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Network Troubleshooting with NetTraceX

· 4 min read
LAVAN J V
LAVAN J V
Core Developer & Maintainer

Network issues can be frustrating, but with the right tools and approach, you can quickly identify and resolve problems. In this guide, we'll walk through common network troubleshooting scenarios using NetTraceX.

Common Network Issues​

1. Connectivity Problems​

Symptoms: Can't reach websites, slow loading, timeouts

Diagnosis Steps:

# 1. Test basic connectivity
nettracex ping google.com

# 2. Check DNS resolution
nettracex dns google.com

# 3. Trace the network path
nettracex traceroute google.com

What to Look For:

  • High latency in ping results
  • DNS resolution failures
  • Hops timing out in traceroute

2. SSL Certificate Issues​

Symptoms: Browser warnings, certificate errors, HTTPS failures

Diagnosis Steps:

# Check SSL certificate
nettracex ssl google.com

# Check certificate chain
nettracex ssl --check-chain github.com

What to Look For:

  • Expired certificates
  • Invalid certificate chains
  • Mismatched hostnames

3. DNS Problems​

Symptoms: Can't resolve domain names, slow DNS lookups

Diagnosis Steps:

# Test different record types
nettracex dns --types A,AAAA,MX,TXT google.com

# Test with different DNS servers
nettracex dns --server 8.8.8.8 google.com
nettracex dns --server 1.1.1.1 google.com

What to Look For:

  • Missing A or AAAA records
  • Inconsistent DNS responses
  • Slow DNS resolution times

Troubleshooting Workflow​

Step 1: Basic Connectivity Test​

Start with a simple ping to establish basic connectivity:

nettracex ping --count 10 --interval 1s google.com

Expected Results:

  • Low latency (< 100ms for local networks)
  • No packet loss
  • Consistent response times

Step 2: DNS Resolution Check​

Verify that domain names are resolving correctly:

nettracex dns google.com

Expected Results:

  • A and AAAA records present
  • Fast resolution time
  • Consistent results

Step 3: Network Path Analysis​

Trace the network path to identify bottlenecks:

nettracex traceroute --max-hops 20 google.com

What to Look For:

  • High latency at specific hops
  • Timeouts or packet loss
  • Unusual routing paths

Step 4: SSL Certificate Verification​

For HTTPS issues, check SSL certificates:

nettracex ssl google.com

What to Look For:

  • Valid certificate
  • Proper certificate chain
  • Correct hostname

Advanced Troubleshooting​

Using Interactive Mode​

For continuous monitoring, use interactive mode:

nettracex interactive

Benefits:

  • Real-time updates
  • Multiple tools in one session
  • Easy switching between hosts
  • Export results in various formats

Custom Configuration​

Create a troubleshooting configuration:

# config/troubleshooting.yaml
network:
  timeout: 30s
  retry_count: 3
  dns_servers:
    - "8.8.8.8"
    - "1.1.1.1"
    - "1.0.0.1"

plugins:
  ping:
    count: 10
    interval: 1s
    timeout: 5s
  traceroute:
    max_hops: 30
    timeout: 5s
  dns:
    timeout: 10s
    retry_count: 3

Run with custom configuration:

nettracex --config config/troubleshooting.yaml

Batch Operations​

Test multiple hosts simultaneously:

# Create a host list
echo "google.com
github.com
stackoverflow.com" > hosts.txt

# Test all hosts
for host in $(cat hosts.txt); do
  echo "Testing $host"
  nettracex ping $host
  nettracex dns $host
done

Common Solutions​

DNS Issues​

Problem: Slow or failed DNS resolution

Solutions:

  1. Change DNS servers
  2. Flush DNS cache
  3. Check DNS server configuration
# Test with different DNS servers
nettracex dns --server 8.8.8.8 google.com
nettracex dns --server 1.1.1.1 google.com

High Latency​

Problem: Slow network performance

Solutions:

  1. Check for network congestion
  2. Verify routing paths
  3. Test with different protocols
# Test with different packet sizes
nettracex ping --packet-size 56 google.com
nettracex ping --packet-size 1500 google.com

SSL Certificate Issues​

Problem: Certificate errors or warnings

Solutions:

  1. Check certificate validity
  2. Verify certificate chain
  3. Check hostname matching
# Check certificate details
nettracex ssl --check-expiry google.com
nettracex ssl --check-chain google.com

Best Practices​

1. Regular Monitoring​

Set up regular network monitoring:

# Create a monitoring script
#!/bin/bash
nettracex ping google.com
nettracex dns google.com
nettracex ssl google.com

2. Documentation​

Keep records of network performance:

# Export results for documentation
nettracex ping google.com --export json --output ping-results.json
nettracex dns google.com --export csv --output dns-results.csv

3. Automation​

Automate routine checks:

# Add to cron for regular checks
0 */6 * * * /path/to/nettracex ping google.com

Conclusion​

NetTraceX provides powerful tools for network troubleshooting. By following a systematic approach and using the right tools for each scenario, you can quickly identify and resolve network issues.

Remember:

  • Start with basic connectivity tests
  • Use multiple diagnostic tools
  • Document your findings
  • Monitor regularly for proactive maintenance

For more advanced features and configuration options, check out our complete documentation.

Have questions or need help? Join our Discord community or open an issue on GitHub.