About This Guide

This guide helps you to troubleshoot connectivity and performance problems on your network using Transcend^® Network Management Software and other tools.

This guide is intended for network administrators who understand networking technologies and how to integrate networking devices. You should have a working knowledge of:

• Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

• Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP)

• Network management platforms

• 3Com devices on your network

You should also be familiar with the interface and features of the Transcend Network Management Software that you have installed.

With subsequent releases of Transcend management software, this guide will be updated with new troubleshooting information and additional Transcend troubleshooting tools. The most current version of this guide is on the 3Com Web site under the Support:

http://www.3com.com

This guide, which is available online in Portable Document Format (PDF) and HyperText Markup Language (HTML) formats and in paper, is designed to be used online. For the online version, cross-references to other sections are indicated with links in blue, underlined text, which you can click. You can print any pages as needed.

Table 1 provides guidelines for navigating through this document.

Table 1 Guidelines for Finding Specific Information in This Guide

If you are looking for	See
An introduction to network troubleshooting, information about troubleshooting tools, and guidelines for getting ready for management	Part I: "Before Troubleshooting" Note: This part is recommended reading for users who are new to network management.
Specific troubleshooting scenarios to help you solve real network problems	Part II: "Network Connectivity Problems and Solutions" Part III: "Network Performance Problems and Solutions"
Useful background information to help you with troubleshooting tasks	Part IV: "Reference"

This guide demonstrates how to troubleshoot problems on your network with the help of Transcend and other tools. It also shows you how to use Transcend to move beyond day-to-day troubleshooting to proactive network management.

This guide is not intended to help you identify and correct problems with installation and use of Transcend software. For that type of troubleshooting, see:

• The Transcend Network Control Services Installation Guide (for help with installation and startup problems)

• The Help or user guide for a specific application (for information about troubleshooting application problems)

This guide focuses on technologies to troubleshoot your network and demonstrates how these technologies are applied using Transcend management software.

Table 2 and Table 3 list conventions that are used throughout this guide.

Table 2 Notice Icons

Icon	Notice Type	Description
	Information note	Information that describes important features or instructions
	Caution	Information that alerts you to potential loss of data or potential damage to an application, system, or device
	Warning	Information that alerts you to potential personal injury

Table 3 Text Conventions

Convention	Description
Screen displays	This typeface represents information as it appears on the screen.
Syntax	The word "syntax" means that you must evaluate the syntax provided and then supply the appropriate values for the placeholders that appear in angle brackets. Example: To enable RIPIP, use the following syntax: SETDefault !<port> -RIPIP CONTrol = Listen In this example, you must supply a port number for <port>.
Commands	The word "command" means that you must enter the command exactly as shown and then press Return or Enter. Commands appear in bold. Example: To remove the IP address, enter the following command: SETDefault !0 -IP NETaddr = 0.0.0.0
The words "enter" and "type"	When you see the word "enter" in this guide, you must type something, and then press Return or Enter. Do not press Return or Enter when an instruction simply says "type."
Keyboard key names	If you must press two or more keys simultaneously, the key names are linked with a plus sign (+). Example: Press Ctrl+Alt+Del
Words in italics	Italics are used to: Emphasize a point. Denote a new term at the place where it is defined in the text. Identify menu names, menu commands, and software button names. Examples: From the Help menu, select Contents. Click OK.

Many devices of the CoreBuilder family consist of some 3Com devices that previously belonged to different 3Com brands. These devices are known by their new CoreBuilder names in the Transcend^® NCS software. See Table 4.

Table 4 3Com Device Name Changes

Previous name	New name
Cellplex® 7000	CoreBuilder 7000
LANplex 2500	CoreBuilder 2500
LANplex 6000	CoreBuilder 6000
ONcore hubs	CoreBuilder 5000 hubs
ONcore Controller and Management modules	CoreBuilder 5000 Controller and Management modules
ONcore FastModule	CoreBuilder 5000 FastModule
ONcore SwitchModule	CoreBuilder 5000 SwitchModule

The following documents provide background and related information about local-area networking and internetworking, SNMP-based network management, and 3Com enterprise computing technology.

Most user guides and release notes are available in Adobe Acrobat Reader Portable Document Format (PDF) or HTML on the 3Com World Wide Web site:

http://www.3com.com/

This guide is complemented by other 3Com documents, Help systems, and World Wide Web (WWW) documents.

User Guides

The following documents are shipped with your Transcend NCS software as printed books:

• Transcend Network Control Services Introduction to Transcend Network Management, Version 5.0 for UNIX

• Transcend Network Control Services Installation Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

• Transcend Network Control Services Network Administration Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

• Transcend Management Software Network Troubleshooting Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

• Transcend Network Control Services Release Notes, Version 5.0 for UNIX

• Transcend Network Control Services on the Web Quick Tour, Version 5.0 for UNIX

The following documents are shipped with your Transcend NCS software on the CD-ROM entitled Transcend Network Control Services Online Documentation Set:

• Inventory Management

  • Transcend Network Control Services Transcend Central User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

• Configuration Management

  • Transcend Network Control Services Network Admin Tools User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

  • Transcend Network Control Services Device View User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

  • Transcend Network Control Services NETBuilder Management Application Suite User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

  • Transcend Network Control Services Token Ring Manager User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

  • Transcend Network Control Services Enterprise VLAN Manager User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

  • Transcend Network Control Service PathBuilder Switch Manager User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

  • Transcend Network Control Services Total Control Manager/SNMP User Guide

• Monitoring and Reporting

  • Transcend Network Control Services Status Watch User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

  • Transcend Network Control Services LANsentry Manager User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

  • Transcend Network Control Services LANsentry Reporter User Guide, Version 5.0 for UNIX

Each Transcend NCS application contains a Help system that describes how to use all the features of the application. Help includes window descriptions, step-by-step instructions, conceptual information, and troubleshooting tips for that application.

You can access Help from:

• The Help menu in any application by selecting Help Topics (in the Help Topics window, you can view the Contents and Index)

• A Help button in windows and dialog boxes

• Your 3Com/Transcnd/Help directory (or the directory that you have set for your Transcend software installation)

The following 3Com Web resources provide additional information about Transcend Network Control Services:

• 3Com Network Management Solution Center -- Contains a range of information about 3Com's network management solutions including Transcend Network Control Services, Total Control Manager, Transcend Traffix Manager, Transcend dRMON Edge Monitor, InfoVista, and Transcend Enterprise Monitor hardware probes for Ethernet and Token Ring networks.

  http://www.3com.com/products/trans_net_man.html

• 3Com Support -- Provides access to technical support and includes data sheets, support tips, Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) documents, user guides, release notes, and software downloads.

  http://infodeli.3com.com/

• Document Center -- Contains useful links to news, technical briefs, case studies, solutions guides, and product data sheets.

  http://www.3com.com/util/dcenter.html

• Technology Center -- Contains up-to-the-minute white papers, strategic overviews, and in-depth tutorials about networking technologies and innovations.

  http://www.3com.com/technology/index.html

• Networking Glossary -- Explains networking terms and acronyms.

  http://www.3com.com/nsc/glossary/main.htm

For information on Year 2000 compliance and 3Com products, visit the 3Com Year 2000 Web page:

http://www.3com.com/products/yr2000.html