Server Network Problems

     Troubleshooting Server Network Problems... when you have problems with a dedicated server, the natural instinct is to check for software failures, hacker attacks, and even hardware issues. But one possible cause for server trouble that should not be overlooked is bad network connectivity.
     On server both Linux and Windows base, there are many ways to evaluate network latency, connection strength, and proper domain configuration. The following are some useful tools you should know.

• ping – The most basic of tools is one of the most useful as well. Just type ping, followed by a hostname or ip address to find out how quickly and consistently your server can connect to other machines. You can also use ping locally on most operating systems to test your server.
• traceroute – This handy tool will give you point-by-point connection information from your server to another machine or a host to your server. This is a good tool if you are not sure if the connection issue is local or not. Try a traceroute from a third-party service to see if anyone else can connect to your server.
• nslookup – Worried your server may not be resolving to the right domain? The nslookup tool is quick and easy, telling you what nameserver your domain is currently using.
• Other tools – You can find a plethora of tools on the Internet that can give you remote network information about your server. Some will even monitor the server and give you regular updates whenever there are connection issues.  Some web hosts, such as 34SP.com, may even offer monitoring tools as part of their server management packages.  Although guessing has its valid place, it is not always the best way to diagnose your server’s problems. Using the right tools and a lot of patience, you can find a workable solution.

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When Your Server Goes Down

   Although this may be difficult, the first thing to do is to remember not to panic. Staying calm will go a long way in making sure you can resolve the issue quickly and calmly. When operating a server remotely, your only assurance that a server is running is through its websites and through Internet connections.

1. The first thing to check is whether or not your own network connection is experiencing problems. Although you may be able to connect to some other sites, you may find that you cannot connect to certain sites.
2. If your connection is fine, check your web monitoring software or services, which should have notified you when there was a web connection problem.
3. If those indicate your server is down, check your data center or web host’s website for current network status. They may have already been aware of the problem and have posted some information about it.
4. Next, try connecting to your server via SSH. If you can get in through SSH, it means that a service, such as Apache or MySQL, may just need restarting.
5. If SSH is not accessible, your server may need a reboot. Follow the normal procedure to either automatically reboot or contact a support person to manually reboot your server.
6. In the rare case that even rebooting will not resolve the issue, some data centers will setup KVM remote console control so that you can fix whatever network issues your server is having. If you find it to be some type of problem with your operating system you cannot fix, they may have to re-image the machine and/or restore backups.
7. There are cases when something like KVM may turn up no visible issues. In such a case, the data center may need to fix a hardware or network problem. Be sure to have them investigate for any such issues.
   

     Staying calm and running through a set lists of protocols should help you resolve your server downtime quickly and safely.

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