Debugging Tools and Techniques

Effective SSL troubleshooting requires familiarity with diagnostic tools and methodologies. Browser developer tools provide initial insights through security tabs and console messages. Network tabs show certificate details and connection security parameters. Console warnings highlight mixed content and other security issues. These built-in tools offer immediate feedback during development and debugging.

Command-line tools enable detailed SSL/TLS analysis. OpenSSL's s_client connects to servers and displays certificate information, supported protocols, and cipher suites. The depth of information helps diagnose specific configuration issues. Curl and wget with verbose flags show SSL negotiation details. These tools work across platforms and integrate into automated testing scripts.

Online SSL testing services provide comprehensive analysis from external perspectives. SSL Labs' SSL Test grades server configurations and identifies weaknesses. These services test from multiple locations, revealing geography-specific issues. Regular testing establishes baselines and catches configuration drift. API access enables automated monitoring and continuous compliance verification.

Packet capture analysis offers the deepest debugging capabilities. Wireshark and similar tools capture complete SSL/TLS handshakes, revealing precise failure points. While encrypted application data remains private, handshake messages show protocol negotiations and error conditions. This low-level analysis helps resolve complex issues that higher-level tools miss. Export of session keys enables decryption for authorized debugging purposes.