20.3. The Troubleshooting Model

When troubleshooting a network, it helps to have a plan of attack. An effective way to go about troubleshooting a network uses a combination of the scientific method and the technique of divide and conquer.

The scientific method of troubleshooting is based on forming hypotheses and testing them. Using your knowledge of the symptoms and of how networks operate, you form one or more hypotheses to explain the behavior you are seeing, and then perform tests to see if those hypotheses hold up.