NetAlly LinkRunner AT 2000 Extended Test Kit - network tester kit
$3,048.99
Mfg # LRAT-2000-KIT
CDW # 4138084
Know your gear
The NetScout LinkRunner AT 2000 Extended Test Kit comes with all the supplies you need to test your copper and fiber networks. It includes the LinkRunner AT 2000 auto-tester, WireView Cable IDs #2-6 for quick testing, and a deluxe carrying case. With its one-button AutoTest and zero-touch Link-Live cloud reporting features, the Network Auto-Tester facilitates quick troubleshooting and reporting. Run your network connectivity tests for twisted pair and fiber optic Ethernet links at 10, 100 and Gigabit rates in just a few seconds using this connectivity tester. You can use it to discover the nearest switch and VLAN, verify the length of twisted pair Ethernet cables and calculate PoE under a load efficiently.
- 10 second AutoTest for fast and effortless troubleshooting
- Fiber optic tester supports latest internet standards such as IPv6
- Offers reflector support and fiber support for user convenience
- Allows 50 reports to be saved on the network tester for high-volume requirements
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NetAlly LinkRunner AT 2000 Extended Test Kit - network tester kit is rated
4.40 out of
5 by
15.
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer2005659 from
Substandard battery life makes unit unreliable, but it has reduced our troubleshooting time
What is our primary use case?
I work for one of the biggest port operators in the United Kingdom. I'm a network analyst/engineer, and I use the LinkRunner on a daily basis to check network connectivity from areas around where I work or from the switches in the LAN room, whether it's to check VLAN info to determine if the port is live, or end-to-end testing of the cables.
How has it helped my organization?
The end-to-end testing of cables [is a benefit] when you're working on a campus-wide network and you want to detect if there's a fault. If you're working on the OSI layers, and you're starting right down at the bottom on the physical layer, it can rule out if there's an issue with that quite fast, and save a lot of time being wasted trying to troubleshoot things with IP addresses et cetera, when it's detected a problem with the cables being crossed or unterminated.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable feature is the end-to-end testing with the "dart," as they call it, where you can test for faults in the cable or if they've been terminated properly.
Its ability to simplify network validation and configuration of copper and fiber Ethernet networks is good. The checking of the termination on copper is good. I haven't used it much for fiber, to be honest, but I use it to locate physical problems with a cable. It's very good because it also gives you the distance, which wires are crossed, and which ones are damaged.
Troubleshooting with it is also good, with physical faults on a cable. It is good as well for VLAN information and IP information.
The AutoTest feature is the one I use the most. It will provide me with the VLAN that's being presented, the switch hostname. It didn't use to provide the actual port number, which sometimes is imperative if you're trying to troubleshoot something. It will do an IP test, so it will tell you the default gateway address and the IP address it's getting. And it will do a few tests where it goes out to Google, so you can see if it can get to the actual outside public network. And that all gets uploaded to the portal, which you can access through a PC when you get back to your main office.
That Auto Test information is essential because I go to a lot of remote sites. You want to leave knowing that all that info, the comprehensive information, is uploaded back to the portal. You don't want to get back and find there are bits missing.
The fact that results are automatically saved to NetAlly's Link-Live cloud service is very important because if there are a few of us with LinkRunners, and we're assessing the network connectivity at different areas within the campus, we can have them all uploaded and it's all stored centrally. And we can access other people's results as well. Definitely [it's important] instead of trying to get that info at a later date, it's all there within minutes. The automatic uploading of test results definitely saves time and helps with the management of test results.
It's reduced troubleshooting time by about 20 percent because of the features I've mentioned [like] the centrally uploaded data, and because of the scope of things, it can look into like DHCP, IP connectivity, VLANs being presented, and physical issues on a port.
What needs improvement?
Where it does fall short, though, is getting the port numbers off the switch.
Also, for ad hoc additions, moves, and changes of wired connections, it was a bit hard to pick up at first because it's not straightforward how to label each test you are doing on it. There is a section on there where you can add notes to each test, which I discovered later. Having said that, once you get your head around that, it is good.
It's quite easy to use but the interface for the web portal could be made easier.
Also, the battery life is not very good on a LinkRunner G2 at all.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've used it for the last five or six years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Performance-wise it is good, apart from the battery. The battery indicator icon might say there's a third of a battery-full on there, but then you do an AutoTest, it looks good, you're trying to upload it, and bang, it disappears.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is limited because of the battery life. And in fact, at Networkshop in 2017, I spoke to a LinkRunner member of staff and I explained the issue with the battery. They said that I needed to buy a better LinkRunner, a more advanced model, which I thought was a bit strange because even after having it for a few weeks, the battery would just die on you.
I don't use it extensively. There are a lot of features on it that I don't use, like the web browser. I usually just use the port testing, the AutoTest, and the dart with the end-to-end cable testing. I'm satisfied with the way things are.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
The company decided to go with LinkRunner's NETSCOUT, as opposed to Fluke, for some reason. It might have been the price. I don't know because I'm not involved with the purchase of them.
How was the initial setup?
Setup of the LinkRunner G2 is quite straightforward and it's also straightforward if you have one transferred over to you from another department, or another user leaves and you take that on. It was just [a matter of] taking the device off that name and putting it under your own. You got a code sent through and then it was just a case of putting your email address in and then accessing the portal again.
It takes half an hour, if that.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
LinkRunner G2 has made our networking staff more productive, but we were using Flukes before that and Flukes had higher battery life. I'd be lying if I didn't say that hasn't caused issues.
What other advice do I have?
Once it's on, it's fast at providing results, but it does take a while to power up and get established.
Make sure you learn how to put notes onto each AutoTest you do so that you can decipher what's what when they're in the uploaded portal. And also keep an eye on the battery as soon as you get it, and if it starts failing, contact their support. I feel that the battery on mine, and on others in the workplace, was substandard.
I give it a four out of 10. If it weren't for the battery, it would probably get an eight out of 10. But because of the battery, it's infuriating and it's not reliable.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-10-27T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Korry Gold from
Provides quick and accurate results
What is our primary use case?
Typically, I use it for identifying fiber connections to make sure that we have solid links in both directions. I like the bandwidth (iperf) built in testing. If only carrying the LR10G, you can use the JuiceSSH to access switches.
How has it helped my organization?
It is a good tool for what we are using it for. We're probably not using its full capability. We just use it for testing fiber connections when we're setting up new switches. It does that very well, with indicators. We typically do trunking, and it does not give much information on the trunk. It just lets us know that it's making a valid connection, and for my portion of my job, that's all that is required.
I use the AutoTest feature. If you are in a Cisco environment, it can give you information all the way to the port level, such as if it is a trunk port and which VLAN it is. It can test all the way out to the internet if that port allows DHCP. This information is absolutely important to us.
It reduces troubleshooting time. It saves about four hours on the job.
It makes our networking staff more productive. It has saved about 15 hours per month.
What is most valuable?
It is fast in providing results. It is pretty accurate.
I do like that the test results are automatically saved to NetAlly's free Link-Live cloud service. It is pretty slick.
There is a cool feature with it where if you purchased the separate probe, you could do a tone test of cables, but you do have to purchase that probe separately.
What needs improvement?
They should allow firmware updates even if you don't have an AllyCare contract.
The AutoTest feature has got a bug in previous software. Make sure to run version 2.0.1.3 release-keys, should be available from LinkLive. When you're in the middle of auto testing, if you need to stop it and restart it, you have to swipe down and refresh the screen before you can hit the start or stop again. Update to 2.0.1.3 release-keys.
If you have a Cisco environment or Cisco ecosystem, it does CDP very well. It will tell you the exact port you're plugged into on a Cisco switch. However, if you're using something else, such as Ubiquiti switching, it does not pull the LLDP information. It does not give you any information other than the MAC address of the switch.
It is relatively easy to use, but in terms of the physical form, it is bulky. Being a field engineer, it is not something that you want to carry along with the charger. The charger is almost the same size as the device. They could have done a better job with the form factor and the battery life. They could have made one charger for all of their devices so that you only have to carry one charger, or they should have provided the ability to use a USB or USB-C on all the devices so that you could plug a device up to a laptop for charging.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been working with LinkRunner for about six to eight months. It is being used extensively. I use it on every job.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It seems to be pretty solid. I haven't had any issues with its screen, buttons, and things of that nature.
How are customer service and support?
I didn't interact with them for LinkRunner. It was for another device. I was having trouble with the battery, and they did replace the battery. I didn't have to have an AllyCare contract. It was under warranty, and they did replace the battery. The customer interaction was great, but I am not pleased with not being able to update firmware without an AllyCare contract. I would rate their support a nine out of ten.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Since I have been working with this company, they have been purchasing LinkRunner. We were using Fluke previously, and the price was the reason for switching. It is still a high cost but nothing compared to what Fluke costs.
How was the initial setup?
It is simple. You just take it out of the box and go with it.
What was our ROI?
I am not sure if we have seen an ROI.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
I didn't have to buy it, but if I was going to have my choice, I wouldn't buy it just because of the price point. It works pretty well to do one thing. For the cost, it is definitely not worth it. There are other products out there that can do the same thing for probably 70% less.
I am not aware of any additional costs.
What other advice do I have?
My advice would be to be aware of AllyCare. There are no firmware updates unless you have that contract.
I can't say that I absolutely love it, but I find a feature here and there that is growing on me. It works pretty well to do one thing. I haven't really done much else with it. I did an iPerf test or a bandwidth test, and it did work quite well.
It works for troubleshooting. It does work well with the apps that are on the Android platform, but there are bugs and quirks to it.
The automatic uploading of test results to the Link-Live cloud service saves us some time but not on LinkRunner 10G. I've got Air Link that does it automatically anytime the device is connected, but for LinkRunner 10G, I believe you have to have a NetAlly or an AllyCare contract, which we do not have.
I would rate it a six out of ten.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-06-30T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1856337 from
We're getting the testing done faster, which saves us at least a day per location
What is our primary use case?
My company has been spinning up a lot of offices, so we use LinkRunner to verify that the copper and fiber cables are installed correctly and will meet multi-gig needs. We also use it for general troubleshooting that occurs with the various built-in tests. We have two devices shared by four or five junior and senior network engineers.
How has it helped my organization?
LinkRunner makes the configuration of the copper and fiber Ethernet networks a lot simpler. The kit comes with modules that you can plug in, so it will do pair matching and everything else on the screen. We can ensure that everything has been terminated properly.
It also uploads to NetAlly's cloud, creating a record of all the tests that have been run. We can easily see when something new is tested by a technician in the field and add the test to the documentation. We know when something has been added and whether it meets the installation requirements. This is crucial for us and it's easy to access the data after it uploads. We can sign into the cloud, or it'll email us the results after each test.
The client integration is a huge time saver. Older products from this vendor required us to hook our device to our laptop via USB and manually transfer. At the end of the day, everything is automatically uploaded to the cloud. We're getting the testing done faster, which saves us at least a day per location.
What is most valuable?
I like that LinkRunner is an all-in-one device with a touchscreen interface. I don't have to pair it with a phone or anything else to get the full functionality. The built-in tests are one of the most significant advantages. It will pull an IP, ping the gateway, ping out to the Intra, and report everything on the screen. It will tell me when a test completes or fails and why.
We don't have to worry about carrying multiple devices. When we’re going into a situation to deploy or troubleshoot, we don't want to take a whole bag of stuff. This comes with a little strap so we can wear it on our hips.
AutoTest is another feature we use. It provides a power rating and does the basics post on IP. It has thresholds to tell me if a DHCP request takes longer than expected or the DNS takes longer to resolve something based on thresholds we've set. AutoTest is critical for troubleshooting because it helps diagnose network issues. If it's an issue with a DNS server or DHB server, then it is not traditionally a network issue.
Overall, it's easy to use. When I hand it to junior technicians, they can figure it out in a few minutes and test whatever they need. The results display quickly after the initial boot and testing. The unit also has a built-in camera, so we can snap pictures of the wall plates and other field items when we're troubleshooting or looking at a new install.
What needs improvement?
One area where LinkRunner could be improved is the battery life. Depending on which tests are run, it gets a decent six to eight hours. However, sometimes we need to do back-to-back shifts to meet a deadline, and we need access to an outlet to keep it plugged in and charging. It takes about an hour or two to charge.
I'd also like to see NetAlly add the ability to test 40-gig fiber.
For how long have I used the solution?
We've been using LinkRunner for about a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
The OS is pretty stable. I think we've only had one crash, and that may just be because Android OS is running multiple test apps at once. We don't always remember to close them, so it's running a lot in the background. The device itself is sturdy, but I've only used it with a protective case, so I don't know how well it would handle a drop without it.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We were using a different NetAlly device previously. It was a LinkSprinter. We switched to LinkRunner because it does 10-gig fiber and 2.5-gig copper. LinkRunner also has cable mapping built into it.
LinkRunner is a single device, which is an advantage over LinkSprinter. We don't have to pair it with our phone to get the features. With LinkSprinter, we plug it in, and it does the AutoTest. We must pair it to our phones to launch additional tests. We don't have to worry about keeping our phone connected, so it's more convenient.
How was the initial setup?
There is some setup, but it's relatively straightforward. You need to register the device on the portal if you want the results emailed. You go put in the last eight digits of the MAC address for the device and connect to the network. It talks to the cloud, and the cloud is listening to that MAC address.
NetAlly does that for most of their tools, so it's the same portal if you have multiple NetAlly products. If you already have an account set up, you only need to add the new device to the portal.
What was our ROI?
I can't give a dollar amount, but anything that saves time is worth the investment. It pays for itself if we look at our usage throughout the year and the time saved.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The price was fair. We bought LinkRunner with a bundle. One of the bundles came with the wireless tester as well as a bunch of other modules and adapters.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We took a cursory look at other solutions to see what's out there. LinkRunner seemed to be the most straightforward and feature-rich option. I can't recall the name of the other vendor, but it was a much larger device. LinkRunner fits in your hand. The other device is more of a tablet with modules and everything else. It was more unwieldy.
What other advice do I have?
I rate LinkRunner ten out of ten. Even though it has some room for improvement, it's still the most feature-rich solution out of all the ones I've used.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-05-26T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Jesse_B from
Impressive ease of use, gives comprehensive results in seconds, and saves a lot of time and resources
What is our primary use case?
I have LinkRunner G2, and I use this product for testing and troubleshooting. I am able to test my network connections and cables and do general troubleshooting for network drops, network outlets, etc.
I do connectivity tests and cable verification, and I use it to do network link tests to check network drops and know whether it's alive or not alive, and if it is alive, which services are available. This tool does that quite well. It tells me if my link is alive, and not just that, if it is a switch, I get the model information of the switch and whether PoE is being delivered on the switch or the wire. I get the DNS server, and I get the IP address. It also checks if there is internet access on that line. If there's a VLAN, it gives me the VLAN number. It does quite a lot of tests in a very quick time. It saves me a lot of time. I don't have to run around and troubleshoot one thing after another.
How has it helped my organization?
It's very useful to me. Normally, I have to send a network specialist onto a site to do network tests because it requires a certain amount of expertise to log into a switch and check the services and VLAN information. Now, with this tool, I can send a technician who's already on site and already available, and that technician can simply plug this in and run the tests that are pre-configured on this device. The technician would have a lot of information to work with and know exactly where the problem is, what services are available, and whether the internet is there or not. If it's not there, the technician can give me the IP address that he or she is getting, and I can figure out what I need to do on my end without having to send a network specialist. This has saved me a lot of time. In the healthcare industry, in which work, time is of the essence. Hospitals need to be up and running, and I don't always have a network specialist available because it's a scarce resource, but I always have technicians. It allows me to respond quickly. It has reduced the time to troubleshoot a problem and resolve an issue. I no longer need to send a specialist out. Technicians can get the needed information without having to log into a switch or do any complex work that they are not familiar with.
It's an excellent testing tool for conducting network testing on copper and fiber, and what makes it excellent is the time it takes. It's a lot faster than other tools that I've used. It gives me a very reliable response, and it gives me various parameters for my test, such as the length of the cable, a wire map, etc. There is a colored screen, and it's very easy to read, which makes it very easy to work with. As opposed to some of the tools I've used that just give you a beep or two beeps, it gives me a lot more information which makes it easy to detect exactly where the problem is or how far along a line there may be a problem. That makes it very useful and an excellent tool to work with.
With Link-Live, as soon as I run a test, that test is uploaded to my account online. I don't have to save it, download it, or copy it. It doesn't get lost. So, I can go online and see all the tests that my technicians have run. I can have those tests assigned to a site, so remotely, I know what are the conditions of my sites, how reliable my networks are, and where improvements are needed. It stores all of my results, and those test results are online and available to me whenever I need them. It gives me a rich history, and it helps me to detect trends on my networks and where I need to do extra work. This historical reporting and being able to instantly access reports online is very helpful.
I use LinkRunner's AutoTest feature. It simplifies all the testing because just one click does it all. I hit that button, and it runs a series of tests in one go, without me having to interact with it. I just get my results, and I can get to the bottom of my testing. AutoTest gives me a bunch of results. It gives me very useful information. It tells me whether my link is alive; it tells me the speed I'm getting, whether it's a hundred megabits or one gigabit per second. For a switch, it tells me what port I'm on and what's the model of that switch. It tells me if I got an IP address. It tells me what my IP address is and which DNS server gave me that IP address. It tells me if I have internet service on that link, and if I'm doing PoE, it tells me if I have Power over Ethernet available on that link. It also tells me if there's a VLAN that I'm using and what's that VLAN number. There is a very rich test set that is produced by LinkRunner, and this information is very important to me in troubleshooting. Normally, I have to run a series of different tests to try to locate what the problem is. I have to run one test and then do another test, and another test. With LinkRunner, I can certify that the network connections I give to my clients have all the services they need. It also tells me how my network is configured. It helps me to provide reliable connectivity and also benchmark my network performance.
It's the fastest tool I've used. LinkRunner gives results in seconds, and it does that reliably. It gives me reliable results every time. Something that would normally take me an hour is done in less than a minute. That is very important for me because I'm in the healthcare industry, and time is very critical when I need to provide service to my healthcare professionals.
The technical capabilities of LinkRunner have allowed me to respond to problems a lot quicker. My resolution time has been reduced by 80% in some cases. Normally, I have to get a technician to go out, and on realizing there's a problem on the line, the technician would go to the help desk and report it and ask for a network specialist. I then have to get a network specialist, if he's available, and send him out to the site. He will then run a series of tests, log in to a switch, get to the switch room, and then do another test to find out what's the VLAN and if there's internet access. Now, I can have that technician who reported the problem just use LinkRunner to run one AutoTest, and that AutoTest tells my technician exactly what services are available and not available. If I need to do a fix, I have all the information I need to do that fix, and that could be done remotely because that technician can tell me what VLAN he's on, which switch he is connected to, and which port he is connected to without having to visit the switch room or comms room. In a nutshell, it has allowed me to reduce my ticket time by 80%.
It's very important that test results are automatically saved to NetAlly’s free Link-Live Cloud Service. I no longer have to rely on tests being saved by my technicians. Sometimes, test results are lost inadvertently, and then I have to revisit a site and retest. Being able to go online and get those results in real time and have them saved and compiled by LinkRunner's Link-Live service has been very valuable to me in building out my documentation for my sites. It has also been helpful in building out my documentation on trends on what has been my network performance. I can now look at my network performance and determine where I need to have improvements made. I can now save on my budgets, and I can now assign resources as I need to because LinkRunner gives me the ability to look at historical reports and have them all together in one piece in real-time.
The automatic uploading of test results saves me time. Normally, I have to wait until a test is done. Sometimes, the test is done on multiple floors of a building, and I have to wait till all those tests are done and my technician gets his or her computer, connects the device, and then uploads those test results to me. That could take hours. Now, with LinkRunner, with wireless connectivity, I can have those tests uploaded as soon as they are run. It means I can have the information I need almost immediately. I can now respond a lot quicker, which is very valuable to me.
It has made my network staff a lot more productive. My network staff spends less time troubleshooting little issues that could be fixed by a technician. My network staff has to work with fewer tools to fix a problem because LinkRunner does everything I need in one click. They no longer have to move up and down from a network drop up to a switch room, connect, and then go back down. They no longer have to work with a bunch of cables. They can just plug LinkRunner in and get the information needed, which is uploaded to Link-Live where I can view it, and my other technicians can view it. We can collaborate on results, and we can collaborate on ideas to fix a problem because that information is uploaded immediately and is available live to the entire team. It saves a lot of time, and it has improved my team's performance. They're very happy with it. In fact, I'm ordering more devices now because it saves a lot of time of my team from having to go back and forth. My site visits have decreased.
What is most valuable?
I've found the VLAN test feature to be most valuable. That's because not many devices do VLAN tests. Normally, I have to send a center technician to check a line and see if it's alive. If it's working, then I have to send a network technician out to log into a switch and see which port it's on and on which VLAN that port is. That's two persons and two separate visits. This device does all of this in a matter of seconds, and that has saved me a lot of time, troubleshooting, and resources.
Its ease of use is very impressive. LinkRunner allows me to have my technicians run tests that are normally too complex and require a network specialist. AutoTest works with just one click. AutoTest does a lot of testing that would normally require a network specialist to log in to a switch and check out VLAN based on a ...
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-11-21T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Nick Schornick from
Gives us all the tools in one small form factor and helps us with logging and diagnostic troubleshooting
What is our primary use case?
We do structured cabling and we use the LinkSprinter to do certified cable runs and for throughput testing through switches.
How has it helped my organization?
This simplifies the solutions that we offer by being able to have all the tools available in one small form factor that you can carry around just about anywhere. The LinkRunner has improved our IT functions due to the ease of use, portability of the unit, and its ability to do logging and diagnostic troubleshooting.
What is most valuable?
Among the features that I've found the most valuable with the G2 is that you can have your results uploaded to the cloud and have them emailed directly to you. That way you can look at the results later on during the day.
Having the results sent directly, via email, from the LinkRunner itself makes it really great for logging different things that you're trying to document within your organization. You can have a paper trail of what your organization has as far as infrastructure goes. Also, when we're trying to diagnose and troubleshoot issues further, outside of the site, we can have visual results of what we tested earlier during the day to help us figure out what's going on with the environment. The auto-saving of the information allows us to streamline our processes and save a bunch of time on troubleshooting and diagnostics.
The LinkRunner, as far as troubleshooting goes, provides very quick and useful diagnostic tools. If you're trying to connect to a switch, it tells you all the information at a moment's notice. It has definitely reduced troubleshooting time inside network cabinets and allows us to get our work done efficiently and effectively. The solution has made our IT staff more productive by saving us time within those IT closets and allowing us to get in and out of the scenarios and get the client back up and running.
Having a unit that can perform all the tasks needed makes the life of an IT professional easier. You have a simple device that is easy to use. The user interface is great, and it has all the streamlined power tools to make an IT professional great at whatever tasks they're trying to accomplish. The ease of use of the LinkRunner G2 means that any IT professional or beginner IT professional would be able to pick it up and use it, 100 percent, without any issues.
The speed in providing results is something that they have done very well with this product. I have no comments as to any ways they could improve it.
What needs improvement?
Being really nitpicky about the LinkRunner G2, I wish the form factor was a little bit smaller. However, I'm sure that the size of the unit is compromised by the fact that the battery is large. If that were to mean having less battery life, I would not change it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I am our market relationship manager and I have been using the LinkRunner G2 with LinkSprinter for about two and a half years now.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I have not noticed any issues with the stability of this product. Anytime there has been an update for the LinkRunner, we have always applied it, but we have never had any issues with the stability of the product or battery life.
How are customer service and support?
The technical support is something I have not actually had to use with this product. It is a very straightforward product and requires little to no documentation to use or maintain.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
Before we used the LinkRunner we did use some Fluke solutions.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward. The most complicated step, which was not bad at all, was setting it up under a NetAlly account where you can receive your emails. Other than that, it was a straightforward process and it wasn't hard at all.
The only deployment and maintenance time that we have spent on the LinkRunner was the initial setup and time for charging of the unit. There is no other maintenance required.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
You get what you pay for whenever you're looking for a network troubleshooting tool. And if you're going to be using it to streamline your processes and cut down on time in the field, you need to choose a product that is going to be easy to use, simple, and something that you can rely on. NetAlly has that.
The cost of the LinkRunner is something that I can justify by it being a simple-to-use unit and something that allows us to perform our job functions quicker and more easily than we have ever done before. So the price is well worth it.
I have not incurred any costs using the NetAlly, other than the purchase of the unit.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did consider different companies but decided to go with NetAlly for the price and the bang for the buck.
What other advice do I have?
For others who may be interested in the LinkRunner product, you may not use all the features that you have on the LinkRunner units. However, technology is growing every day and you may use them in the future in your IT career.
The biggest lesson that I have learned is that these products are specialized for networking administrators and any IT professional. Not having it in the tool shed was a huge, grave mistake.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-11-27T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Robin Puliparambil from
Validates solutions in new deployment testing environments and helps us prove to clients that we're delivering what they're looking for
What is our primary use case?
I use LinkRunner for new deployment testing environments to validate solutions and to prove to us and our clients that we're delivering what they're looking for. LinkRunner provides us with all the relevant information we need, test results, and validates everything that we've done.
The tools are shared across our team, which is about eight people.
How has it helped my organization?
The number of bulk test tools that we carried is reduced from three bags to one tiny bag. That's an improvement. We manage only one or two devices in theory versus 10 different pieces of test equipment for 10 different results and variables. It's helped our company a lot.
LinkRunner generates a report that summarizes everything, so we don't have to pull all the results from different tests, put it together, make sense of it, and then talk to the client about it. We can customize a single report with a company's value-adds, which saves a lot of time.
NetAlly's free Link-Live Cloud Service is a highlight of our use case, especially because most of the other tools that we use don't have a cloud platform. It allows us to save test results. We've had situations where a client requested to see those test results because we didn't provide them originally. It was definitely a face-saving stage because we were able to pull the report easily from the cloud platform.
The solution's ability to simplify network validation and configuration of copper and fiber Ethernet networks is absolutely brilliant. It would have taken us an hour to run those tests on individual test tools with a dedicated toolkit. LinkRunner has one tool to achieve all this, so we can do everything within 10-15 minutes for the same amount of tests. There has been a huge time reduction. Running tests multiple times across different individual pieces of the network reduces time as well.
It helps us streamline workflows. There are specific tools for test reasons or validations, so if we did this with any other tool, we would've spent many hours doing individual tests. Because we're doing it in one go with LinkRunner, we save a lot of time. We have a one-panel view, which allows us to see everything, cleanly summarizes it, and points out where the problems are. It's highly relevant and highly useful, especially for a network engineer.
We use LinkRunner's AutoTest feature a lot. The AutoTest feature shows us the connectivity status. It picks up the DHCP IP. It saves us a lot of time because we don't have to manually configure things.
The AutoTest feature on its own is just a part of the puzzle. It's one piece that allows us to make sure we have physical connectivity. It's more time-saving than anything else. The AutoTest feature alone doesn't meet all of our needs, but together with the AutoTest performances, iPerf, etc., it works very well.
LinkRunner is easy to use and saves a lot of time. It's programmed so that all the usual tasks are automated, which means we don't have to select variables, values, etc.
LinkRunner's speed in providing results is very good.
The solution automatically uploads test results to Link-Live Cloud Service, which definitely saves us time. The only downside is that we have to manually select "Upload It." I wish that piece was automated more than anything else, including graphs. I couldn't find that feature, but it's been pretty straightforward to use other than that.
The solution has definitely reduced troubleshooting time. About 70% of our time and effort has been reduced.
Our networking staff is more productive because of this solution. They have time to focus on other things.
What is most valuable?
Performance testing is the most valuable feature. It gives a brief summary of the information we're looking at, such as latency, jitter, and the available throughput.
What needs improvement?
I wish they had software that could create continuous streams of traffic. I'm not sure if that's possible with LinkRunner, but it would be very helpful in some of the test case scenarios that clients are looking for, in regards to the quality of service.
I would like to see automated cloud updates so we can automatically upload test results instead of manually doing it.
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using this solution for less than a year.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We haven't had any issues with stability.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
The scalability is questionable, but I'm open to being corrected on that. Right now, we're starting to see 25 Gig and 50 Gig throughputs, and even 100 or 400 Gig throughputs. It would be nice to see testing tools that can do 400 Gigs. 400 Gigs might be pushing it, but I would like to see at least 100 Gigs because that's slowly becoming the norm.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't needed to contact technical support.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We used various tools and applications to replicate what we were doing. They were all Linux-based tools or specific cable test-run tools. We put them all aside thanks to LinkRunner.
How was the initial setup?
I had to make one call to the partner, but everything else was straightforward. It took less than ten minutes to get the solution up and running. After that, we took it out to client sites and used it for different testing results, AutoTest performances, etc., over a period of days.
The solution hardly requires any maintenance. The firmware updates come from the cloud platform.
What was our ROI?
We have absolutely seen ROI with the time and effort that our engineers are saving.
For one of our projects, we had to do tests on every single individual network device. Doing that without LinkRunner would have taken at least five times the effort. LinkRunner immediately saved us that time by one-fifth.
We have also saved time because the information is consolidated into a report. The cloud solution formats it into a graph. It's presentable and easily extracted. We got a lot of time back, which we could use for other projects.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It was difficult to sell this to my management because the price is really high compared to other testing tools. However, we've seen a pretty good return on investment considering our outcomes and the time we have saved. The first year has been great.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We approached a lot of vendors in regard to various solutions. We were trying to get a 10 Gig capacity throughput because it was a requirement that the client absolutely wanted to test. Not many solutions delivered that.
We also wanted summarized and collated information instead of needing to use ten different tools to achieve the same result. LinkRunner meets all of those needs.
What other advice do I have?
I would rate this solution eight out of ten.
It's not a ten because of the scalability piece. If I wanted to step it up with other interface levels, the scalability would be limited. I would like to see the addition of a couple of simple tests and a traffic generator feature.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-08-15T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Tom Newman from
Takes the guesswork away, enabling us to verify and certify cables
What is our primary use case?
We use it to test customers' networks, either fiber or Category 6 cable. We run BERT tests to analyze the fiber or cable.
For example, next week I'll be using it at a customer who is stating that they ran a bunch of data cables and they're hiring us to validate the cables and make sure there are no problems with it. Their IT department is saying when they installed the network, everything slowed down. We'll go in there and use LinkRunner.
How has it helped my organization?
The effect on how we work has been huge. It takes the guesswork out of everything. If a customer says that they're having issues with speed and they're blaming it on the cable, we can completely nip that in the bud and show them exactly what the cable and/or fiber is doing. It takes those variables out of the equation, so they can look in other places.
When it comes to troubleshooting, it's excellent. It's great. Although I haven't done that much troubleshooting with it, it takes speculation out of the picture. If there is a bad cable or bad fiber, it will tell you. We can use it to troubleshoot and verify or certify the cable.
LinkRunner has made our networking staff significantly more productive. It cuts down the time they spend, per job, by a couple of hours.
What is most valuable?
Among the best features are the
* touch screen
* menus, which are pretty easy
* and the reports, which are great.
In terms of network validation, the tool makes it very easy to run a test.
The AutoTest feature makes it easy for you on both ends. It's an excellent feature, especially if you're by yourself. You plug one end in and you hit AutoTest. It sits and waits for you to plug in the other end and it starts testing. It's also helpful when you're with a second person. Once the second guy goes to the next jack or the next fiber, you hit AutoTest and then that guy plugs it in and it tests. It saves a lot of time and gives you a lot of information, depending on what you're testing.
The speed at which it provides results is excellent. It's extremely fast and efficient. It's not a time-waster.
I also love NetAlly’s free Link-Live Cloud Service where the test results are automatically saved. It's like a backup. It's always there. Later, you can get on your computer and get the results, and you can print them out. It's much easier than transferring the data from the unit to a thumb drive or connecting it to a computer. It makes things more efficient and easier.
What needs improvement?
I would like to see better documentation on how to use the unit. I watch a lot of YouTube videos about it, but I'd rather have a paper manual. That would be better instead of flipping through a file.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using LinkRunner for over a year and a half.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
This is my second unit. I had issues with the first one, it just wouldn't turn on.o they sent me a new one. Since then, everything has been fine.
How are customer service and support?
The tech support is great. If you're not familiar with any of the types of tests, you call tech support and they'll walk you through them. They'll ask you, "What do you want to do?" When you tell them, they say, "Oh, go here, here, here," and you're testing away.
You can call their support anytime and someone will answer. They're very knowledgeable and will help you. We use the tech support for education about the unit. If someone forgets how to do something, they're able to call and support will walk them right through it.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I used a Fluke in the past, and then it became part of the independent company called NetAlly. I still use the Fluke product to this day. The LinkRunner 10G has many more functions than the Fluke LinkRunner. We switched to stay up with the times.
How was the initial setup?
There was no setup. I was able to use it straight out of the box.
It's a little bit tough getting used to at first, but once you get the hang of it, and once you start using it more, like anything, it gets easier. The difficult part, at first, is knowing where to find each test and how to use the tests.
There's a lot more that I still need to learn about it. I've had it for over a year and a half and there is still a ton I can learn. It just takes time. Right now there isn't a lot of time during the day to sit down and play with it. Once you do learn something, it takes a while to retain it. But there are now certain tasks that I constantly use it for and I have them down pat.
What was our ROI?
Compared to what I paid for it, it's paid for itself three times over. It's just a great tool. I was getting value from it almost immediately, and definitely within the first three months.
The first time we used it to test things for a customer who was having problems, it turned out it wasn't the cable, it paid for itself right there. It validated the investment on the spot.
It's worth every dime. It's a valuable tool in our toolbox. All our customers are impressed when we pull it out. We use it and give them the results.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's expensive but you definitely get what you pay for. I would buy another one if I had to.
What other advice do I have?
We use it as much as possible. It's brought out to validate any type of cabling. It's a great tool. NetAlly is a great company, from my local rep to tech support.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-03-09T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Bruce Hall from
Makes it much more practical for an individual to do building-to-building links on their own
What is our primary use case?
I work for a college and we have mostly been using it on campus, whenever we've been adding fiber optic links between switches or routers, to identify paths and determine if they're plugging into the intended switch and port, before we plug it in with the actual switch.
The other use case is that we're starting to do troubleshooting with LinkRunner but we haven't done a lot of that yet. If we're seeing errors on a link, we're trying to use it to identify the source or the severity of them using something that is not part of our switching structure. Having something that's a separate standard or measuring device is very appealing.
How has it helped my organization?
Given that some of the kinds of links that we need to do on campus are going from building to building, sometimes that can be tricky if you're doing it by yourself. With LinkRunner it is much more practical to do that as one person, without having another at the end or in between. I have been able to pretty confidently evaluate the link all the way, at every step in the process, rather than plugging it in at the end and looking at the switches to see what the status is.
In addition, with the AutoTest feature, it's good to have the PoE validation or reporting, as well as the detailed LLDP information at the same time. And it provides ping-level information to both local and remote websites. That information is pretty significant because we have a variety of APs with differing power requirements, and a variety of switches with differing levels of PoEs. I anticipate that we'll be able to use this to more readily identify if we've got the proper power when we're installing some of the newer, more power-hungry APs.
In general, I like the idea of the Link-Live Cloud Service a lot. That was something I'm not even sure I knew about beforehand. I may have read about it in the sheets, but hadn't looked at it in any detail at all. It should help save time because I know I don't have to worry about the results on the tester itself. I know that they're going to be on the cloud and I'll get notifications about them too.
What is most valuable?
One of the most valuable features may seem really small, but it's really helpful. The LLDP decoding is better than on some of the other devices that we've used. Specifically, it goes beyond the minimum of the LLDP data to decode, and it shows the LLDP port descriptions. That makes it vastly simpler to identify which port you're connecting to on a switch that's patched back to some other building, rather than having to figure out an SNMP index or something else.
Its ability to simplify network validation and configuration of fiber Ethernet networks has been very good. It has certainly helped anytime we've been doing something where we wanted to evaluate it beforehand.
On the troubleshooting side, from what I've seen, I think the Link-Live is going to be a big plus with the automatic storing of data on the cloud. I expect to have to take fewer pictures of my tester to record something. And while I haven't used it at all, I'm expecting to like the LAN BERT function for more extensive troubleshooting or validation of a link at higher levels.
It's also pretty easy to use, at least when it comes to the primary functions. I haven't used the most advanced parts yet, but I was certainly able to make use of the basic features relatively quickly. For instance, the AutoTest, was literally a matter of plugging it in and pushing "AutoTest." I was able to evaluate the information that it gave back.
The speed at which it provides results is very good. It seems very quick.
What needs improvement?
The only thing that comes to mind is that it does take a little while to boot up if it's turned off.
For how long have I used the solution?
We got LinkRunner in the fall of 2021, so we have had it for about four months.
It has primarily been me using it in my role as network administrator, being involved in physically adding links in different places. What I expect we'll be doing in the relatively near future is to have the couple of people who also do physical port activations and switch installs make use of it in the same way I do.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't noticed any stability problems on the unit.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
We got it for 10-Gb links and below. There will certainly be a point where we want to do 40-Gb links, but I realize that that's a big jump from where this device is. And it has already made a big jump, going from 1-Gb links to 10. We're satisfied with that for now.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't used their technical support, although there was one strange issue. The case that it's in has a Velcro strap, and the stitching that held the Velcro on was defective. It was coming undone. I went through customer support and identified that by answering an email and uploading a photo. It was a pretty painless process and, relatively quickly, they sent a replacement case for it.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
I've used another NetAlly product, but it is a lower-level product. I also used an older Fluke model. I haven't used a newer Fluke device.
The key thing we were looking at in switching to LinkRunner was the higher speeds that are available. The 10-Gb capability was a real plus. It's also newer and much more modern.
What was our ROI?
When I look at its cost versus its ability to save time or solve problems faster, it's good. I'm perfectly happy with it.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's an expensive device. Don't expect it to be cheap. But the pricing is good. It certainly seemed in line with anything else I was looking at at the time.
The range of NetAlly devices that I saw at the time gave me confidence that I could pick from other devices if I was looking for something with different capabilities at a different price point. But my first priority was the 10-Gb capability, and this was the first in their product line that did that.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
I was looking around generally, so I probably ran across some others. But the NetAlly products seemed to have extra features like the test accessory, which is the remote iPerf server. That's a nice, handy thing to be able to plug in somewhere.
What other advice do I have?
I expect the LAN BERT function will take some time to learn because I haven't used that yet. I need to read a little bit more about it, and I need to pair it with another device.
In terms of maintenance, it doesn't require any, as far as I know.
I haven't used those advanced features yet, but from everything I've seen, it's a 10 out of 10. I haven't come across anything that's been disappointing. It has been able to do the things that I've tried to do with it.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-03-09T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Nader Alkahtani from
point to distance broken cable (TDR) ICMP, TCP ping even 13 hosts
What is most valuable?
* Solid body: Network engineers and technicians need devices that have hard bodies because they might drop it, pick it up with other equipment and so on.
* Authorized: It is stable and I am used to its reports. If you need to validate a cable, you can just calibrate it with a one-meter cable, and then test any cable again.
* Long-life battery
How has it helped my organization?
It helps me because I don’t have to call another technician.
What needs improvement?
* No touch screen
* It doesn't support USB flash storage
* It doesn't support WiFi
For how long have I used the solution?
I have been using it for about two years.
What was my experience with deployment of the solution?
Deployment was very easy. I did not even need a manual.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I never had any stability issues.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I have not encountered any scalability issues.
How is customer service and technical support?
Customer Service: I rate customer service 80/100.
Technical Support: I rate technical support 80/100.
How was the initial setup?
Initial setup was very easy.
What about the implementation team?
An in-house team implemented it but I use it for my work.
What was our ROI?
We have achieved an ROI of 90%.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It is very expensive.
What other advice do I have?
----------------------------
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2016-10-02T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
DaveBennett from
Invaluable for troubleshooting, and AutoTest saves notable time
What is our primary use case?
We use it for general connectivity issues and trying to determine throughput on fiber and throughput on the wired part of the network. We have a lot of excess network traffic and we are trying to determine if it is inherent to a particular run of fiber or a particular network switch. We've been chasing activity around campus for most of the year, including VLANs and things of that nature. A lot of it was pretty simply explained and it was really easy to see on this device.
How has it helped my organization?
The AutoTest feature is really important because it saves time. Instead of chasing something down the old, manual way, with a ping test and a tracer, and a tone-tester loop-back process, AutoTest saves me something like eight to 10 hours every week.
In terms of network validation, and copper and fiber Ethernet configuration, I can't imagine life without LinkRunner devices. The minute I got the 10G, everybody was fighting over it. They had never used such a device before and it was just breathtaking for them to very quickly see the validation you can gain from these devices. Without one, it's a manual process where you're chasing your head in circles.
When it comes to troubleshooting, I don't even know how to measure its value. It gives you the information you need, when you need it, very quickly. When you're dealing with a school, like we are, you don't have a lot of time. When technology breaks, learning stops, and that's the core product. I can't imagine not having something like this to help me and my team track down intermittent issues. The amount of time it saves me on troubleshooting varies but I would estimate it's several hours a week, on average.
The speed of the device means that, for what we're looking for, it usually takes 30 seconds to a minute.
Another benefit is the automatic upload of test results to the Link-Live Cloud Service. Over a period of a month, that feature saves me several hours. I can look back on a particular activity at the time it happened and know what we tested and what we found. It has demonstrated its value that way very easily.
What is most valuable?
You can very easily see the VLAN structures and which port is involved on the switch. A lot of detailed information comes back.
It's also helpful that I have both my devices connected to email. Every time they're used I get an email that shows me the test results—fail/pass—and the details around it. When I get back, I review where I was and recall all the details without having to scribble them down on a piece of paper.
If the results were not automatically saved to NetAlly’s free Link-Live Cloud Service, it would lose a lot of effectiveness. Without that, you would have to depend on the memory of the device or walk around with a notepad and scribble things down, and hopefully you'd be able to read what you wrote when you got back. Having that automated process is very important, and knowing it is there even made it easier to make the purchase.
Also, being able to do a packet capture is important.
AutoTest largely gives you a snapshot of what the network is looking like on that particular leg. It helps trace down if we have connectivity. We have a unique setup in the way we structure our VLANs, so it's just important to know which port on a switch is tied to which VLAN structure. When you're out, you're not going to necessarily log in to the switch and automatically start looking. You need to know, "Is this on this VLAN or that VLAN?" Given that they're not necessarily marked clearly, the LinkRunner device makes it a lot easier to really quickly say, "Okay, I need to move this port because this one is dead. Where is another VLAN for it?" You can very quickly determine which of the ports will work.
Also, on very long runs at the end of a building, I am able to do a more in-depth cable test to see if we've got a mismatched pair or a loose wire that needs to be punched down. You can very easily tell when you've got an intermittent connection.
And, of course, the performance of it is pretty handy too. You can start an analysis of what's going on and look at what outgoing port you're going at.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using LinkRunner for about a year. It was actually the first purchase I made when I got here. I had a couple of LinkRunners, not the 10G but the wired and wireless combined one, the AirCheck G2. I also have that here. I used that at my previous school for a couple of years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
We've never had any issues with the LinkRunner.
How are customer service and support?
I've never had to use their tech support, which is a good thing.
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
In the school where I'm now working, they didn't have any testing devices before I arrived. They did whatever they could, but there was no intelligent testing available. They would just look at the network activity on a switch, which isn't really helpful at all.
I went with LinkRunner in my current job because of my prior experience with it.
How was the initial setup?
Getting it set up was very easy, almost seamless. It was almost plug-and-play. There was just not a lot to it. Within 30 minutes of utilizing it and doing a few tests, you see that it's very user-friendly. Most users adapt to it very quickly and find what they're looking for.
What was our ROI?
We have seen value from the product from day one. It's worth every dime we paid for it, 100 percent.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The area where the product could be improved is by having a lower cost so that I could have more than one. The price is competitive, but everybody would always like to see the price go down. I'd buy another one if it were cheaper.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-05-12T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
reviewer1901049 from
Drastically reduces the time and effort and is extremely handy, but takes time to boot up and goes to sleep after a few minutes during cable toning
What is our primary use case?
We have a lot of the normal LinkRunners, and we have the 10Gig ones called LinkRunner 10G Professional Kit that we use to determine connectivity for plug-and-play. We use the Cisco DNA Center. So, the polarity needs to be right and the link needs to be up. We usually test it with LinkRunner, and then we bring the switch up, and it automatically discovers it.
How has it helped my organization?
It provides a way to test 10Gig connectivity. Previously, we had to hook up a switch. That was our only way. Now, with LinkRunner, we can test on the fly if an SFP is bad or if the switch has the right configuration on it.
It makes the network validation and configuration of copper and fiber Ethernet networks drastically easier. It definitely cuts down a lot of time. We can also use the old LinkRunners, but the 10Gig one definitely cuts down a lot of time to verify VLANs and connectivity and do a cable test.
We use it all the time. It is one tool that you can bring with you that will most likely do whatever you need. If you need to tone a cable that's not plugged in, it'll tone it. Once you find it, if you need to know when the switchboard is on, it will do that for you. It will tell you the VLAN it is on. We use it to briefly test and make sure a cable is getting a 1 Gbps link, and it is not a 100 Mbps or half duplex or anything like that. We even use it for labeling to tone out ports. It is definitely the only tool you would need to do most of what you can do. Some of the tools do it better, but for the all-in-one, we have definitely found nothing that comes close to it.
We use the AutoTest feature the most. That's the one that lets you know whether a VLAN doesn't have an IP address at a gateway. We use that feature all the time. A computer would only get you half of that information. You could get the IP address and the gateway, and that's about it. You would still need some other way to get the switch information. You'd have to go on the switch and trace down the switch to get that. So, having just one central point to grab everything really cuts down on time.
We have a lot of key members who use it. We have a lot of VLANs throughout our network, and usually, we have issues such as the port not being on the VLAN on which the client needs it. With the LinkRunner AutoTest, in about five seconds, we can get the information about the port, what VLAN it is on now, and what VLAN it should be on. It can be done in seconds, whereas previously, you'd have to rely on documentation or look for the MAC address, but this makes it insanely faster.
It has absolutely reduced our troubleshooting time. The amount of information that you can quickly grab with this device is amazing. It has saved two to three hours a day on average.
It has made our networking staff more productive. It takes less time to get the simple information, and you can move on to other things. It definitely impacts our staff's productivity.
What is most valuable?
It is really easy to use. We have a bunch of new people, and it has been very simple. We've never had any problems or confusion using it. It is very well laid out.
It is hugely helpful for troubleshooting. It is one of the main tools we use to troubleshoot. We use it all the time to see which cable is on what switch, the VLAN name, and the switch name. To AutoTest, you can use DCP or static to see what kind of IP you're getting and if you're getting one.
What needs improvement?
The 10G one is fine in terms of the speed of the results, but it takes a long time to boot up, whereas you could instantly turn on the old ones. They would be on in a second.
It doesn't turn off automatically, but the toning function goes to sleep. It seems to stop toning after five or six minutes if you don't find the cable. It could be up to ten minutes, but if you don't find the cable that you're trying to tone quick enough, you'll have to go back and restart the tone. So, it doesn't turn itself off, but while toning, it turns itself off.
The polarity on the 10 gigabit SFP port is reversed.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have had two of the 10Gig ones for about eight months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't noticed crashing or anything else. It has been very stable. One unit had stopped charging, and we sent it out for repairs. They sent us a new one in four or five days. That was the only problem we ever had.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
It is very good for everything we use it for. It has been able to do what we need and more. We've had no issues with scalability. We've never needed more out of a device.
We only have two 10Gig ones. Anyone who works on the networking team uses it at one point or another. We use it for everything. We mostly reserve the 10Gig one for dealing with any 10Gig link issues because it is more helpful, but for any ticket, problem, or anything to do with making sure we're looking at the right switch, we just plug it in to get the name or the IP address of the switch. We use it for everything we do.
We don't have any plans to increase the usage of the 10Gig ones. They are quite expensive, and we have only two of them. Down the road, when we move over to more 10Gig infrastructure, we might get more, but right now, the two 10Gig ones are fine.
How are customer service and support?
We only had to use their support once when one unit had stopped charging, and their support was a five out of five. I sent them a video of it not charging, and they said that they will send us a replacement. We put the old one in the box and shipped it back. They were quick, and in four or five days, they sent us a new one.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Positive
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We've had LinkRunners when they were owned by Fluke, and we've had LinkRunner 1000 by NetAlly and LinkRunner 2000 as well. We switched because we needed something to test 10Gig links. Before this, we had to hook up the switch to it. That was the only way to verify connectivity across. We had to bring a small switch in a bag.
How was the initial setup?
It was straightforward. It was a while ago, but I don't remember it being complex at all.
What about the implementation team?
We had a reseller called Graybar, and our experience with them was very good.
What was our ROI?
Based on the number of times we've troubleshot 10Gig links, we have absolutely seen an ROI. It cuts down time drastically.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The 10Gig ones are quite expensive, and we have only two of them, but I know that this option was cheaper than the other 10Gig option we looked at, and we're very happy with it.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We did evaluate other options, but we couldn't find anything else that did 10Gig. Based on the research we did, this was the only option. We found a few LinkRunner-like alternatives, but none of them did 10Gig. There was one we looked at that had a touchscreen like a tablet, but it would have cost more money. That was the other one we found, but LinkRunner was the only one we looked at.
What other advice do I have?
It is very beneficial. We had a trial of it, and what sold us on it was just being able to use it in person. Before trying it, we didn't really know if we needed it. We had it for about two weeks, and then when we gave it back, we realized how much it improved our workflow and simplified installation and troubleshooting.
We don't use LinkRunner for documenting ad hoc additions, moves, and changes of wired ethernet connections. I know that you can plug it into all your ports and you can go back and view it online, but we've never used it for that. We don't use the Cloud service. When we first got them, we had turned on the emails, but it sent too many emails, and we turned it off. We haven't used it since.
I would rate it a seven out of ten. A few annoyances stop it from being a great product, but it is definitely extremely handy.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-07-26T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Rig Villarias from
Detects VLAN, power level, and which port on the switch we're plugged into, simplifying our work
What is our primary use case?
When I moved into my current job, I got my manager to get one mainly to do 10-Gb network testing for our upcoming products.
We use it every day now. The rest of the guys in my team use it for network discovery a lot, such as for making sure that most of our devices that run 10 Gb are getting proper throughput around the network. We also use it for bandwidth checking.
Our company manufactures a lot of AV equipment and there are network ports available on them. We use the tool to set up the network for a particular device or product that we're about to release.
How has it helped my organization?
Before I joined the company and introduced the product to my manager, we were running around tracing cables and guessing what port or what VLAN is in that particular port in the field patch. With LinkRunner, we can just plug it into the port and it detects which VLAN and how much power it's outputting and what port on the switch we're plugged into for that field patch. It's made things a lot easier in terms of troubleshooting clients' networks.
It has reduced troubleshooting time immensely. The guys have more confidence when they troubleshoot things now. They don't have to go back to their desks and log in to the switch and check. They can just bring that device to the port and check what VLAN and which port switch number it is. Having this tool and information easily obtainable is a key component for day-to-day troubleshooting.
The fact that test results are automatically saved to NetAlly’s free Link-Live Cloud Service enables remote users like me to see things from the office. If I get one of my guys to go and have a look at a port or to check something, I don't have to go with them. I have a look at the information remotely. That's very useful for us.
And we use the Cloud Service even more for archiving. Our office is more like a campus. People come and go. Being able to configure and check ports, and then archive that particular port in Link-Live is very useful for us. We can go back and say, "Okay. That port used to be that." It's like a change-control. It's good to have that functionality so that we can go back and look at how a port was configured back then.
What is most valuable?
The most valuable features are the
* AutoTest for the network
* port testing
* network test performance.
AutoTest is very helpful. It's very streamlined and it's very easy to set up and very easy to identify what we want to achieve. It's probably the feature we use the most. It provides us with LLTD, which is very useful. It helps us to discover devices from the other side. If they have link layer discovery protocol or CDP enabled, we can actually check the device that we're plugged into, as well as the port and tag; the Layer 2 information.
That is very useful for us because we always have labs testing new products that we are about to release. The ability to record the results from the AutoTest, such as what interface speed it's negotiating, and the PoE on that port, helps us when releasing new products, as a part of our lab networks.
And when it comes to documenting ad hoc additions, moves, and changes of wired ethernet connections, it works very well. We can organize the results by folders, so we can see what's been changed over a certain amount of time. That's really good.
It's also amazing when it comes to troubleshooting. It's really helpful for us, especially if we're identifying a 10-Gb network, or whatever our product is negotiating. We're very happy with it.
As for its ease of use, the apps are very well-designed. They're very easy to use and understand.
I'm also pretty impressed with LinkRunner's speed in providing results. As long as it's connected to the internet or WiFi, it's pretty quick in uploading the results to the cloud.
And the Link-Live website is pretty easy to use. You can create folders and tag them. It's very, very well-designed.
What needs improvement?
It's a bit bulky. It would be nicer if it were a little bit smaller and packed with all its features. I would also like it if the screen were a bit bigger.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've been using NetAlly since it was called NETSCOUT, when I was with a previous company a long time ago. I've been using the LinkRunner 10G for almost six months.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
It's very stable. I haven't seen it crash or had any issues with lockup or freezing of the unit.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
If we want to go further, it's going to be a bit more expensive. Cost is the factor when it comes to adding to our use. For us, it's not that scalable as a result, but it's a good tool for us to have even just one of. I would like to have more of them. Some of our new products will be moving into a space where we need to start using more network-capable devices such as the LinkRunner.
At the moment there are five of us using it in the roles of desktop support, systems engineer, me as network engineer, another guy who looks after the Cloud Services, and my manager.
How are customer service and support?
I have not used their technical support.
The documentation on the Link-Live support is pretty straightforward. It's a bit confusing sometimes but it's not too bad for figuring out where to go if you need support.
How would you rate customer service and support?
Neutral
Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?
We evaluated other options but because I had used this product at a previous job that made it a lot easier for me to show the rest of the team how to use it.
I looked at Axence NetTools but it was not as feature-rich as LinkRunner.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup is pretty straightforward. This is my second NetAlly product, so it was a lot easier for me to set it up.
What about the implementation team?
We purchased it through a reseller and the experience was great. He invited me over to his office and showed me all the NetAlly products. I told him my use case scenarios and he gave me an idea of which NetAlly product we could use. That was very helpful.
What was our ROI?
We see return on our investment because we can test 10-Gb throughput. That is helpful already because it's hard to find a solution that can do 10-gig testing with a touch and portable device, one that we can carry everywhere we go.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
The pricing and the support licensing is not that complicated. Just make sure you talk to your reseller about how many years you're buying, in connection with your Link-Live account or your AllyCare Premium Support Services. You have to be aware of that.
We did purchase a WiFi dongle so that we can connect it to WiFi.
I would buy another one if I had a chance but they're too expensive. If they made it a bit cheaper, I think a lot of network engineers and network administrators would immediately jump onto it. At the moment, they're just using whatever open-source product they can to do pretty much what LinkRunner can do.
You get what you pay for.
What other advice do I have?
So far, we're loving it. It's a good product. Don't hesitate to buy one if you have the budget.
Disclaimer: PeerSpot contacted the reviewer to collect the review and to validate authenticity. The reviewer was referred by the vendor, but the review is not subject to editing or approval by the vendor.
Date published: 2022-03-15T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Dean Murphy from
With the Switch feature, I don’t have to trace a wire run to locate a switch port.
Valuable Features
* Cable wire test: Shows me open wires in the Ethernet run.
* Switch: My favorite feature. Shows me switch IP and switch port. I don’t have to trace a wire run to locate a switch port.
* Auto test: It’s great to know if a problem exists due to DHCP or DNS issues.
* PoE test: My second favorite. PoE failures were a headache, but not anymore.
Improvements to My Organization
Troubleshooting doesn’t take as long. I can quickly locate a switch port and change a configuration within minutes. This device has decreased how much time we spend on a trouble ticket pertaining to network drops or connections.
Room for Improvement
I would like the ability to save screenshots for the switch and cable test. This will help with referencing the information as we move around the building troubleshooting.
Right now, the process is:
* Connect an Ethernet cable and select switch.
* The screen shows information about the switch, VLAN, etc.
* Unplug the Ethernet cable and all the info is gone.
It would be nice to capture a screen shot for reference later. I don’t need a bunch but at least five; let’s say the previous five are automatically saved.
Same scenario with the cable test. You test a cable with the wire map connectors but you are unable to save the screen.
Right now, I have to take a pic with my phone for reference at a later time.
Use of Solution
I have used it for just over a year.
Stability Issues
I have not encountered any stability issues; works like a champ.
Scalability Issues
I have not encountered any scalability issues.
Customer Service and Technical Support
Technical support is expert.
Previous Solutions
We previously had a Fluke tester, but it didn’t give switch and port information.
Initial Setup
Initial setup was easy cheesy.
Pricing, Setup Cost and Licensing
I presented the cost to our manager, who didn’t hesitate, because it would reduce our troubleshooting time.
Other Solutions Considered
Before choosing this product ( https://www.itcentralstation.com/products/microstrategy ), I did not evaluate other options.
Other Advice
You want more information and reduce time troubleshooting? This device is an all-in-one solution for troubleshooting network connectivity issues.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2016-09-21T00:00:00-04:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
it_user534378 from
The AutoTest feature includes testing a specific site/IP addresses.
What is most valuable?
The most valuables features are:
* AutoTest (including testing a specific site/IP addresses)
* Cable testing
* POE testing
* Static IP testing-troubleshooting
* Switch port information
How has it helped my organization?
By using this product, we have reduced network troubleshooting and we spend less time and effort on installation.
What needs improvement?
Power over Ethernet (POE) Switch Port Charging Of Batteries is an area of the product with room for improvement.
For how long have I used the solution?
We have used this product for a year and a half.
Which solutions did we use previously?
We previously used older Fluke Network Tools – NetRunner and NetTool Series 2.
How was the initial setup?
The initial setup was straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Our procurement department selects the best price from proven and reliable suppliers.
Which other solutions did I evaluate?
We evaluated Ideal R153000 NaviTek II, T3 Innovation NP800 Net Prowler Cabling, and Advanced Network Tester.
What other advice do I have?
* This is an invaluable tool for testing/troubleshooting network cable switch connections and for cable evaluation.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2016-11-23T00:00:00-05:00
Rated 5 out of
5 by
Network Guy from
The unit has saved hours and hours of troubleshooting and manpower on site
What is our primary use case?
We use this for daily work for desktop, network, server and infrastructure sections.
It can be used in the office environment, factory floor, up in the rafters and out in the elements. With the device being rugged, it has withstood all that we've put it through with minimal issues.
How has it helped my organization?
It's a great product and worth every penny if you calculate hours lost with personnel and downtime of equipment.
What is most valuable?
The unit has saved hours and hours of troubleshooting and manpower on site. Other sections that are not in IT have also purchased these for wire map, tracing and testing.
I highly recommend getting the gold support because of the two issues that we've had over the five years. Throughout all of its use, the LinkRunner RJ45 jack on the top of the unit has been replaced due to wear and tear.
What needs improvement?
Bluetooth connectivity to a phone/tablet to manipulate if it's toning a line for an Access Point in the rafters and you're 250+ft away and 15" down. Having to go back up in a lift to use the interface and then go back down again can be cumbersome.
Or something like the remote access that the OneTouch has to access the screen remotely. That comes in handy.
For how long have I used the solution?
More than five years.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
I haven't been able to find a suitable replacement with a compared cost on the market yet.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
Being able to use this as a reflector with OneTouch is very handy.
How are customer service and technical support?
Top-notch, and I've been using Fluke/NETSCOUT for over 20 years.
How was the initial setup?
Straightforward.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
Get the gold support! It's worth every penny for the loaner while your device is in for maintenance.
Disclaimer: I am a real user, and this review is based on my own experience and opinions.
Date published: 2019-02-28T00:00:00-05:00