EtherScope™ Series II Network Assistant

Health Audit test

• Automated diagnosis of LAN health with one click
• Guided troubleshooting
• Built in reporting
• Included with the LAN option

Streamlined user interface

• Simplified set of large icons representing the most used tests (default option)
• Faster access to key information and simplified troubleshooting
• Included with the LAN and WLAN options

ProVision™ tests

• Single-process measurement of multiple Ethernet performance metrics for 4X minimum improvement in testing time
• Measurement of throughput, latency, litter, and loss/BERT using LAN/WAN relevant methodologies
• Advanced asymmetric testing
• Multi-stream testing
• Jumbo 16kB frame support
• Included with the ITO option

RFC 2544 performance test enhancements

• Asymmetric link support in RFC2544 Loss Test
• Support for intermediate NAT/proxy devices
• Included with the ITO option

Desktop applications

• IPTV
• 802.3ah
• Included with the LAN option

Miscellaneous enhancements

• Improved device and network discovery

Features above are included with new EtherScope analyzers, or purchase the ES-SWUGD-V5 upgrade for your current EtherScope.

The Heath Audit test provides visual diagnosis of LAN health with one click. The test is so simple to operate and the results are so easy to understand that the root cause of complex problems can be identified with a glance.

Application Note: Health Audit Test: likely causes for poor or fair health



With one click, Health Audit measures and evaluates dozens of network attributes, and displays the results on one screen using clear good-fair-poor status icons. If problems are discovered, intelligent drill-downs guide the user to the root cause. The result is quicker problem identification and problem resolution. Trouble tickets are closed faster.

EtherScope makes documentation easy with over 20 built-in reports. Document issues before and after making changes to the network. A Health Audit report is also useful when establishing a baseline for periodic audits. Spot emerging issues and correct them before they become problematic by comparing the current health to the baseline. View saved reports on the EtherScope or on a PC.

Network professionals can resolve problems faster, with fewer escalations – resulting in an improved user experience and higher employee productivity.

Network testing starts at the home page. The home page consists of eight large icons representing the most frequently used EtherScope tests. Click an icon to access the information you need to troubleshoot network problems fast.

There are two home pages for each EtherScope test mode: LAN Tests and WLAN Tests.

LAN Tests Home Page




WLAN Tests Home Page

The EtherScope Analyzer provides an instant view on the state of the network with its information-rich Autotest Results main screen and tri-color LEDs. Multiple tests run concurrently, speeding problem discovery. Selecting any individual test displays overview information in the left side preview pane; hit Details for in-depth test information.

Highlights of the EtherScope analyzer's automated network discovery appear on the main screen, including the identification of the nearest switch, and the slot and port to which you are connected.

 

Easy to navigate, the EtherScope Series II Network Assistant's user interface is powered by a Linux operating system. Access to Linux provides web, telnet and other PC-type tools.
 

Nearest Switch
Determining where you are connecting into the network is often the first challenge when diagnosing user issues. EtherScope's Nearest Switch discovery speeds you on your way whether you are troubleshooting a problem, validating a move or updating documentation by identifying the slot and port to which you are connected. With the nearest switch identified, EtherScope makes it easy to launch a web browser or Telnet session to configure the switch or examine switch details and port statistics.

Switch port diagnostics
Look into your switched/VLAN networks for global problem identification at light speed. You'll see your WLANs via wired-side switch port analysis. Point to any remote SNMP/RMON device and track remote interface utilization.

Switch Scan
Continuously monitor the discovered Nearest Switch and an additional user-selected switch for high utilization and errors. See the average and peak utilization, traffic in and out, packets, octets, errors and speed by switch slot and port. Select an interface of interest and trend network traffic or drill down for interface details.

EtherScope conveniently organizes discovered devices by IP Subnets, NetBIOS Domains and IPX networks. Subnet details include address ranges and subnet masks, while domain details identify master browsers and domain controllers. An easy-to-use Find feature searches across all networks to quickly locate each occurrence of a device using full or partial names, IP addresses or MAC addresses.

Managing your VLANs has never been easier

EtherScope identifies VLANs configured on discovered switch interfaces and allows you to drill-in to see interface status, connected host details and trend interface data.

If you are using a management VLAN, switches are typically not visible to the discovery process. But, with EtherScope, you can simply add your switches as user-defined devices, giving you a complete picture of your switched network. EtherScope automatically determines the nearest switch, interface and VLAN for each discovered device, making it easy to resolve issues and track configuration changes.

Discover up to 1,000 devices and extract switch and VLAN information showing you where users are connected. Save your staff time when they troubleshoot network connection issues and congestion.
 

Identify vital network stats
The tri-color LEDs constantly update showing link status, utilization levels, collisions, errors and transmit activity.

Network Health
View utilization on the segment to which you are connected for a quick look at network activity.

Monitor key devices
Key Device Ping verifies connectivity to a list of user-defined devices: routers, servers or switches.

Identify capacity trends and needs
Switch port statistics and trending show steady and bursty traffic, allowing you and your staff to pinpoint problems quickly.

Boost network uptime
View your network's traffic statistics, including protocol mix, top senders, top broadcasters, and error sources. Identify and locate bandwidth hogs and isolate them from the network if necessary. Analyze performance trends with baseline data reports.

Verify Ethernet signaling to troubleshoot speed and dupliex mismatches and autonegotiation problems.

Test 802.3af Power over Ethernet (PoE) links. The EtherScope Series II can emulate a 802.3af powered device to solicit and measure voltage on each pin.

Verify the characteristics of UTP and STP copper cabling: length, impedance, shorts opens and wire mismatches. Use office IDs to identify remote work are outlets.

Connect a DSP fiber optic meter (DSP-FOM) to the LAN port to measure optical power and fiber optic cable loss.

How do you know that a newly network device or a LAN or WAN link is really delivering the performance you expect? Is the performance sufficient for successful data transfers, email, web-based seminars, VoIP and other applications? Are user complaints of a slow network true? How will adding additional users to a segment of your network impact network performance? The RFC 2544/ITO Option helps answer these questions.

This option includes RFC 2544 and advanced tests for assessing Ethernet performance.  It also includes a traffic generator. Use the RFC 2544 tests to characterize the performance of a network link in accordance with the well-accepted IETF recommendation. Use the advanced tests for a deeper understanding of network performance by measuring frame loss, jitter and bit error rate. Use EtherScope to measure performance or generate traffic at rates up to 1 Gbps, over twisted pair or optical fiber (SX, LX, ZX) cabling.

RFC 2544 tests

Advantages of EtherScope’s implementation of RFC 2544 include control over test configurations and automation for testing efficiency.

Select between four RFC 2544 and three advanced tests: throughput, latency, frame loss and back-to-back frames, loss rate, jitter and bit errors. Run only the test(s) of interest to you. For each test, use the default configuration or customize the test parameters to observe how traffic differences affect link performance. By adjusting these parameters, you can also control the time required for a test to complete.

Construct a test suite consisting of one or more RFC 2544 or advanced tests. For each of these end-to-end performance tests, specify the LAN or WAN link(s) to test by defining the target  device(s). Test the same link multiple times with varying configurations to observe performance differences. Test multiple links from a single destination using multiple remotes. Add pass/fail limits to each test, making it easy for everyone to interpret the results. Click the Start button once to run all the tests in the suite in a single, automated operation. View and save tabular and graphical results to document link performance.

Traffic generator
Use the traffic generator to create different loads to test network performance. The protocol used, traffic type and frame size, rate and utilization are configurable. Generate traffic to devices on the local network or to specified devices outside the local network.

Source and destination test instruments
With exception of the traffic generator, the other end-to-end performance tests require two test instruments – a source instrument and a destination instrument. The RFC 2544 and advanced tests require an EtherScope as a source and either another EtherScope or a LinkRunner Pro packet reflector as the destination.  Use two EtherScope analyzers for upstream and downstream testing, or team an EtherScope analyzer with a lower-cost LinkRunner Pro Reflector for loopback testing. The Fluke Networks throughput test can use as the destination instrument another EtherScope, an OptiView v4 Integrated Network Analyzer and a OneTouch Series II. The slower of the two instruments determines the throughput rate.

One test for easier set-up and faster results: ProVision performs the critical measurements of throughput, loss, delay and jitter in a single process. This means that it can run at least four times as fast as an RFC 2544 test. Since all parameters are measured together, you can observe degradation in one parameter while measuring another. A single test also means simplified test set-up.




Faster, more relevant throughput testing: ProVision measures loss and throughput together, similar to most SLA’s and MEF specifications. The ProVision test is well-suited to real-world circuit where a small amount of loss is tolerable. And since ProVision doesn’t keep trying to find the “lossless” rate, it provides the result faster than an RFC 2544 test.

Tests asymmetric links: ProVision lets you set separate throughput test rates for upstream and downstream testing. This lets you test the performance of asymmetric links - DSL technologies for example.

Multi-stream testing: ProVision lets you configure multiple streams to test data flows to different sites, different VLANs and different classes of service in parallel. A total of eight streams may be measured simultaneously using peer devices or four streams using reflectors. This not only allows for testing complex SLA’s and circuits, but also reduces test time.

One results display: The full VGA display shows the set up and all four measurements for up to three streams on one screen. More than three streams can be compared by using a simple scroll bar on the bottom of the display. And with color coding of pass/fail results, you can see at-a-glance which tests are passing and which are failing.

Trending up to 24 hours: ProVision can also solve problems by measuring performance of throughput, loss, delay, and jitter over time. This allows you to see not only if the circuit performance degraded, but how much and when.

Diagnose problems from anywhere via the web
EtherScope fully supports secure remote access and control when linked to your twisted pair or fiber optic LAN. So no matter where you're conducting tests, all you need is an active web browser to diagnose remote locations, just ship an EtherScope to that location and instruct a person on the other end to simply plug it in to the local network. Type the IP address of the unit in your web browser and you're in control and immediatley solving problems.

Is co-channel interference causing a problem? Is signal strength to low to support all users? Wireless EtherScope continuously scans 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies providing visibility into wireless LAN coverage and performance. Choose the measurement you wish to view using drop down menus that include signal strength, signal to noise ratio, utilization, and several other useful measurements. Quickly determine if your access points are configured for the appropriate channels and that the RF transmit power is appropriate for your environment.

 

See who the top bandwidth users are at a glance. Use Wireless EtherScope to identify the busiest access points and the most demanding wireless clients.

Drill-in to view wireless LAN metrics such as FCS errors, crosstalk, and retries. Identify suspicious activity, then identify the source and solve the problem.

An unauthorized “rogue” access point can compromise network security by exposing the company’s network to the outside world. Use the wireless EtherScope “Security Scan” feature to identify rogue APs and “Locate” to hunt them down.



 

EtherScope utilizes an external, directional antenna to speed location of targeted 802.11 devices by 75% compared to a standard omni-directional antenna. Rotate the antenna 360° and note the direction of strongest signal strength on the graphical display. Follow the strongest signal strength path to locate the target device. Direct the antenna upwards and downwards to locate APs in ceilings and on floors above and below – extremely helpful in a multi-floor environment.

The handheld EtherScope is an ideal portable platform for rogue hunting. It is compact, lightweight and engineered for durability. Easily see changes in wireless signal strength on the bright, color touch-screen display.

An unauthorized “rogue” access point can compromise network security by exposing the company’s network to the outside world. Use the wireless EtherScope “Security Scan” feature to identify rogue APs and “Locate” to hunt them down.



 

EtherScope utilizes an external, directional antenna to speed location of targeted 802.11 devices by 75% compared to a standard omni-directional antenna. Rotate the antenna 360° and note the direction of strongest signal strength on the graphical display. Follow the strongest signal strength path to locate the target device. Direct the antenna upwards and downwards to locate APs in ceilings and on floors above and below – extremely helpful in a multi-floor environment.

The handheld EtherScope is an ideal portable platform for rogue hunting. It is compact, lightweight and engineered for durability. Easily see changes in wireless signal strength on the bright, color touch-screen display.

Wireless EtherScope discovers whether infrastructure and client devices are employing the appropriate authentication mechanism. EAP (Extensible Authentication Protocol) authentication is tested and monitored using Wireless EtherScope's login test tool. Using Wireless EtherScope, force a wireless client to disassociate from an access point, and monitor the client and access point EAP exchange as the client re-authenticates on the network. Discover if, where, and when the EAP authentication process breaks down.

Has the RF environment changed since the access points were installed? Is wireless network coverage sufficient to support all users? Does the wireless network provide ubiquitous coverage sufficient to support seamless roaming? Use Wireless EtherScope to capture baseline RF coverage data immediately after the wireless infrastructure is installed, then compare historical data to periodic survey data over time. Use this information to make minor adjustments to wireless access point transmit power, relocate access points, or add new access points before RF environmental changes impact your user community.

Wireless EtherScope supports IEEE 802.1X authentication and more than a dozen EAP types for secure connectivity to both 10/100/1000 and wireless LANs. View the login process to troubleshoot network access and DHCP problems. Isolate the cause of connection issues to identify what needs repair.

Detect and diagnose in real time
View information about your 10/100/1000 and wireless LAN automatically. As soon as it's connected to the network, the EtherScope Series II Network Assistant starts testing and displaying real-time results of devices, networks and problems. Navigate through the intuitive menus and quickly get an in-depth view of your network.



On your LAN; find duplicate IPs, duplex mismatches, and DHCP failures. Monitor switch-port statistics, identify and track all your VLAN devices. Drill-in on the Problems Log to evaluate each error, warning and informational message. On your WLAN, detect TX percent, retries, rates and potential security vulnerabilities.

Option availability by model