Layer 1 Troubleshooting: Common Physical-Layer Network Problems from Bad Cabling to Poor Installation

I thought it would be a good idea to start a series using the NetworkDataPedia’s theme of ‘knowing your network. 

Let’s start at layer 1 or the hardware layer.

Unfortunately, there is so much that can go wrong at this layer that I cant possibly cover it in one article.  I see a lot "you have a network connection and life will seem fine" attitude. This is unfortunate because if the problems would cause an complete outage, you would be forced to address it instead of ignoring it.

I find that many physical level issues are grouped into a few categories:

Installation and Support

FREE WIRESHARK CLASS - Lecture 5 - Hands on stuff

 

To celebrate my 10th year on youtube and to thank all those who watch, like, share and subscribe i wanted to give you a gift. 2 years ago i created a Wireshark class for Udemy which was very popular.

FREE WIRESHARK CLASS - Lecture 4 - Navigation

 

To celebrate my 10th year on youtube and to thank all those who watch, like, share and subscribe i wanted to give you a gift. 2 years ago i created a Wireshark class for Udemy which was very popular.

Book Review: 'Startup Myths and Models' by Rizwan Virk — Using the Hero's Journey to Understand Startups (Paul Smith)

 

• Type “Startup” into Amazon book search and you’ll get over 20,000 hits. In this crowded field, the path to producing a work of value is an epic journey. In Startup Myths and Models by Rizwan Virk, the author uses elements of legendary journeys to breathe life into his personal stories of building a business from the ground up. Riz has over 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur, investor and author, all of which offers clarity, insight, and in some cases personal life coaching for the nascent entrepreneur.

  The cover illustration hints at the key role of the Startup Model Lifecycle, used throughout the book to help entrepreneurs understand how their decisions are intimately connected to the phase their business is in. The text is organized according to the 6 main stages of Joseph Campbell’s Hero’s Journey, with standard business school models and common myths appearing along the way. As the title implies, it is the myths – those accepted rules of thumb that can also become a mental trap – that form the central theme distinguishing the book from others in this category.

Understanding TCP Bytes in Flight: How to Use This Wireshark Column to Troubleshoot Slow Transfers (Chris Greer)

Whenever I am troubleshooting throughput problems - especially in slow file transfers - the bytes in flight measurement in Wireshark usually helps to save the day. 

This is a custom column that I have added to my TCP Troubleshooting profiles and it always comes in handy. 

But how can I leverage it in troubleshooting? What does it really mean? And on what side of the connection should I capture?