Fluke Networks recently released their LinkSprinter models 100 and 200 (street price $199/$299) network testers. When I spoke with James Kahkoska, Chief Product Architect at Fluke Networks, he told me that LinkSprinter provides an affordable and easy-to-use tool for network technicians, systems integrators, field service personnel and Gen Y--enthusiasts, trade schools, etc.
The key difference between the 100 and 200 models is that the model 200 has an onboard Wi-Fi server that tests Wi-Fi connectivity and synchs to your mobile (Android, iPhone/iPad and Windows) device.
The tester will test and report on the link's PoE, server, DHCP, gateway and Web connectivity. Along with each tester, Fluke provides a cloud service and 10 free tests per month with the option to purchase 100 tests per month ($9.95) or 1,000 tests ($79.95). The cloud portal displays test results, allows user annotations (up to 140 characters) and archives the test results.
Data from the reports may be exported to a PDF or CSV file, and test results to be exported are selectable.
What's really cool is that I used the LinkSprinter at a law office to check why a reception IP phone was going offline. The cable tests revealed nothing was wrong with the cabling, and connectivity was intact through the infrastructure--cabling, patch cords, patch panel, managed switch, server, and router/firewall. The data port in the IP telephone was found to be the issue: Anytime the PC remained connected to the port, the phone display would blank out and drop from service.
In my travels to Florida, I also started testing the Cat5E wiring within a residence and found numerous issues. Comcast technicians attempted to reuse a Cat5E drop for voice service through their ATA (Analog Terminal Adaptor). The customer refused their service and the jack was never re-terminated for 568-B/LAN.
The next issues (found without the tester) were field crimps, which are never a good idea--especially when you have multiple drops in an expensive housing (GE Smart Connection Center) where the alarm company didn't use the cabinet, and the cabling contractor didn't use an integrated patch panel for the Cat5E cabling.
For the cables that failed, the materials that were used for the jack inserts were inferior knock-off products sold at the local Home Depot. In Florida there is almost-constant humidity, and this matters--especially when you visually inspect the gold contacts of the jack inserts and find corrosion. Corrosion leads to resistance and eventually failure or data errors and even PoE failures.
Fluke Networks is definitely reinventing testing and troubleshooting of networks. The LinkSprinter is definitely a must-have tool since it will remove doubts about cabling, server connectivity, DNS resolution, switch, router and firewall with connectivity to the Internet or to a specific IP address within your network. For the cost of the tester and subscription to a pre-paid number of test results, numerous issues can be easily and quickly identified.
Multiple users and LinkSprinter testers can be assigned to your LinkSprinter account, and this is another cool feature for testing and benchmarking customer sites and then delivering viewable reports with the test results.
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