CTU-San Francisco Campus

CompTech 213 – Computer Network and Security

Topic 8: Preventive Maintenance and Troubleshooting

NETWORK PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AND

TROUBLESHOOTING
Preventive Maintenance
Preventive maintenance is just as important for the network as it is
for the computers on a network. You must check the condition of
cables, network devices, servers, and computers to make sure that
they are kept clean and are in good working order. You should
develop a plan to perform scheduled maintenance and cleaning at
regular intervals. This will help you to prevent network down-time
and equipment failures.

As part of a regularly scheduled maintenance program, inspect all cabling for breaks. Make sure that cables are labeled correctly and
labels are not coming off. Replace any worn or unreadable labels. Check that cable supports are properly installed and no attachment
points are coming loose. Cabling can become damaged and worn. You should keep the cabling in good repair to maintain good network
performance.

As a technician, you may notice if equipment is failing, damaged, or making unusual sounds. Inform the network administrator to
prevent unnecessary network downtime.

Cables at workstations and printers should be checked carefully. Cables are often moved or kicked when they are underneath desks,
and can be bent. These conditions can result in loss of bandwidth or connectivity. You should also be proactive in the education of
network users. Demonstrate to network users how to properly connect and disconnect cables, as well as how to move them if
necessary.

Common Preventive Maintenance Techniques used for Networks

There are common preventive maintenance techniques that should continually be performed for a network to operate properly. In an
organization, if there is one malfunctioning computer, generally only one user is affected. But if the network is malfunctioning, many
or all users will be unable to work.

One of the biggest problems with network devices, especially in the server room, is heat. Network devices, such as computers, hubs,
and switches, do not perform well when overheated. Often, excess heat is generated by accumulated dust and dirty air filters. When
dust gathers in and on network devices, it impedes the proper flow of cool air and sometimes even clogs fans. It is important to keep
network rooms clean and change air filters often. It is also a good idea to have replacement filters available for prompt maintenance.

Preventive maintenance
Preventive maintenance involves checking the various components of a network for wear. Check the condition of network cables
because they are often moved, unplugged, and kicked. Many network problems can be traced to a faulty cable. You should replace
any cables that have exposed wires, are badly twisted, or are bent. Label your cables. This practice will save troubleshooting time later.
Refer to wiring diagrams and always follow your company's cable labeling guidelines.

Troubleshooting
Troubleshooting is a systematic approach to locating the cause of a fault in a computer system. A good preventive maintenance
program helps minimize failures. With fewer failures, there is less troubleshooting to do, thus saving an organization time and money.

Troubleshooting is the process of identifying, locating and correcting problems that occur. Experienced individuals often rely on
instinct to troubleshoot. However, there are structured techniques that can be used to determine the most probable cause and
solution. When troubleshooting, proper documentation must be maintained.

This documentation should include as much information as possible about:

• The problem encountered
• Steps taken to determine the cause of the problem
• Steps to correct the problem and ensure that it will not reoccur

Document all steps taken in troubleshooting, even the ones that did not solve the issue. This documentation becomes a valuable
reference should the same or similar problem occur again.

Approaches to Troubleshooting
There are several different structured troubleshooting techniques available, including three (3) main structures:
• Top-down , Bottom-up, Divide-and-conquer, Trial & Error and Substitution

All of these structured approaches assume a layered concept of networking. An example of a layered approach is the OSI model, in
which every function of communication is broken down into seven distinct layers. Using this model, a troubleshooter can verify all
functionality at each layer until the problem is located and isolated.

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 Top-down

Top-down starts with the application layer and works down. It looks at the problem from the point of view of the user and the
application. Is it just one application that is not functioning, or do all applications fail? For example, can the user access various web
pages on the Internet, but not email? Do other workstations have similar issues?

Bottom-up

Bottom-up starts with the physical layer and works up. The physical layer is concerned with hardware and wire connections. Have
cables been pulled out of their sockets? If the equipment has indicator lights, are they on or off?

Divide and Conquer

Divide-and-Conquer typically begin troubleshooting at one of the middle layers and works up or down from there. For example, the
troubleshooter may begin at the network layer, by verifying IP configuration information. The structure of these approaches makes
them ideally suited for the novice troubleshooter. More experienced individuals often bypass structured approaches and rely on
instinct and experience. They may use less structured techniques such as trial and error or substitution.

Trial and error relies on individual knowledge to determine the most probable cause of a problem. A troubleshooter makes an
educated guess on the most likely solution based on past experience and knowledge of the network structure. Once the solution is
implemented, if it does not work, the troubleshooter uses this information to help determine the next most likely cause. This process
is repeated until the problem is isolated and solved. While the trial and error approach has the potential to be extremely fast, it relies
on the abilities and experiences of the troubleshooter and can result in incorrect assumptions and overlooking simple solutions.

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Substitution, with this technique the problem is assumed to be caused by a specific hardware component or a configuration file. The
defective part or code is replaced by a known good device or file. While not necessarily locating the problem, this technique can save
time and quickly restore network functionality. This relies on the availability of substitute parts, components, and backup configuration
files which can be very expensive to maintain.

Detecting Physical Problems

A large proportion of networking problems are related to physical components or problems with the physical layer. Physical problems
are concerned mainly with the hardware aspects of computers and networking devices and the cables that interconnect them. Physical
problems do not consider the logical (software) configuration of devices.
Physical problems can occur in both wired and wireless networks. One of the best detection methods for physical problems is the use
of the senses - vision, smell, touch and hearing.
1. The Sense of Sight. Vision is used to detect problems such as improperly connected or poorly constructed cables, including:
• Cables which are not connected
• Cables connected to the wrong port
• Loose cable connections
• Damaged cables and connectors
• Use of the wrong type of cable
Vision also allows us to view the condition and function of various network devices with LEDs.
2. The Sense of Smell. Smell can alert troubleshooters to components which are overheating. The smell of burning insulation
or components is very distinct and is a sign that
3. The Sense of Touch. Troubleshooters can use touch to feel for overheated components as well as to detect mechanical
problems with devices such as cooling fans. These devices usually create small vibration in the component that can be
detected using touch. The absence of this vibration or the presence of excessive amounts of vibration can indicate that the
cooling fan has failed or is about to do so.
4. The Sense of Hearing. Hearing is used to detect major problems such as electrical issues and the proper operation of cooling
fans and disk drives. All devices have characteristics sounds and any change from the normal sounds usually indicate a
problem of some sort.

TROUBLESHOOT A NETWORK
Network issues can be simple or complex. To assess how complicated the
problem is, you should determine how many computers on the network are
experiencing the problem. If there is a problem with one computer on the
network, start the troubleshooting process at that computer. If there is a
problem with all computers on the network, start the troubleshooting process
in the network room where all computers are connected. As a technician, you
should develop a logical and consistent method for diagnosing network
problems by eliminating one problem at a time.

Troubleshooting Process
Troubleshooting is a learned skill. Not all troubleshooting processes are the
same, and technicians tend to refine their own troubleshooting skills based
on knowledge and personal experience. Use the guidelines in this topic as a
starting point to help develop your troubleshooting skills. Although each
situation is different, the process described will help you to determine your
course of action when you are trying to solve a technical problem for a
customer.

Follow the steps outlined in this section to accurately identify, repair, and
document the problem. Network problems can result from a combination of
hardware, software, and connectivity issues. Computer technicians must be
able to analyze the problem and determine the cause of the error in order to
repair the network issue. This process is called troubleshooting.

TROUBLESHOOTING PROCESS
1. The first step in the troubleshooting process is to gather data from the customer.
Here are list open-ended to ask the customer.
• When did the problem start?
• What problems are you experiencing?
• Is there anything else you can tell me about the problem?
• What other users are having the problem?
• What type of equipment is having the problem?
• Describe your work environment?
• When did you last back up your computer?
• What type of backup was performed?
• What group are you a member of?
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 Here are list closed-ended to ask the customer.
• Has any equipment changed?
• Have any peripherals been added?
• Have any computers been added to the network?
• Have you rebooted the equipment?

2. Once you have talked to the customer, you should verify the obvious issues.
Here are obvious issues on a network some issues for networks.
• Loose cable connections
• Improperly installed NIC
• Check NIC link lights
• Low wireless signal strength
• Invalid IP address
• What is your IP information?
• Are the settings on the network equipment correct?
• Is there activity on the wireless router?
• Is there activity on the modem?
• Is your wireless client configured correctly?
• Has your network connection been disabled?

3. After the obvious issues have been verified, try some quick solutions first
• Check that all cables are connected to the proper locations.
• Unseat and then reconnect cables and connectors
• Reboot the computer or network device
• Log in as different user
• Repair or re-enable the network connection
• Contact the network administrator
• Restart the equipment/network device
• Renew IP address
• Flush DNS
• Roll back driver
• Return to previous saved restore point.

4. If quick solutions did not correct the problem, it is time to gather data from the computer.
Here are different ways to gather information about the problem from the network.
• Device Manager
• Event Viewer
• IPconfig
• Ping the local host
• Ping the default gateway
• Ping the popular website
• Verify wireless router configuration
• Verify e-mail client configuration

5. At this point, you will have enough information to evaluate the problem, and implement possible solutions.
• Problem Solving Experience
• Other Technicians
• Internet Search
• News Groups
• Manufacturer FAQs
• Computer Manuals
• Device Manuals
• Online Forums
• Technical Websites

6. After you have solved the network problem, you will close with the customer. Here is the list of the tasks required to complete
this step.

• Discuss the solution implemented with the customer

• Have the customer verify the problem has been solved.
• Provide customer with all paperwork
• Document steps taken to solve the problem in the work order and the technician’s journal
• Document any components used in the repair
• Document the time spent to resolve the problem.

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Troubleshooting Connectivity
A number of software utility programs are available that can help identify
network problems. Most of these utilities are provided by the operating system
as command line interface (CLI) commands. The syntax for the commands may
vary between operating systems. Some of the available utilities include:

ipconfig - Displays IP configuration information

ping - Tests connections to other IP hosts
tracert - Displays route taken to destination
netstat - Displays network connections
nslookup - Directly queries the name server for information on a destination
domain

Connectivity Issues
Connectivity problems occur on wireless networks, wired networks and networks that use both. When troubleshooting a network
with both wired and wireless connections, it is often best to troubleshoot using a divide-and -conquer technique to isolate the problem
to either the wired or wireless network.

The easiest way to determine if the problem is with the wired or the wireless network is to:

1. Ping from a wireless client to the default gateway - this verifies if the wireless client is connecting as expected.
2. Ping from a wired client to the default gateway - this verifies if the wired client is connecting as expected.
3. Ping from the wireless client to a wired client - this verifies if the integrated router is functioning as expected.
Once the problem is isolated it can be corrected.

LED Indicators
Regardless of whether the fault is present on the wireless or wired network, one of the first steps of troubleshooting should be to
examine the LEDs, which indicate the current state or activity of a piece of equipment or connection. LEDs may change color or flash
to convey information. The exact configuration and meaning of LEDs varies between manufacturers and devices.

Three types of LEDs are commonly found on devices - power, status and activity. On some devices a single LED may convey multiple
pieces of information depending on the current status of the device. It is important to check the equipment documentation for the
exact meaning of all indicators but some commonality does exist.

Inactive LEDs may be an indication of a device failure, port failure, or cabling issues. It is possible that the device is non-functional due
to faulty hardware. The port itself might also have become faulty due to hardware or improperly configured software. Regardless of
whether the network is wired or wireless, verify that the device and ports are up and functional before spending large amounts of
time trying to troubleshoot other issues.

Connectivity Problems
If the wired client is unable to connect to the integrated router, one of the
first things to check is the physical connectivity and cabling. Cabling is the
central nervous system of wired networks and one of the most common
issues when experiencing inactivity.

There are several issues to watch for in cabling:

1. Be sure to use the correct type of cable. Two types of TP cables are commonly encountered in networking: Straight-through
cables and Cross-over cables. Using the wrong type of cable may prevent connectivity.
2. Improper cable termination is one of the main problems encountered in networks. To avoid this, cables should be terminated
according to standards. Terminate cables via 568A or 568B termination standard. Avoid untwisting too much cable during
termination. Crimp connectors on the cable jacket to provide strain relief
3. Maximum cable run lengths exist based on characteristics of the different cables. Exceeding these run lengths can have a
serious negative impact on network performance.
4. If connectivity is a problem, verify that the correct ports are being used between the networking devices.
5. Protect cables and connectors from physical damage. Support cables to prevent strain on connectors and run cable through
areas that will not be in the way.

Adapted and compiled from:

CCNA IT Essential, “PC Hardware and Software” version 4.0, Cisco Networking Academy
CCNA Discovery 1, “Networking for Home and Small Businesses”, Cisco Networking Academy
CCNA Discovery 2, “Working at a Small-to-Medium Business of ISP”, Cisco Networking Academy
CCNA Exploration 1, “Network Fundamentals”, Cisco Networking Academy
Cisco Networking Academy Program, CCNA 1 and 2 Companion Guide, Cisco Press