Last updated on Aug 30, 2024

You're facing a network outage crisis. How do you navigate conflicting views on the solution?

When your network goes down, it's not just an inconvenience—it's a full-blown crisis. The clock is ticking, customers are frustrated, and the pressure is mounting to find a solution. But what happens when your team can't agree on the right course of action? Navigating conflicting views during a network outage requires a blend of technical savvy and interpersonal finesse. It's about understanding the problem, communicating effectively, and making decisions that balance urgency with accuracy.

1 Gather Facts

In the midst of a network outage, your first step is to collect all the relevant information. This means getting a clear understanding of the symptoms, the scope of the outage, and any recent changes to the network. It's crucial to differentiate between symptoms and root causes. For instance, users may report that they can't access the internet, which is a symptom. The root cause could be anything from a failed router to a cut fiber optic cable. Having all the facts at hand will help you assess the situation more accurately and make informed decisions.

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Hilario De Chaves

Senior Corporate Account Manager passionate about telecommunications 📞, SaaS 🌐, solar ☀️, & office automation 🖋. Dedicated to empowering clients for success.
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In the midst of a network outage, your first step is to collect all relevant information. Here are 5 key points to consider: 1: Identify Symptoms: Understand what issues users are experiencing. 2: Determine Scope: Assess how widespread the outage is. 3: Check Recent Changes: Note any recent network updates or modifications. 4: Differentiate Symptoms from Causes: Recognize that reported issues (e.g., no internet) are symptoms, not necessarily root causes. 5: Document Findings: Keep detailed records of all information gathered to aid in diagnosis and resolution.

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Piers Chapman

Prinicpal Support Engineer at Ericsson
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Prioritise what has to be done first. What actions must be taken to recover the most service as fast as possible. Define critcality of each action

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Richard Willis
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Ignore the heat, concentrate on what's feeding the fire. Evidence is what you act on, not urgency. Taking the right steps as soon as possible is more important than the appearance of immediate action.

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Larry Harris
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Gather facts, the information will lead to the root cause and fix action. The fact gathering needs to be in a logical method focused around your system and/or service.

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Steven Lin

Distinguished Member of Technical Staff II at Calix
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Try as we might to prevent them, network outages are a fact of life. It helps to have a plan up front that documents how to deal with them. Know what key information to collect ahead of time and how to obtain it. Keep in mind that you may have to resort to out-of-band management access, so make sure that access is working. A thorough plan will cover what to do in case out-of-band access is unavailable. No plan can cover all situations but it can help build confidence to deal with the unexpected.

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2 Assess Impact

Once you've gathered the necessary information, it's time to assess the impact of the outage. This involves determining which services are affected and how critical they are to your operations. Is it just email that's down, or has the entire customer management system gone offline? Understanding the severity of the issue will help prioritize your response efforts. It also sets the stage for clear communication with stakeholders, who will want to know how the outage is affecting business and what's being done to resolve it.

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3 Review Options

With a clear picture of the impact, you can now review the possible solutions. This is where conflicting views often emerge. Your network team might have different ideas about the best way to proceed—some may favor a quick fix to restore service immediately, while others might advocate for a more comprehensive solution that addresses underlying issues. It's important to consider the short-term and long-term implications of each option, weighing the benefits against the risks and potential for future outages.

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4 Communicate Clearly

Communication is key during a crisis. You need to keep everyone, from your team to your customers, informed about what's happening. This doesn't mean bombarding them with technical jargon; instead, explain the situation in clear, simple terms. For instance, instead of saying "We're experiencing BGP route hijacking," you could say "There's an issue with the way internet traffic is being directed, which is causing the outage." Clear communication helps prevent misunderstandings and builds trust that you're handling the situation effectively.

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Ing. Percy Venturo

Electronic Engineer specialized in Telecommunications Networks and Video Surveillance Systems
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La calma y serenidad es fundamental para la comunicación. Es cierto que en una situación crítica, el tiempo es crucial, pero por el afán apresurado de conseguir una solución, uno puede decir falsas expectativas por intentar salir del apuro o "inflar" el problema. Se debe hablar con objetividad y reunir los datos adecuados para tener un buen sustento

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5 Make Decisions

After reviewing all options and considering the input from your team, it's time to make a decision. This can be challenging when there are conflicting views, but it's important to base your decision on the facts and the overall impact on your service. Sometimes, this might mean going with a temporary fix to get services back online quickly, followed by a more permanent solution once the immediate crisis has passed. It's essential to be decisive yet flexible, ready to adapt if the situation changes.

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6 Implement Solution

Finally, once a decision has been made, it's time to implement the chosen solution. This could involve anything from rerouting traffic to replacing hardware. It's important to execute this step methodically to avoid further issues. Ensure that everyone involved knows their role and the steps they need to take. For example, if you're updating router configurations, you might use a code block like router(config)# no ip directed-broadcast to disable directed broadcasts on Cisco routers, which could mitigate certain network attacks.

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Felicia Young
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1. I gather the formation on the issue. Troubleshooting is the process of elemenation. And it the best way to identify what is; is to identify what it is not. The first step in troubleshooting a network is to identify the problem. 1. Gather information 2. Duplicate the problem 3. Question users 4. Identify the symptoms 5. Determine if anything has changed in the network before the issues appeared. 6. identify each individual issue so that your solutions to one aren’t bogged down by other unsolved problems. Run necessary tests: ping, traceroute, ipconfig, arp, etc etc. Come up with a possible solution and test that solution.

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You're facing a network outage crisis. How do you navigate conflicting views on the solution?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Gather Facts

2 Assess Impact

3 Review Options

4 Communicate Clearly

5 Make Decisions

6 Implement Solution

Telecommunication Services

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You're facing a network outage crisis. How do you navigate conflicting views on the solution?

1

2

3

4

5

6

1 Gather Facts

2 Assess Impact

3 Review Options

4 Communicate Clearly

5 Make Decisions

6 Implement Solution

Telecommunication Services

Rate this article

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