You’re a network administrator. How can you find the root cause of a network problem?

1. Collect as much information as possible from users experiencing the issue, including the time the problem started, the nature of the problem, and any error messages. 2. Identify Symptoms. Determine if the issue is isolated to specific users, locations, or devices or if it is widespread. 3. Try to reproduce the problem yourself to understand its nature and scope better.

In my experience, defining the problem is a critical stage that determines the direction of troubleshooting. Here are a few things to consider while characterizing the problem. 1. Why do we state there is a problem, and what is expected behaviour? 2. Were any environmental changes ? 3. Since when have we been experiencing this problem? 4. Who reported this problem, and how did it initially appear?

Based on the problem definition, we can conduct an infra analysis. 1. If we know when the original problem was discovered, we can determine whether there were any errors or events in the infra within that time period. 2. Use several tools, such as traceroute or ping, to view the connectivity and devices involved. 3. Based on step two, compare the expected and current topology. 4. Check if there is a routing convergence or physical issue by logging in to the devices or using the tools.

Based on the Infra analysis . We can see the deviation in the infra . After the deviations are narrowed down then we can isolate a deviation whether that is causing the issue in the infra .

Check Recent Changes. Determine if the issue began after a recent change in the network configuration, software updates, or hardware additions. Think about segmentation. If applicable, isolate different network segments (e.g., Wi-Fi, LAN, WAN) to identify where the issue occurs.

After determining which deviation is causing the problem. Then, based on the logs and other network events, we need to determine what caused the network deviation.

Possible issues: 1. Hardware Issues. Check for failures in network devices like routers, switches, and hubs. Look for signs such as unresponsive devices, rebooting, or error indicators. 2. Software Issues. Look for bugs, misconfigurations, or compatibility issues in network operating systems, drivers, or applications. 3. Network Traffic. Use network monitoring tools to analyze traffic patterns for signs of overutilization, abnormal traffic, or security breaches.

Implementing a solution is equally critical, and we must ensure that we are not generating other problems while fixing this one. We need to examine the solution and the modifications it will cause in the infrastructure. We also need to understand if we can implement in the live environment, or if we need to take a break to install these in the infrastructure.

Once you've identified the root cause, apply the necessary fix, whether reconfiguring a device, replacing faulty hardware, or updating software. If a permanent fix isn't immediately available, implement a temporary workaround to restore functionality in the meantime. Confirm with the users that the problem is resolved. Monitor the network performance to ensure the fix has resolved the issue without introducing new problems.