ASA Packet Tracer

Packet tracer allows you to send a synthetic packet into the network and evaluate how the existing routing configuration, NAT rules, and policy configurations, affect that packet. Use this tool to troubleshoot these kinds of issues:

• Users report that they cannot reach resources that they should be able to.

• Users report that they can reach resources they should not be able to.

• Test a policy to determine if it works as you expect.

Packet tracer can be used on a live, online, ASA device either physical or virtual. Packet Tracer does not work on ASA model devices. Packet tracer evaluates packets based on the saved configuration on the ASA. Staged changes on CDO are not evaluated by packet tracer.

We consider it a best-practice to run packet tracer on an ASA that is in the synced state. Though packet tracer will run if the device is not synced, you could encounter some unexpected results. For example, if you deleted a rule in the staged configuration on CDO, and this same rule was triggered on the ASA during packet tracing, CDO won't be able to show you the result of the packet's interaction with that rule.

Troubleshooting with ASA Packet Tracer

As packet tracer sends the packet through the routing configuration, NAT rules, and security policies of your ASA, it displays the packet's status at each step. If the packet is allowed by the policy it receives a green checkmark . If a packet is denied and dropped, CDO displays a red X .

Packet tracer also displays a real time log of the result of the packet trace. In the example below, you can see where a rule denied a tcp packet.