Chapter 16: Troubleshooting; Troubleshooting Common Issues - Network Instruments GigaStor User Manual

Chapter 16: Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting common issues

Use the information in this section to assist you if you have a problem with your probe not connecting to your
analyzer, your probe does not have a network adapter available, or if you are using an nTAP and want to capture
NetFlow traffic or several other common issues. If you feel your probe is slow, see Troubleshooting a slow probe
system (page 85).
Although most installations of Observer proceed without any trouble, due to the vast number of network
configurations and hardware/software options that Observer supports, sometimes difficulty arises.
If you experience trouble in setting up Observer, keep a number of things in mind.
First and foremost, try to simplify your configuration in any way possible. This means if you have a screen saver
loaded, disable it. If you are running some network add-on peer-to-peer jet engine turbo stimulator, remove it.
This does not mean that you will not be able to use Observer with your other products but, if you can determine
where the problem is, you can focus on that piece of the puzzle and you may be well on your way to solving the
problem.
Second, do not trust anyone or anything. The only way to really know what your hardware settings are is to have
the card or device in one hand and the documentation in the other. Programs which discover interrupts and
other settings only function properly when everything is working correctly — exactly when you do not need
them. Do not blindly trust other network drivers — they may or may not be reporting the correct information.
Third, do not, under any circumstances, share interrupts, I/O ports, or memory addresses between adapters. No
matter what has worked before or what might work in the future, sharing interrupts or memory settings is not a
valid configuration.
Troubleshooting checklist:
Does your network work without any Observer programs or drivers loaded? If not, check your network
installation instructions. After your network appears to be running correctly, install Observer again. Try installing
Observer on a different system and see if you experience the same problem. This does not mean that you will
not be able to use Observer on the desired system. It may give you some insight into the problem that you are
having.
84 | GigaStor™ (pub. 25.Apr.2014)