A workstation in an office environment experiences intermittent network disconnection. A network technician decides to troubleshoot the issue using the bottom-up OSI model methodology, starting at Layer 1. Arrange the following diagnostic steps in the correct order from first (bottom layer) to last (top layer).
- 1Inspect the physical RJ-45 cable connection and verify link light activity on the network adapter.
- 2Check network adapter properties for frame errors, CRC errors, and duplex mode settings.
- 3Run ipconfig /all to confirm the assigned IP address, subnet mask, default gateway, and DHCP status.
- 4Perform a port connection test to verify that the target service port is open and accepting TCP connections.
- 5Open a web browser application to verify that the corporate web page loads correctly.
Answer
The correct order follows the bottom-up OSI model approach: first, inspect the physical RJ-45 connection and link lights (Layer 1); second, check adapter properties for frame errors and duplex settings (Layer 2); third, run ipconfig /all to verify IP configuration (Layer 3); fourth, perform a port test to confirm TCP connection capability (Layer 4); and fifth, open a web browser to test overall application access (Layer 7).
The bottom-up OSI troubleshooting approach systematically moves from Layer 1 through Layer 7. Physical connection checks (Layer 1) precede Data Link frame error checks (Layer 2), which are followed by Network IP address verification (Layer 3), Transport port connectivity testing (Layer 4), and finally Application software validation (Layer 7).
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Bottom-up troubleshooting methodology follows OSI layer order from Physical (Layer 1) up to Application (Layer 7).