Teaching/developing troubleshooting skills

Thu Jun 24 23:29:16 UTC 2004

Hi Pete,
	If you have a test lab, a good thing would be to setup a
complete functional network. Show the engineer how it's configured. Then
have them leave the room and then break it. Send them back in to look at
what is wrong. As they move through the process, help them by guiding
them through the troubleshooting process in a mentoring fashion, help
them analyze and break apart the problem.

LP

Best Regards,

Larry

Larry Pingree

"Visionary people, are visionary, partly because of the great many
things they never get to see." - Larry Pingree

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-nanog at merit.edu [mailto:owner-nanog at merit.edu] On Behalf Of
Pete Kruckenberg
Sent: Thursday, June 24, 2004 4:09 PM
To: nanog at merit.edu
Subject: Teaching/developing troubleshooting skills

I'm working on trying to teach others in my group (usually
less-experienced, but not always) how to improve their
large-network troubleshooting skills (the techniques of
isolating a problem, etc).

It's been so long since I learned network troubleshooting
techniques I can't remember how I learned them or even how I
used to do it (so poorly).

Does anyone have experience with developing a
skills-improvement program on this topic? If you've tried
such a thing, what worked/didn't work for you? Outside
training? Books? Mentoring? Motivational posters?

I'm particularly sensitive to the "I got my CCNA, therefore
I know everything there is to know about troubleshooting"  
perspective, and how to encourage improving troubleshooting
skills without making it insultingly basic.

Thanks for your help.
Pete.