© 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 1 ISP Help Desk Working at a Small-to-Medium Business or ISP – Chapter 2

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 2 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Objectives  Describe the various roles of helpdesk and installation technicians  Describe the seven layers of the OSI model and the OSI model is used in troubleshooting network issues.  Identify common tools and diagnostic procedures of helpdesk technicians  Describe onsite procedures to resolve issues

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 3 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public The ISP Help Desk  Top priority of all ISPs = solving customer problems  Poor service means lost customers...  Lost customers = loss of money

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 4 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Levels of ISP Customer Support  Level 1 – junior-level help desk technicians – offers immediate support for the customer first point of customer contact – responsibilities basic connectivity issues document hardware, software, system problems help with user issues help customers complete basic online forms – many issues can be solved here if unable to solve here then...

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 5 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Levels of ISP Customer Support  Level 2 – offers more experienced customer support – fewer agents due to high skill level required – helps solve more difficult problems that cannot be fixed by Level 1 support – use diagnostic tools (remote desktop) to fix problems – helps to identify if an on-site technician needs to come to job site

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 6 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Levels of ISP Customer Support  Level 3 – solves problems not solved by Levels 1 & 2 – surveys network conditions – installs and configures new equipment

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 7 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Dealing with the Customer  Help desk technicians are often the first point of contact for frustrated customers  Important to follow Incident Management Procedures – open trouble ticket – follow different problem solving strategies bottom up top down divide and conquer – must be followed every time a call comes in to ISP

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 8 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Dealing with the Customer  Excellent interpersonal skills needed – greet customer pleasantly – open a trouble ticket helps deal with any future problems documents how the problem was solved – LISTEN to the customer – maintain a professional demeanor throughout the conversation – log the call

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 9 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public OSI Model & How its used in Troubleshooting  Each layer serves a specific function  Use of the OSI model helps break communication into smaller parts  Upper layers – implemented in the software – application – presentation – session  Lower layers – data transport – transport – network – data link – physical

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 10 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Layer 4 - Transport Layer  Used to ensure end to end transport  Breaks messages into smaller segments  Header attached with the correct UDP/TCP port numbers  Used by (TCP) – acknowledgments  Firewall problems could exist here – incorrect port number – port may not be open

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 11 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Layer 3 - Network Layer  Adds network IP address  Takes information from transport layer and puts it in a packet – packet holds source and destination IP address  Routers used destination IP to direct packets to the correct network

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 12 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Layer 2 - Data Link Layer  Packet (from network layer) encapsulated into a frame  Frame includes MAC (physical address of next directly connected network device)  Used by switches and NICs to deliver information to the next device

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 13 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Layer 1 - Physical Layer  Frame (from data link layer) converted into 1 and 0’s – bits  All cabling issues are here!!

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 14 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Troubleshooting Procedures  Layer 3 Problems – check logical (IP address) – possible problems Is the IP within the assigned network? Is the correct subnet mask being used? Is the correct default gateway set? check DNS and/or DHCP settings  Utilities used to check Layer 3 issues – ipconfig – shows IP settings – ping – traceroute

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 15 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Troubleshooting Procedures  Layer 4 Problems – Possible firewall issue – check to see if the TCP or UDP port is open  Layers 5-7 Problems – check application configuration – check for correct user settings , etc – Use utilities to help solve the issues packet sniffer telnet

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 16 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Issues  Customer may be able to send, but not receive data or vice versa  Check the following – POP name – IMAP name – SMTP name – DNS server information

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 17 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Connectivity Issues  More common with new customers trying to connect for the first time  Possible reasons: – billing account issues – hardware issues – physical layer problems – application issues

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 18 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public On-site Procedures  Show proper Identification  Review work order with customer – ensures all information is correct  Communicate what you plan to do  Get permission to begin work  After solving problem,.. – leave documentation with customer

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 19 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public Summary  Help Desk user support exists at three levels.  Help desk operation relies on good customer communications skills, organization, and a layered approach to problem solving.  The OSI Model is the basis for effective troubleshooting.  Documentation is crucial in effective troubleshooting.

ITE PC v4.0 Chapter 1 20 © 2007 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved.Cisco Public