Basic Troubleshooting Tools

The ADVANCED > Troubleshooting page provides various tools that help troubleshoot network connectivity issues that may be impacting the performance of your Barracuda Web Security Gateway.

Examples include:

• Test the connection between the Barracuda Web Security Gateway to Barracuda Central to make sure it can successfully download the latest virus and spyware definitions.

• Open a support tunnel to allow Barracuda Networks Support to connect with your appliance and troubleshoot any issues.

• Ping or telnet to devices from the Barracuda Networks appliance.

• Perform a traceroute from the Barracuda Networks system to a destination server

• Run a packet capture

• Test what action the Barracuda Web Security Gateway would take with particular URLs, domains, MIME types, etc. based on block/accept polices and exceptions you create. See Policy Rule Checking.

• Barracuda Networks recommends using the AUX port for management of the Barracuda Web Security Gateway, while the LAN/WAN ports are used for user data and web traffic.The Auxiliary (AUX) port for management of the Barracuda Web Security Gateway is available in all deployment modes.

This video describes how to use the troubleshooting tools available in the Barracuda Web Security Gateway.

LDAP Issues

If your LDAP server is slow in responding to search requests, increase the LDAP Server Timeout timeout value on the USERS/GROUPS > Configuration page. Default is 30 seconds.

Connect to Barracuda Networks Support Servers

In the Support Diagnostics section of the ADVANCED > Troubleshooting page, you can initiate a connection between your Barracuda Web Security Gateway and the Barracuda Networks Support, which allows technical support engineers to troubleshoot any issues you may be experiencing. See How to Open a Support Tunnel for details.

Rebooting the System in Recovery Mode

If your Barracuda Web Security Gateway experiences a serious issue that impacts its core functionality, you can use diagnostic and recovery tools that are available at the reboot menu to return your system to an operational state.

Before you use the diagnostic and recovery tools, do the following:

• Use the built-in troubleshooting tools on the ADVANCED > Troubleshooting page to help diagnose the problem.

• Perform a system restore from the last known good backup file.

• Contact Barracuda Networks Technical Support for additional troubleshooting tips.

As a last resort, you can reboot your Barracuda Web Security Gateway and run a memory test or perform a complete system recovery, as described in this section.

To perform a system recovery or hardware (memory) test:

1. Connect a monitor and keyboard directly to your Barracuda Web Security Gateway.

2. Reboot the system by doing one of the following:
   - In the web interface: Go to the BASIC > Administration page, navigate to the System Reload/Shutdown section, and click Restart.
   - At the front panel of the Barracuda Web Security Gateway: Press the Power button on the front panel to turn off the system, and then press the Power button again to turn the system on.

   The splash screen displays with the following three boot options:

   Barracuda

   Recovery

   Hardware_Test

3. Use your keyboard to select the desired boot option, and press the Enter key.
   You must select the boot option within three seconds after the splash screen appears. If you do not select an option within three seconds, the Barracuda Web Security Gateway starts up in Normal mode (first option).
   For a description of each boot option, refer to Reboot Options below.

Reboot options

The table below describes the options available at the reboot menu.

Replacing a failed system

Before you replace your Barracuda Web Security Gateway, use the tools provided on the ADVANCED > Troubleshooting page to try to resolve the problem. In the event that a Barracuda Web Security Gateway system fails and you cannot resolve the issue, see Replacing a Failed System.

Using the AUX Port

The AUX port on the Barracuda Web Security Gateway can be used:

• For management of the device while the LAN/WAN ports are used for user data and web traffic.

• If there is a problem with LAN or WAN port connectivity – that is, if the AUX port is the only port functional on the Barracuda Web Security Gateway, it can be used for Support access to investigate various issues. By default, access via the AUX port is disabled. If you enable AUX port access and enable the Support Tunnel, Barracuda Networks Support can try to connect using the AUX port. To enable AUX port access, see How to Enable Auxiliary Port Access.