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roubleshooting is a skill that takes time and experience to

fully develop. To be successful when trying to diagnose and repair network
failures, a good set of troubleshooting tools and skills is essential.

This chapter emphasizes the importance of following a specific set of trou-

bleshooting steps when you try to diagnose and solve network problems. An
effective troubleshooting methodology is needed because of the complexity
of today's network environments. As a Cisco Certified Network Profes-
sional, you need to understand and be able to apply an efficient and system-
atic troubleshooting methodology. Otherwise, you would be required to
have a very intimate understanding of the network you are troubleshooting.
The ability to learn troubleshooting skills and understand the information
available to you while solving network problems is imperative.

The Complexity of Internetworks

hen a network failure occurs, time is of the essence. When a pro-

duction network goes down, several things are affected. The most important
of these is the bottom line--network failures cost money. A good example is
a call-center network. The company relies on the network to be available
for its employees so that they may take phone orders, answer inquiries, or
perform other business transactions that generate income. A failure in this
environment needs to be diagnosed and repaired in a timely manner. The
longer the network is down, the more money the company loses.

To minimize monetary and productivity losses, network failures must be

resolved quickly. Troubleshooting is an integral part of getting the problem

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