This comprehensive handbook provides the latest protocol information and troubleshooting strategies to help you keep your network running at peak performance. Network Analysis and Troubleshooting features proven network analysis techniques and experience-based strategies for isolating and solving network problems. This useful guide cuts to the chase by focusing on the most pertinent protocol packet formats you need to know to troubleshoot and optimize networks.

Network Analysis and Troubleshooting uses a proven "bottom-up" troubleshooting methodology that examines in detail each network layer--physical, data link, network, transport, session, presentation, and application--revealing the problems and solutions specific to each layer. This book also discusses the role of the protocol analyzer to measure and baseline throughput and latency, identify bottlenecks, and determine server and client response times. Numerous practical tips, diagrams, case studies, and trace file snapshots illustrate important concepts and techniques.

You will find essential information on such topics as:

• Wiring and cable testing issues
• Transmission encoding techniques
• Dissecting the IEEE 48-bit MAC address
• The impact of different types of broadcast traffic
• Operational details and analysis considerations for switches
• Ethernet and Token Ring operational details and analysis
• The IEEE 802.2 LLC protocol (explored in full)
• Datagrams and routing
• IP specifics, including addressing, subnets, and the role of ICMP
• IPX operation and analysis
• UDP, TCP, SPX, and SPX II protocol analysis
• How different protocols find resources via NetBIOS, SAP, and DNS
• Logon sequencing for various protocol stacks
• DHCP, SMB, NCP, NFS, FTP, HTTP, and NT Browse protocol analysis and troubleshooting
• Baselining throughput and latency, including understanding the "latency wedge"

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