Understanding the network.pdf - Back to Home

1. Look at the big picture and then figure out what perspective you have. Ask
yourself, "Do I refer to all carbonated beverages as soda, pop, or Coke?" Say
things like, "Is there a problem with the network?" These generalizations are
commonly used in human communication. They serve as a type of shorthand
used under the assumption that the speaker and the party being addressed
both understand the meaning. This kind of communication is common when
users report problems. Users tend to generalize and use generic claims like,
"The network is down," and assume that you immediately know the problem.
To realize that this is happening, you must look at the big picture. Figuring
out what you are looking at involves asking the user effective questions that
actually describe the problem. Although this might be frustrating at times,
without accurate information, it is not possible to effectively troubleshoot a
problem.
2. Ask the right questions. When you talk to the user about the problem, ask
the right questions and listen to the answers. It can save you time. Because
the problem occurs with the user, in most cases, he or she is your best
source of information. Some examples of the kinds of questions you should
ask are as follows:
o Can you describe the actual problem being experienced? (Be sure to
get a list of applications and services used when the problem
occurred.)
o Has the problem occurred previously?
o Is it a chronic problem? If so, how long have you been experiencing
it?
o If it is chronic, does it occur in along with another event that might or
might not be related?
o Is it an isolated problem, or is it being experienced by other users in
your local area?
o Can you replicate the problem?
o Have any changes been made to your workstation recently?
3. After you figure out what you are looking at, be sure to map it out. When
getting the details of the problem from the user, take notes, draw a picture,
do whatever you need to get the facts straight. Returning to a user later to
ask the same questions again is unprofessional. After talking with the user,
identify the various components that are related to the problem. For
example, if the user is having problems sending SMTP mail, identify the
components involved in sending mail from the user's workstation. Then,
check your notes and see what information you have that might pertain to
components involved in the operation. For instance, when you asked the
user if he had problems sending all mail messages, just messages to users
within the company, or just users outside the company, he indicated that the
problem was only with sending messages to users outside the company. This
condition could relate to the SMTP relay host and perhaps the firewall (if one
were in use).