ETHERNET TESTERS: ALL WIRED SOLUTIONS

ETHERNET TESTERS: ALL WIRED SOLUTIONS

Whether you’re a seasoned network engineer or a frontline technician, having the right ethernet tester in your toolkit is essential. NetAlly offers the right tool for the job: a range of ethernet testing tools designed to address the complexities of modern wired networks, each designed for the role of the professionals managing them.

These tools – and the technologists who use them – play an important role in maintaining, optimizing, and troubleshooting network systems to ensure seamless connectivity and performance.

What Do Ethernet Testers Do?

Ethernet testers are more than just tools; they are the guardians of network integrity. These devices play a critical role in ensuring network health by:

• Validating changes: Confirming network and link configurations ensuring that moves, adds, and changes are performed correctly reduces callbacks.
• Verifying network performance: Ensuring that your network meets your requirements for speed and reliability.
• Diagnosing issues: Quickly identifying and resolving connectivity and performance problems to minimize downtime and maximize user productivity.
• Ensuring compliance: Making sure that your network adheres to industry standards and regulatory requirements.

Our wired testing solutions include:

• LinkRunner® AT: Network & Cable Tester: Validates copper and fiber Ethernet connections in less than 10 seconds. Ideal for fast, automated testing.
• LinkRunner® G2: Smart Ethernet & Network Tester: Simplifies Ethernet network configuration, validation, and troubleshooting with advanced diagnostics.
• LinkRunner® 10G: Portable 10G Ethernet Network Tester: Validates and configures copper and fiber Multi-Gig and 10 Gig networks, ensuring high-speed connectivity.
• EtherScope® nXG: Ethernet Network Tester & WiFi Diagnostics Tool: Offers comprehensive diagnostics for Multi-Gig and 10 Gig Ethernet and WiFi networks, including WiFi 6/6E.
• LinkSprinter®: Pocket Network Tester: Delivers essential network connectivity tests in seconds, perfect for quick diagnostics and validation of link configuration. View LinkSprinter.
• Test Accessory: Pocket iPerf Testing Tool: Validates network performance, ensuring efficient throughput and connectivity.

Maximizing Network Performance with NetAlly

For network engineers seeking wired testing solutions, NetAlly offers a range of tools designed with technical precision and practical application in mind. With over 30 years of experience and pioneering the first handheld network analyzer, NetAlly is recognized as a trusted provider of network testing equipment.

Our wired testing products are engineered to simplify complex network diagnostics, provide immediate visibility into network performance, and facilitate effective collaboration between team members. This focus on simplicity, visibility, and collaboration ensures that network engineers have access to the necessary tools and information for thorough and efficient network analysis and troubleshooting. By choosing NetAlly, network engineers are equipped with solutions that combine innovation, reliability, and a deep understanding of the challenges faced in managing and securing wired networks.

How Do Wired Testers Work for Cable Testing?

For cable testing, NetAlly’s wired testers work by sending signals through cables and analyzing the returning signals using Time Domain Reflectometry (TDR) technology. Unlike inexpensive continuity testers and less capable network testers which cannot detect issues like split pairs, this method allows for the precise identification and location (distance to fault) of issues within the cable, facilitating efficient installation validation and troubleshooting.

How to Test an Ethernet Cable with a Wired Tester?

There are three methods of cable testing with NetAlly tools:

1. To test an Ethernet patch cord (which should be done on EVERY new patch cord to verify its quality prior to use), disconnect it from any devices, then connect one end to the instrument’s network test port (top of the unit), then connect the other end to the cable test/management port (on the side of the unit) and start the test. Depending on the tester you have, either start its Cable Test option or launch and activate the Cable Test app. (To conduct this test with a NetAlly LinkSprinter, see method #3.)
2. To test horizontal cabling, connect one end to the cable test port and start the test. If connected to an active device (switch port), the tester will indicate the presence of Ethernet link pulse. If the far end device is not powered on, the tester will indicate that the cabling is terminated; no measurements can be made on a terminated link. For unterminated cabling, the tester will indicate the overall length, the length of each pair, and if any opens or shorts are present across the entire length of the cable.
3. To thoroughly analyze horizontal cabling for all possible faults and miswires, utilize the provided wiremap adapter in a far end patch panel port or workstation wall jack. (To test to a cable terminated with an RJ45 plug, use the supplied RJ45 barrel connector at the far end and connect the wiremapper to that.) Testing with this method will identify various miswiring problems and faults, including split pairs, rolled pairs, and crossovers. The wiremap adapter is also used to identify a specific cabling run. Every NetAlly network tester comes with the standard “Wiremapper #1”; additional wiremappers (#s 2-6) are supplied in the KIT models. By utilizing these, technicians can test multiple/sequential cabling runs without having to walk back and forth to and from each end to reconnect the wiremapper to a different cable run after a single test. When the test is run, the number of the wiremapper is shown in the test result.

At the conclusion of your test, the results can be uploaded to Link-Live™ for documentation and reporting.

How to Test an Active Ethernet Link with a Wired Tester?

The AutoTest is the core function of every NetAlly network tester and the most comprehensive testing application. With it, you can quickly run a variety of test types and save their configurations and network credentials for access whenever you need them. While the test parameters may vary depending on the model, the essence of AutoTest is to thoroughly test every parameter of network connectivty:

Ethernet link and PoE – Identifies link speed and duplex, and verifies availbility of PoE, up to 90W/Class 8*. Testers capable of multi-gig operation will also measure channel delay skew and SNR on the link.

VLAN – Identifies the connected VLAN, shows all VLANs seen if connected to a trunk port, and displays monitored traffic seen on each VLAN.*

Nearest Switch – Displays information about the connected switch with port ID, VLAN ID, IP address, MAC address, location, contact, model; information available by switch type may vary, and is acquired by analyzing LLDP packets and/or SNMP.

DHCP Validation – AutoTest validates proper DHCP operation, warns of second DHCP offers, shows offer and acknowledgement times, and detailed connection log* which can be saved to Link-Live for documentation or troubleshooting. Multiple DHCP request options can also be verified.

DNS Verification – The DNS server test checks the performance of DNS servers resolving the specified URL showing response times.

Gateway Test – This test indicates whether the default Gateway could be successfully pinged and identifies the address of the current IPv4 and IPv6 routers.

Test Targets – AutoTest Target tests are user-assignable endpoints to which the tester* attempts to connect each time the AutoTest profile runs. These tests ensure availability of internal or external websites, servers, and devices to users of your network. Various protocols can be utilized (Ping, TCP Connect, HTTP, FTP). Results will show success/failure, lookup and response times. The HTTP test will show End User Response Time (EURT) to measure the times for each phase of the test (DNS, Lookup, TCP Connect, Data Start, and Data Transfer) allowing the user to identify network performance issues.

Key Features of NetAlly’s Wired Ethernet Testers

NetAlly’s network testing tools feature a range of functions aimed at speeding and simplifying network maintenance tasks. They include thorough fault detection, advanced diagnostic capabilities, and the automated generation of detailed reports via Link-Live, NetAlly’s collaboration, reporting and analysis platform. These features are vital for quickly pinpointing and fixing network problems, documenting network configurations, and ensuring proper network operation.

Depending on the tester chosen, the following apps are available for complete network connectivity, performance, and vulnerability testing:

• AutoTest
• Ping/TCP Test
• Packet Capture
• Discovery
• Wi-Fi Analysis
• Path Analysis
• AirMapper Site Survey
• Performance Test
• iPerf Test
• LANBERT Media Qualification Test
• Spectrum Analysis
• Cable Test

*Some AutoTest functions and available test applications will vary depending on tester model.