslookup fails, the following output resembles the


following sample output:
unix% nslookup www.somedomain.com
Server: localhost
Address: 127.0.0.1

*** localhost can't find www.notvalid.com: Non‐existent host/domain

If DNS correctly resolves the host's name, go to the section


"Narrowing Down the Problem Domain," earlier in this chapter,
to start troubleshooting again. Otherwise, continue
troubleshooting as follows:
1. Determine which name server you are using; this can be
found in different places on each operating system, so if you
are unsure of how to find it, consult the device's manual. For
examples:
– On a Cisco router, type show run and look for the
name­server.
– On Windows 95 or 98, use winipcfg.exe.
– On Windows 2000 or NT, use ipconfig.exe.
– On a UNIX platform, type cat /etc/resolv.conf at a
command prompt.
2. Verify that you can ping the name server using its IP
address. If the ping fails, go to the section "Narrowing Down
the Problem Domain," earlier in this chapter, to troubleshoot
connectivity between the client and the name server.
3. Verify that you can resolve names within your domain. (For
example, if your host is Host1.test.com, you should be able

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to resolve the names of other hosts in the test.com domain,
such as host2.test.com.)
4. Verify that you can resolve one or more domain names
outside your domain.
If you cannot resolve names from all domains except that of the
destination, there might be a problem with the DNS for the
destination host. Contact the administrator of the destination
device.
If you cannot resolve names within your domain or a large
number of external domains, contact your DNS administrator
because there may be a problem with the local DNS (or your
host could be using the wrong domain server).

Before Calling Cisco Systems' Technical Assistance


Center
Before calling Cisco Systems's Technical Assistance Center
(TAC), make sure that you have read through this chapter and
completed the actions suggested for your system's problem.
Additionally, do the following and document the results so that
the Cisco TAC can better assist you:
• Have a network diagram of your network or affected portion
of your network ready. Make sure that all IP addresses and
their associated network masks or prefix lengths are listed.
• Have any information that you gathered thus far while
troubleshooting available for the TAC engineer.
• If the problem appears to be with only a few—fewer than
four—routers, capture the output from show tech on these
routers.
Dial­in or Telnet access also help considerably in effective
problem resolution.

For More Information


For further information, including step­by­step configuration
materials and full command examples for most IP­related
commands, you can consult the following books and web pages:
• The Technical Assistance Center (TAC) web site on Cisco
Connection Online (CCO), at www.cisco.com/tac
• The Cisco IOS online documentation on CCO, at
www.cisco.com
• Stevens, W. Richard. TCP/IP Illustrated, Volume 1. Addison­
Wesley.
• Comer, Douglas E. Internetworking with TCP/IP, Volume I.
Prentice Hall.

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