Cisco CCNA / CCNP Certification - Deciphering Ping Results

As you study for your CCNA and CCNP exams,Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 22.2.2.2,
particularly if you're getting hands-on practice intimeout is 2 seconds:
your home lab or rack rental service, you're goingU.U.U
to be sending a lot of pings. As a CCNA or CCNPSuccess rate is 0 percent (0/5)
candidate, you know that five exclamation pointsThat output may surprise those of you who are
(!!!!!) as a ping return indicates that you have IPused to getting five of the same symbol back
connectivity to the remote destination. Fivewhenever you send a ping. We got three "U"s
periods (.....) indicates that you do not have thatback along with two periods. We'll now run debug
connectivity.ip packet and send the ping again.
It's not enough to know that you don't have IPR1#debug ip packet
connectivity to the remote device, you've got toIP packet debugging is on
know why. Ping is a great first step to networkR1#ping 22.2.2.2
troubleshooting, but the results are quite limited.Type escape sequence to abort.
As a CCNA and CCNP, you've got to know howSending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 22.2.2.2,
to diagnose the problem and resolve it. Justtimeout is 2 seconds:
looking at the routing table is not enough - a3d23h: IP: s=172.12.123.1 (local), d=22.2.2.2 (Serial0),
high-powered Cisco debug, debug ip packet, canlen 100, sending
often show you exactly where the problem is.R1#traceroute 22.2.2.2
WARNING: debug ip packet should not be run onType escape sequence to abort.
any production router without understanding theTracing the route to 22.2.2.2
effect of this command on your router. This1 172.12.123.2 36 msec 36 msec 36 msec
command results in a lot of output and can2 172.12.123.2 !H * !H
actually lock up a router.R1#undebug all
In this case, we'll run the command on a home labAll possible debugging has been turned off
router that cannot ping 22.2.2.2. The debug will beAgain, I've edited this output. The key word in
turned on and another ping sent.this output is "sending", meaning that the packets
R1#debug ip packetare leaving the router. The ping return of "U.U.U" is
IP packet debugging is ona general indication that the packets are indeed
R1#ping 22.2.2.2being transmitted, but that a downstream router
Type escape sequence to abort.is having a problem routing the packets. Running
Sending 5, 100-byte ICMP Echos to 22.2.2.2,traceroute reveals some more interesting return
timeout is 2 seconds:characters! In this case, the downstream router
3d23h: IP: s=1.1.1.1 (local), d=22.2.2.2, len 100,did not have a match for the destination in its
unroutable.routing table.
R1#undebug allIt's easy to concentrate on the local router when
All possible debugging has been turned offyou're not getting positive ping returns. When
I've edited this output for clarity; the importanttroubleshooting this kind of issue, keep in mind the
word is "unroutable". This indicates that the packetproblem could be on an intermediate router and
is not leaving the router because there is nonot on the local router. Use debug ip packet to
match in the routing table for this destination. We'llmake sure the packets are leaving the local
configure a static default route and send the pingrouter, and traceroute to determine what
again.downstream router may have the problem. And
R1#ping 22.2.2.2get used to the fact that pings and traceroutes
Type escape sequence to abort.can give you some unusual-looking returns!