* Fluke’s cable tester judges network readiness for VoIP, Gigabit Ethernet
Uncertain what your network can handle? Fluke Networks says it can help.
The company last week introduced a handheld cable bandwidth tester that could help IT staff determine if their networks could support VoIP, Gigabit Ethernet and other demanding network technologies.
The product can show network staff what speeds a cable can support. And according to industry experts, IT managers should test their networks before launching new applications, especially voice applications.
“Some will say voice is just another application on the network, but it’s a very specialized application,” says Jeffrey Snyder, an analyst at Gartner. “We’ve heard quite a few stories about failed IP telephone implementations, and one of the most important best practices IT managers can do is make sure their network is actually prepared for applications.”
Similar to products unveiled last week at VoiceCon, Fluke Networks’ CableIQ Qualification Tester can help IT staff prepare their networks for upgrades. Vendors such as Apparent Networks and Empirix also offer products to help enterprise network managers determine how ready their infrastructure is.
Fluke Networks says its CableIQ Qualification Tester can help network staff troubleshoot connectivity problems as well. Initially, “the qualification test determines if existing cabling can support 10Base-T, 100Base-TX, VoIP, and Gigabit Ethernet,” the company says. For more than speed testing, the handheld device can determine if routers and ports are properly configured (with duplex detection), detect cabling problems and monitor device speed.
Network operations staff can perform tests on live networks to determine if, for example, a port is connected to a switch, a PC, an analog phone line or an open cable. The discovery mode on the handheld CableIQ can also help IT staff map out their cable infrastructure, identify unused ports and verify adds, moves and changes, the company says.
Fluke Networks’ CableIQ has a suggested price of $1,075. The product is available immediately.
