The All-New Switch Book: The Complete Guide to LAN Switching Technology, Second Edition

16.1. The Trouble with Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting network connectivity issues can be a challenge. Even the most carefully planned and well-documented networks can present huge challenges when you're trying to isolate problems. The trouble with troubleshooting is that there are so many variables within the network that isolating the problem can take time.

In addition to how time consuming isolating problems can be, often non-technical managers jump into the mix and stir things up. Not only do you have the difficult task of running down the problem, you have a manager (or two) who is in the background demanding you speed things up.^[] Now throw the vendor(s) into the mix, and you have yourself a mess.

^[] So you have a couple of non-technical managers trying to drive the process on the conference call. Often you can placate them by explaining that you are on top of it and should have a resolution shortly. Every now and then, they want to understand — now your problem is 10,000 times worse than before.

Another variable that may make the resolution to a problem take longer is when you have too many technical people involved in troubleshooting. Put four or five engineers on the wire, all gathering data and trying to figure it out, and we bet that at least two of them are trying things out without letting the others know. A simple solution to this is to have a tech lead drive the call and have a big ruler on hand to smack the hands of people who think they can make a change while ...