Basic Ethernet Network Analysis using the OBSERVER® Analyzer

This 2 day course is geared to teach students solid, network management skills using a network analyzer. The class provides a logical troubleshooting approach to capturing and analyzing data frames. Armed with this knowledge, students can effectively troubleshoot, maintain, optimize and monitor network traffic and keep your network operating at its peak performance.

Objective:

Learn to use a network analyzer to discover where problems exist and to take the appropriate action to find solutions. Be familiar with and understand the 802.3 Ethernet specifications, principles, and physical layer components. Recognize differences between problems in the network and problems in upper-layer application processes. Quickly determine the approach for troubleshooting Ethernet by understanding the concepts that define the Ethernet environment. Understand how to use a network analyzer in switched, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit and 10G Ethernet environments

Course Agenda - Day 1

- Remote Visibility and probes

- Probe Instances and Probe Properties

- Probe Memory management and Security

- Configuring Probe Instances and Redirection

- Software and Hardware Probe Types

- Acquiring Data in a switched environment (SPAN, TAPs, Aggregation TAPs)

- Network Baseline Techniques

- Response Time Measurement (Determining Network Latency)

- Identifying Common Network Problems

- Seven Layer OSI Model

- How to drive Observer (Menus, Icons, Mode Button Bar)

- Discovering Network Names (Layer 2 and Layer 3)

- Ethernet Standards

- 802.3 and Version 2 Ethernet

- Manchester signal encoding

- Ethernet frame formats

- Frame type interoperability

- Analyzer configurations for Ethernet

- Function of MAC and physical layers in frame transmission and reception

- Physical and Data Link layers (CSMA/CD, Collision detection, Repeaters and Hubs)

- Concentrators and Category 5 Cabling

- 10BASE-T, 10BASE-2, 10BASE-5, 100BASE-T, 1000BASE-T

- Fast Ethernet Back Pressure and Gigabit Ethernet Pause Frames

- Auto Negotiation

- Timing specifications (Collision domains, Propagation speed, 5-4-3 rule)

- Troubleshooting methods (Propagation delay, Retransmissions)

- Legitimate vs. late collisions, Signal reflection, Electrical noise, Hardware problems

- Hub jam, Frame corruption, Fast Ethernet Collisions

- Protocol Functions, Addressing Functions

- Logical Link Layer Control (LLC)

- Routers

Course Agenda - Day 2

- Focused Analysis (Capturing and Analyzing Traffic)

- Packet Decode Viewer

- Finding Frames / Go-to Frames

- Filtering (Pre, Post, Capture)

- Bridges and Switches

- Spanning Tree

- VLAN Tagging

- Real Time Statistics (Cross Mode Drill Down)

- Monitoring Functions

- Protocol Distribution and adding to the list

- Router Observer

- Network Monitoring

- Network Trending

- Trending Reports

- Triggers and Alarms

- Traffic Generation

- Expert Observer

- Setting Expert Thresholds

- Expert Help

- Connection Dynamics

- SSL Decryption

- Stream Reconstruction

- Server Analysis

- What if Analysis

- Multi Hop Analysis

- Netflow and Sflow

- Gigastor Navigation and Setup

- Observer Suite

- SNMP Management Console

- Switch Station Locator

- Web Extension

- Web Reporting

- RMON Console