US COLLEGE

BATU CAMPUS
Hardware and Network Servicing
Level-III
Module Title: Identifying
and Resolve Network
Problems
Module code: EIS HNS3
M05 1123
Nominal duration: 30Hour
Compiled By: Nebiyu D.
 Module covers the units:

• Implement regular network monitoring

• Troubleshoot network problems

• Carry out maintenance support on identified

problem
 Unit One
Implementing Network Monitoring
Setting up log to monitor network activity
• Network monitoring refers to the practice of overseeing the
operation of a computer network using specialized
management software tools.
• Network monitoring systems are used to ensure availability
and overall performance of computers (hosts) and network
services.
• A network monitoring system is capable of detecting and
reporting failures of devices or connections.
Cont.
Monitoring network activities
• Monitoring network activity is a vital task for
any IT professional who wants to ensure the
performance, security, and reliability of their
network.
• By monitoring network activity, you can
identify and troubleshoot issues, optimize
resources, detect, and prevent threats.
Cont.
Management information base (MIB)
• A Management Information Base (MIB) is a collection of
manageable network objects.
• These objects are a logical representation of physical
networking components that are SNMP-enabled (such as
computers, hubs, routers, switches, and networking
software).
• MIBs contain information about the configuration of these
networking components, such as the version of the
software running on the component, the IP address or port
number, and the amount of available disk space for storage.
 Using network tools
Network Monitoring Tools
• The first step to monitor network activity is to select the right tools for your needs
and goals.
• Some network monitors tools are including:
 Network analyzers or sniffers, for example, allow you to capture and decode
packets that travel across the network. This enables you to inspect data and
protocols in detail, diagnose problems, analyze performance, and audit
security.
 Network mappers or scanners can be used to create a visual representation of
your network topology, inventory your assets, and detect unauthorized or
vulnerable devices.
 Network performance monitors or testers measure and report speed, latency,
bandwidth, and availability of the network and its components.
• Finally, network security monitors helps protect your network from threats,
enforce policies, and comply with regulations.
Cont.
Benchmarking and Establishing reference point for
network performance
• As organizations come to rely more on network
performance for daily business functions, it’s essential
to know how well your network is performing.
• A simple network test or ping test can tell you what
your upload and download speed is at a given moment.
• Your network benchmark is the standard against which
other network speed tests can be measured.
Cont.
how do you find your benchmark?
• There are several ways to measure network
performance; they include:
 Network Availability Testing
Network Speed Testing
Bandwidth Usage Testing
• By performing the following kinds of network
performance testing, you can find your network
performance benchmark.
Cont.
1, Network Availability Testing
• Network availability testing may be as simple as running a ping test that
requests responses from your network devices to ensure that everything is
connected and operational.
2, Network Speed Testing
• A network speed test will check the network upload and download speeds.
• This is done by sending and receiving data and measuring the rate of
transmission.
3, Bandwidth Usage Testing
• By configuring the network, you may have identified how much
bandwidth can be used at once.
• Determining bandwidth allocation can show you whether resources are
being used effectively, which may impact Quality of Service (QoS).
Cont.
Documenting Your Network Benchmark
• Once you’ve completed your network testing
and have identified your network benchmark,
make sure it’s documented and easy to find.
• Your network benchmark should be used as a
guide to help identify network slowdowns or
troubleshoot network issues, but if it’s not
documented somewhere, it won’t be
beneficial.
 Making recommendations for improving
network performance
• Network performance can be boosted in several ways, both major and minor;
depending on your company’s needs. Below, ways listed that any company can
enhance the performance of its networks.
Eliminate performance bottlenecks
• Bottlenecks are some of the most common network performance problems that
businesses encounter. Even if one device is lagging behind the others, it can
cause a wave of slow performance that reaches several areas of the network.
• Reconfigure your network hardware
• Whenever you install or update a device onto your network, your company
needs to ensure that if configures the device correctly.
Communicate with your users on proper network usage
• If your employees are using bandwidth-heavy applications, streaming video or
music, or downloading several large files via your network, there’ll be much
less traffic available for critical business tasks.
Cont.
Provide a separate guest network
• Guests that visit your enterprise will want to access the
Internet, but they can use valuable bandwidth that your
company could be using elsewhere. Ideally, your company
will deploy a separate network for guests to access so they can
connect to the web while your business resources are kept
separate.
Compress data and network traffic
• Companies are transmitting large quantities of data across
their network every day, and the amount of work a network
needs to do to get that data where it needs to go increases
alongside it.
END OF LO1

THANK YOU
?
 Unit Two
Troubleshooting Network Problems

• This guide will also assist you to attain the

learning outcomes stated in the cover page.
Specifically, upon completion of this learning
guide, you will be able to:
Address help desk and other support services
request
Use network tool, network topology and protocols
Provide timely advise for users and clients
Complete support documentation.
 Addressing help desk and other support
services
The Most Common IT Help Desk Problems and Solutions
• The most common IT help desk problems typically sit in one of these
areas:
 User-Induced Problems
• The inability to login to a device or application or accidentally deleting
files on the hard drive, end user-induced problems are frequently occurring
IT help desk issues.
• In most of these situations, the root cause is usually:
 the lack of end-user training for using the device or application.
 It could also be a lack of internal processes, such as the lack of policy
for governing the use of the applications and devices at the office.
• Because of these gaps, you will have staff who will visit websites with
malware downloads in order to stream the NBA Playoffs for free, or click
attachments from phishing emails.
Cont.
 Network & Shared Device Problems
• IT help desk often requests to fix the Wi-Fi, printers, and other shared or
common devices in the office. A down network or printer could bottleneck
your operations, so solving them is usually an urgent issue for IT help desks.
 Application Issues
• Applications such as MS Excel, or web-based software as a service users will
forward error messages, login problems, and other issues to tech support as
well.
 Virus Remediation
• Generally, a result of downloading malware through unapproved web
browsing or from phishing emails, virus remediation is also a major task for
IT help desks. In some cases, the IT team will only discover the virus after
basic troubleshooting, i.e., the employee who brought the device in
(complaining about computer problems) didn’t know about the virus.
 Using network tools
Command-Line Tools
• On Windows PCs, the command prompt can be accessed by
searching for it in the start menu or by typing “cmd” into the
Run window.
Cont.
• The following commands can be entered into the command
prompt one at a time to reveal specific information about the
network status:
 Ping(Packet Internet Groper) — A TCP/IP utility that
transmits a datagram to another host, specified in the command.
If the network is functioning properly, the receiving host returns
the datagram.
 Tracert/ traceroute —A TCP/IP utility that determines the route
data takes to get to a particular destination. This tool can help
you to determine where you are losing packets in the network,
helping to identify problems.
Cont.
 nslookup — A DNS utility that displays the
IP address of a hostname or vice versa. This
tool is useful for identifying problems
involving DNS name resolution.
 ipconfig — A Windows TCP/IP utility that
verifies network settings and connections. It
can tell you a host’s IP address, subnet mask
and default gateway, alongside other important
network information.
Cont.
 netstat — A utility that shows the status of each active
network connection. This tool is useful for finding out what
services are running on a particular system.
 pathping — A TCP/IP command that provides information
about latency and packet loss on a network. It can help you
troubleshoot issues related to network packet loss.
 nmap You can use it to monitor remote network
connections and get specific information about the network.
 route — A command that enables manual updating of the
routing table. It can be used to troubleshoot static routing
problems in a network.
Network Troubleshooting Applications
• Some of these applications may be included in the system that you are
working with, while others may need to be installed separately.
 Packet Sniffer —You can use this application to analyze traffic on the
network, figure out which ports are open and identify network
vulnerabilities.
 Port Scanner — Looks for open ports on the target device and gathers
information, including what services are running on a given port and
information about the operating system on that machine.
 Protocol Analyzer — Integrates diagnostic and reporting capabilities
to provide a comprehensive view of an organization's network.
Cont.
 Wi-Fi Analyzer — Detects devices and points
of interference in a Wi-Fi signal. This tool can
help you to troubleshoot issues in network
connectivity over a wireless network.
 Bandwidth Speed Tester — Tests the
bandwidth and latency of a user’s internet
connection.
Identifying and solve network problems
• There are many problems that can affect network performance, and some of them
are very complex to identify and understand.
Diagnosing the Most Common Network Issues
• Let’s break down some of the most common resource issues:
 Network Equipment & Devices: Sometimes, network issues occur within network
equipment or devices like Firewalls, Routers, Switches, Wi-Fi APs. Problems can
be due to bad configurations, faulty connections, and even packet loss.
 High CPU Usage: The most common cause of high CPU usage is when your
network becomes bogged down by enormous amounts of traffic. CPU usage can
increase drastically when processes require more time to execute or when a larger
number of network packets are sent and received throughout your network.
• High Bandwidth Usage: When someone or something on your network begins
monopolizing bandwidth by downloading gigabytes worth of data, possibly by
video, it creates a congestion in your network.
 Providing timely advice for users and
clients
• Providing accurate and timely information to customers is a key skill for any
support role. It can help you build trust, loyalty, and satisfaction among your
clients, as well as improve your own efficiency and productivity. To do this;
 Use the right tools and resources -One of the first steps to provide accurate and
timely information to customers is to use the right tools and resources for your
support role. This can include software platforms, knowledge bases, FAQs,
manuals, guides, and other sources of information.
 Communicate clearly and empathetically -Another important aspect of
providing accurate and timely information to customers is to communicate
clearly and empathetically. This means using simple and concise language,
avoiding jargon and technical terms, and confirming that the customer
understands your message.
 Follow up and ask for feedback -A final way to provide accurate and timely
information to customers is to follow up and ask for feedback. This means
checking in with the customer after you have provided them.
Cont.
Completing support documentation
• The importance of support documentation
becomes very clear when you have to sit down
and troubleshoot a network from top to
bottom. Or when there’s a changing of the
guard at your company. New management
wants to see what you’re doing with your
network. Or new IT staff need to be brought
up to speed quickly.
END OF LO2
THANK YOU
 Unit Three
Carry Out Maintenance Support
• After completion of this learning guide, you
will be able to:

 Conduct diagnostic tests

 Complete maintenance

 Store or dispose components

 Conducting diagnostic tests

Diagnosing network problems

• The potential source of a network problem can be classified into one
of three main categories:
 Hardware failure
 Configuration error
 Traffic overload
• A general diagnostic method can be used to determine the potential
source of a network problem:
 Check for connectivity between all IP addresses in the network using
the ping command.
 If there are IP addresses that fail the connectivity test it might be a
hardware failure or configuration error that is causing the network
problem.
Cont.
 Check for hardware errors on the devices assigned to those IP
addresses. You can use the errpt -a command on each node
suspected of network issues to view the system error log.
 Correct the errors and perform the connectivity test again.
 If the test fails after correcting hardware errors, it might be a
configuration error causing the network problem.
 Check all of the configuration settings on the failed devices
 If the connectivity test is successful, the network problem
might be caused by traffic overload.
 To diagnose this problem, you need to perform a network
performance.
Cont.
 Completing maintenance
• Complete coverage of all network support and maintenance tasks requires
a range of expertise and skills. While there may be some overlap in
responsibilities, typical key IT roles that handle maintenance include:
 Network technician. These professionals are typically responsible for
installing, configuring, and troubleshooting network devices and
hardware, as well as for checking physical connections and cables.
 Network engineer. Engineers tend to focus on maintaining network
architecture as a whole, addressing specific aspects or devices as
needed to ensure smooth operations.
 Network administrator. People in this role manage the complete
infrastructure of a network, including maintenance.
Storing or disposing components
• Whether you are upgrading your network, replacing faulty devices, or
consolidating your infrastructure, you need to dispose of the obsolete
equipment in a safe and responsible way.
• some of the best practices for disposing of old network hardware, including
data security, environmental impact, and legal compliance.
Data security
• One of the most important aspects of disposing of old network hardware is
ensuring that the data stored on it is erased or destroyed. Network devices
such as routers, switches, firewalls, and servers may contain sensitive
information such as passwords, configurations, logs, and user data.
Environmental impact
• Another aspect of disposing of old network hardware is minimizing the
environmental impact. Network devices contain various materials and
components that can be harmful to the environment and human health
 Cont.
Legal compliance
• A third aspect of disposing of old network
hardware is complying with the legal
requirements and standards for data protection
and waste management. Depending on your
industry, location, and type of data, you may
have to follow certain laws and regulations
that govern how you handle and dispose of old
network hardware.
END OF THIS
MODULE
THANK YOU
Do you Have any
Questions?