Basic Tools to Help You Troubleshoot Networking Issues

Network troubleshooting tools are essential for every network administrator. As you start your networking journey, it’s important to gather a variety of tools that can troubleshoot different network conditions.

While the use of specific tools may vary by engineer, we selected tools for this article based on their general usefulness and common application.

Here are the basic tools that can help you troubleshoot most networking issues.

Ping

The ping utility is the most commonly used network tool. It performs a basic connectivity test between the requesting host and the destination host. It sends an echo packet using the Internet Control Message Protocol (ICMP) and listens for a response. If the requesting host receives a response, it confirms the destination host is reachable.

Tracert/Traceroute

Once you’ve used the ping utility to check connectivity, use tracert/traceroute to get more detailed information about the path to the destination host. These tools show the route the packet takes and the response times of intermediate hosts. The tracert utility works for Windows, while traceroute is for Linux and Unix-based systems.

Ipconfig/Ifconfig

When troubleshooting networking issues, it’s crucial to identify the specific IP configuration of the affected hosts. If static addressing is configured, this information is known. However, with dynamic addressing, the IP address may change frequently.

Nslookup

Many networking issues stem from DNS resolution problems. DNS converts domain names (like google.com) into IP addresses (like 74.125.115.147). When DNS fails, you can’t access the services you rely on. The nslookup utility lets you look up IP addresses for domain names. If it can’t resolve the information, a DNS issue is present. It can also query specific DNS servers to identify problems with the default DNS configuration.

DNS Lookup

The DNS Lookup tool retrieves domain name records. Use it to help diagnose DNS problems. If you can’t return a domain’s records, you know where to start troubleshooting.

Email Checker

The Email Checker tool tests the validity and reachability of an email address. It ensures the address is syntactically valid and reachable via an SMTP server. Use it when verifying email lists or checking for invalid addresses.

HTTP Headers

The HTTP Headers tool shows you what headers are returned by a web server for a domain name or IP address. If your HTTP connections behave oddly, use this tool to troubleshoot the domain. It also helps you check for redirection and optimize links.

URL Encode/Decode

Use URL Encode to include special characters in your URL. This ensures the URL remains valid. Conversely, use URL Decode to convert an encoded URL into a more readable form.

WHOIS Search

If you want to know who owns a domain name, use the WHOIS query tool. It queries multiple domain registrars’ databases. If the owner has hidden their information, you can still find forwarding details.

To learn more about basic tools that can help you troubleshoot most networking issues, visit HawksCode and Easyshiksha.

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