A network administrator is investigating severe application response delays and dropped connections on a critical database server connected via a Category 6 UTP cable drop. The administrator suspects both physical Layer 1 signal degradation along the cable run and Layer 4 transmission issues caused by excessive dropped segments. Which TWO of the following diagnostic tools or analyzer techniques should the administrator utilize to isolate the root causes at both layers? (Select TWO.)
- Connect a Time-Domain Reflectometer (TDR) to measure signal reflections and pinpoint the precise distance to impedance mismatches or cable breaks.Answer
- Apply a packet analyzer display filter for TCP analysis flags to identify duplicate acknowledgments and retransmissions.Answer
- CUse a simple tone generator and probe kit to measure signal attenuation and Near-End Crosstalk (NEXT) across the twisted pairs.
- DAttach a loopback plug to the workstation network adapter to analyze transport-layer window size adjustments and TCP header flags.
Answer
The administrator should use a Time-Domain Reflectometer (TDR) to locate physical cabling defects and apply a packet analyzer display filter for TCP analysis flags to verify Layer 4 packet loss.
Isolating physical copper issues requires a Time-Domain Reflectometer (TDR), which measures signal reflections to calculate distance to cable faults. Simultaneously, diagnosing Layer 4 connection drops requires a packet analyzer filtering for TCP retransmission and duplicate ACK flags to measure segment loss.
Step-by-Step Solution
Key Concept
Combining hardware diagnostic tools (TDR) with packet capture analysis (Wireshark/tcpdump) to isolate multi-layer network failures.