Fluke etherscope II Getting Started Manual

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EtherScopeTM Series II

Network Assistant

Getting Started Guide

PN 2633787 May 2006, Rev. 1, 9/06

LIMITED WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Each Fluke Networks product is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. The warranty period for the mainframe is one year and begins on the date of purchase. Parts, accessories, product repairs and services are warranted for 90 days, unless otherwise stated. Ni-Cad, Ni-MH and Li-Ion batteries, cables or other peripherals are all considered parts or accessories. The warranty extends only to the original buyer or end user customer of a Fluke Networks authorized reseller, and does not apply to any product which, in Fluke Networks’ opinion, has been misused, abused, altered, neglected, contaminated, or damaged by accident or abnormal conditions of operation or handling. Fluke Networks warrants that software will operate substantially in accordance with its functional specifications for 90 days and that it has been properly recorded on non-defective media. Fluke Networks does not warrant that software will be error free or operate without interruption.

Fluke Networks authorized resellers shall extend this warranty on new and unused products to end-user customers only but have no authority to extend a greater or different warranty on behalf of Fluke Networks. Warranty support is available only if product is purchased through a Fluke Networks authorized sales outlet or Buyer has paid the applicable international price. Fluke Networks reserves the right to invoice Buyer for importation costs of repair/replacement parts when product purchased in one country is submitted for repair in another country.

Fluke Networks warranty obligation is limited, at Fluke Networks option, to refund of the purchase price, free of charge repair, or replacement of a defective product which is returned to a Fluke Networks authorized service center within the warranty period.

To obtain warranty service, contact your nearest Fluke Networks authorized service center to obtain return authorization information, then send the product to that service center, with a description of the difficulty, postage and insurance prepaid (FOB destination). Fluke Networks assumes no risk for damage in transit. Following warranty repair, the product will be returned to Buyer, transportation prepaid (FOB destination). If Fluke Networks determines that failure was caused by neglect, misuse, contamination, alteration, accident or abnormal condition of operation or handling, or normal wear and tear of mechanical components, Fluke Networks will provide an estimate of repair costs and obtain authorization before commencing the work. Following repair, the product will be returned to the Buyer transportation prepaid and the Buyer will be billed for the repair and return transportation charges (FOB Shipping point).

THIS WARRANTY IS BUYER’S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AND IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OR MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. FLUKE NETWORKS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR LOSSES, INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA, ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE OR THEORY.

Since some countries or states do not allow limitation of the term of an implied warranty, or exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages, the limitations and exclusions of this warranty may not apply to every buyer. If any provision of this Warranty is held invalid or unenforceable by a court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction, such holding will not affect the validity or enforceability of any other provision.

4/04

Fluke Networks PO Box 777 Everett, WA 98206-0777 USA

End User License Agreement (EULA)

The enclosed software product is furnished subject to the terms and conditions of the agreement. Retention of the software product for more than thirty days, opening the sealed wrapper surrounding the product, or use of the product in any manner will be considered acceptance of the agreement terms. If these terms are not acceptable, the unused product and any accompanying written material should be returned promptly to the Fluke Corporation or the place of purchase for a full refund of the license fee paid.

1. GRANT OF LICENSE. Fluke Networks, a division of Fluke Electronics Corporation (Fluke Networks) grants you the right to use the enclosed software in accordance with the terms of this EULA.

2. TITLE, COPYRIGHT AND TRADEMARK. This software product is owned by Fluke Networks or its suppliers and is protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions. Therefore, except for the rights granted to you above, you must treat the software product like any other copyrighted material, and copies must include the proper copyright notice.

3. RESTRICTIONS. You may not reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the software. If the software product is an update, any transfer must include the update and all prior versions.

You may use the software only in conjunction with the Fluke Networks products for which it is intended.

You may not export or re-export the software to any country to which such export or re-export is restricted by law or regulation of the United States, or any other government having jurisdiction, without prior permission from Fluke Networks.

4. TERM. This license is effective upon your acceptance of the above agreement and shall remain in effect until termination by (a) written notification to Fluke Networks or (b) a failure on your part to comply with the license agreement. Upon termination of the license agreement, you shall return to Fluke Networks or destroy all copies of the software product and associated written materials.

5. OTHER AGREEMENTS. Where terms or conditions of this agreement conflict with the terms or conditions of other agreements, this agreement supersedes other agreements.

End User License Agreement (continued)

6. LIMITED WARRANTY. Fluke Networks warrants that the software product will perform in its intended environment substantially in accordance with the accompanying written materials for a period of 90 days from the date of license acceptance. Fluke Networks further warrants that the original copy of the software has been recorded on non-defective media. Fluke Networks does not warrant that the software will be error free or operate without interruption.

7. REMEDIES. Fluke Networks’ entire liability and your exclusive remedy shall be Fluke Networks’ option, (a) the return of the price paid for the product, or (b) repair or replacement of the software product that does not meet the limited warranty. This limited warranty is void if failure of the product has resulted from accident, abuse, or misapplication. Any replacement software product will be warranted for the remained of the 90-day original warranty period or 30 days, whichever is longer.

8. NO OTHER WARRANTIES. FLUKE NETWORKS DISCLAIMS ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO THE SOFTWARE PRODUCT AND THE ACCOMPANYING WRITTEN MATERIALS. In no event shall Fluke Networks or its suppliers be liable for any damages whatsoever (including, without limitations, indirect, consequential, or incidental damages, damages for loss of business profits, business interruption, loss of business information, or other pecuniary loss) arising out of the use or inability to use this software product, even if Fluke Networks has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

This agreement and license shall be governed in the Unites States by the laws of the State of Washington, U.S.A., and elsewhere by the laws of the country within which the agreement is made.

Trademark Disclosure

Qtopia™ is a trademark of Trolltech, Inc.

CompactFlash® is a registered trademark of the CompactFlash Association.

CardBus® logo is a registered trademark of PCMCIA/JEiTA.

Linux® is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

All trademarks are acknowledged.

Software Notice

The EtherScope™ Series II Network Assistant is powered in part by the Linux Operating System and other publicly available software. A machine-readable copy of the corresponding source code is available for the cost of distribution. Please contact the Fluke Networks Technical Assistance Center (1-800-283-5853) and visit the GNU web site (http://www.gnu.org

) for more information.

Contains MatrixSSL™ security software licensed from PeerSec Networks Inc. See http://www.peersec.com for more information on MatrixSSL™ software.

Title Page

About This Guide .......................................................................................................... 1

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 1

Features .................................................................................................................... 2

Available Models...................................................................................................... 2

Available Options..................................................................................................... 3

Package Contents..................................................................................................... 4

Optional Accessories ................................................................................................ 9

Safety and Operational Information....................................................................... 10

Registering Your EtherScope Series IINetwork Assistant ....................................... 12

Care and Maintenance............................................................................................. 13

Contacting Fluke Networks ..................................................................................... 13

Before You Begin.......................................................................................................... 14

Turning the Instrument On and Off........................................................................ 14

Using the Stylus........................................................................................................ 15

Selecting the LAN or WLAN Interface..................................................................... 15

EtherScope™

Getting Started Guide

Adjusting the Brightness of the Screen.................................................................. 16

Setting the Time and Date...................................................................................... 16

Updating the Instrument’s Software...................................................................... 17

Recalibrating the Screen ......................................................................................... 18

Enabling Software Options..................................................................................... 18

Displaying Hardware and Software Version Information ..................................... 19

The Power Supply .................................................................................................... 19

Operating the Instrument on Battery Power .................................................... 20

Operating the Instrument on AC Power............................................................ 22

EtherScope Network Assistant’s Physical Features................................................. 24

Locating the Network Connections ................................................................... 24

Locating the External Interfaces ........................................................................ 25

Locating the External Power Connection.......................................................... 25

Status LEDs .......................................................................................................... 27

Power LED ........................................................................................................... 29

The User Interface.................................................................................................... 30

Screen Layout...................................................................................................... 30

Navigating the User Interface ............................................................................ 33

Personalizing Your EtherScope Network Assistant................................................ 34

Getting Help ............................................................................................................ 35

Accessing the Documentation Online .................................................................... 35

Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN.......................................................... 36

Connecting to a Wired Network............................................................................. 37

Viewing AutoTest Results........................................................................................ 38

Connection Test .................................................................................................. 39

Local Statistics Test.............................................................................................. 47

Device Discovery Test.......................................................................................... 52

Network Discovery Test ...................................................................................... 56

Contents

VLAN Discovery Test............................................................................................ 57

Nearest Switch Test ............................................................................................. 59

Switch Scan Test .................................................................................................. 60

Key Devices Test .................................................................................................. 62

Problem Detection .............................................................................................. 64

Deleting a Problem from the Log....................................................................... 66

RFC 2544 Tests .......................................................................................................... 67

The Remote Device.............................................................................................. 67

Configuring the RFC 2544 Tests.......................................................................... 68

Running an RFC 2544 Test................................................................................... 70

Results .................................................................................................................. 70

ITO Tests ................................................................................................................... 71

Traffic Generator................................................................................................. 71

Throughput Test.................................................................................................. 72

Configuring the Instrument for a Wired LAN......................................................... 74

TCP/IP Settings ..................................................................................................... 75

802.1Q/IP TOS Settings ........................................................................................ 76

802.1X Settings.................................................................................................... 78

Connection Log ................................................................................................... 79

Ethernet Settings................................................................................................. 79

Instrument Security Settings............................................................................... 79

General Settings .................................................................................................. 81

Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Fiber LAN............................................................ 82

Installing and Removing an SFP Fiber Adapter ...................................................... 83

Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wireless LAN....................................................... 85

Installing the WLAN Card ........................................................................................ 85

Viewing AutoTest Results ........................................................................................ 86

Connection Test................................................................................................... 87

(continued)

iii

EtherScope™

Getting Started Guide

Channels Test ...................................................................................................... 88

Device Discovery Test.......................................................................................... 91

Network Discovery.............................................................................................. 94

Site Survey ........................................................................................................... 95

Security Scan........................................................................................................ 97

Key Devices Test.................................................................................................. 98

Problem Detection.............................................................................................. 98

Configuring the Instrument for a Wireless LAN..................................................... 98

Wireless TCP/IP Settings ...................................................................................... 99

Wireless Security Settings ................................................................................... 99

Connection Log................................................................................................... 100

Wireless Radio Settings....................................................................................... 100

Wireless Instrument Security Settings................................................................ 101

Wireless General Settings ................................................................................... 102

Wireless Authorization Settings......................................................................... 102

Wireless Problem Settings .................................................................................. 104

Documenting Your Network (LAN and WLAN) .......................................................... 105

Saving a Report........................................................................................................ 105

Managing Reports ................................................................................................... 106

Viewing a Report ................................................................................................ 106

Renaming a Report............................................................................................. 107

Deleting a Report................................................................................................ 107

Performing a Site Survey (WLAN only)................................................................... 107

Running the Diagnostic Tests ...................................................................................... 108

Ping........................................................................................................................... 109

Trace Route.............................................................................................................. 109

Trace Switch Route .................................................................................................. 109

Wireless Throughput ............................................................................................... 110

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Contents

Locate ....................................................................................................................... 111

Link ........................................................................................................................... 112

Login Diagnosis ........................................................................................................ 112

Signal Strength......................................................................................................... 112

WLAN Statistics......................................................................................................... 112

Tx/Rx Rate ................................................................................................................. 113

Accessing the Instrument Remotely (LAN only) .......................................................... 113

Using the Desktop Tools............................................................................................... 117

Applications Menu................................................................................................... 117

Tools Menu............................................................................................................... 118

Troubleshooting Your Instrument ............................................................................... 119

Specifications................................................................................................................. 123

Index

(continued)

List of Tables

Table Title Page

1. List of Standard Accessories................................................................................................. 6

2. Optional Accessories ............................................................................................................ 9

3. International Electrical Symbols .......................................................................................... 10

vii

List of Figures

Figure Title Page

1. Standard Accessories............................................................................................................ 5

2. Charging and Removing the Battery .................................................................................. 23

3. EtherScope Network Assistant’s Physical Features ............................................................. 26

4. Status LEDs ........................................................................................................................... 27

5. Screen Level-Help................................................................................................................. 35

6. LAN Test Results Screen ....................................................................................................... 38

7. Testing Cables ...................................................................................................................... 40

8. Cable Verification Screen..................................................................................................... 42

9. Signal Verification Screen.................................................................................................... 46

10. Local Statistics Summary ...................................................................................................... 47

11. Utilization History Screen .................................................................................................... 49

12. Device Discovery Screen....................................................................................................... 54

13. Device Details Screen ........................................................................................................... 54

14. VLAN Discovery Screen ........................................................................................................ 58

15. Nearest Switch Summary ..................................................................................................... 59

16. Switch Scan Screen............................................................................................................... 61

17. Key Devices Screen ............................................................................................................... 62

EtherScope™

Getting Started Guide

18. Problem Log......................................................................................................................... 65

19. Traffic Generation Screen ................................................................................................... 72

20. Throughput Test Results...................................................................................................... 74

21. Instrument Settings—TCP/IP Screen.................................................................................... 75

22. Instrument Settings–Security Screen- ................................................................................. 80

23. Inserting the Fiber Adapter................................................................................................. 84

24. Wireless LAN Test Results Screen ........................................................................................ 86

25. Channel Test Details Screen ................................................................................................ 89

26. Security Scan ........................................................................................................................ 97

27. Wireless Instrument Settings—TCP/IP Screen..................................................................... 99

28. Wireless Instrument Settings—Instrument Security Screen............................................... 101

29. Wireless Instrument Settings—Authorization Screen........................................................ 103

30. Wireless Instrument Settings—Wireless Problems Screen ................................................. 104

31. Trace Switch Route Screen .................................................................................................. 110

32. Web Server Home Page....................................................................................................... 114

EtherScope™ Series II Network Assistant

About This Guide

This EtherScope™ Series II Network Assistant Getting Started Guide introduces you to the features and

functions of your EtherScope™ Series II Network Assistant and provides basic instructions for setting up and operating the instrument. The information in this guide is designed to help you become comfortable using your new instrument. After reading this guide, you will find the online help system the best source for answering questions and helping use the product to maintain your network and troubleshoot problems as they arise.

Introduction

EtherScope™ Series II Network Assistant (hereafter also referred to as “the instrument” or “EtherScope Network Assistant”) is a portable, integrated network test tool designed to assist you with installing, monitoring, and troubleshooting wired and/or wireless Local Area Networks (LANs). EtherScope Network Assistant gives you instant visibility into your network, providing crucial information about its health and status so that you can proactively identify and solve problems before they impact performance.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Features

EtherScope Network Assistant provides critical performance metrics about your wired and wireless LANs. The instrument’s autotest feature quickly verifies performance at the physical layer, discovers networks and devices, and identifies configuration and performance problems. For in-depth analysis, the instrument also includes a group of diagnostic tools to enable you to locate devices on your network and verify inter-connectivity.

The instrument’s user interface, which is presented on a color, touch-sensitive screen, is straightforward and intuitive. Simply by tapping a screen button, a navigation icon, or other on-screen element, you can “drill down” and obtain more detailed information or perform a specific operation.

Available Models

EtherScope Network Assistant is available in the following models:

• Wired LAN model (ES2-LAN): a base model that

supports monitoring and testing of 10/100/1000 IEEE

802.3 (10BaseT, 100BaseTX, and 1000BaseT) networks through an RJ-45 interface, and the optional SFP fiber interface that supports 1000BaseSX, 1000BaseLX, and 1000BaseZX fiber. Discovers devices, networks, and VLANs, enabling you to view individual configurations, obtain health and status information, and view network activity, errors, and protocols used.

Network Assistant Introduction

• Wireless LAN model (ES2-WLAN): a base model that

supports monitoring and testing of 802.11 a/b/g devices connected to a wireless LAN. Automatically scans all channels to gather and report statistics on the health and status of the network. Discovers access points (APs) and client devices, identifies “top talkers”, locates rogue devices and flags security problems. Enables you to perform site surveys so that you can make sure that all areas of your network have adequate signal coverage. Also performs security login verification.

• EtherScope Pro (ES2-PRO): a single integrated

wired/wireless analyzer that combines the features of the wired and wireless models (described earlier).

• EtherScope Pro with the Internet Throughput

Option (ES2-PRO-I): a single, integrated wired/wireless analyzer that combines the features of the wired and wireless models (described earlier). This model includes the Internetwork Throughput Option (ITO). See the description of the ES-ITO-OPT option under “Available Options”.

Available Options

You can expand your ability to monitor and troubleshoot your site’s LANs by adding the following options to a base-model EtherScope Network Assistant:

• ES2-WLAN OPT: extends the network test capability

of an ES2-LAN to include support for monitoring and testing of 802.11 a/b/g wireless LAN. See the description of ES2-WLAN model under “Available Models”.

• ES2-LAN OPT: extends the network test capability of

an ES2-WLAN to include support for monitoring and testing of 10/100/1000 IEEE 802.3 (10BaseT, 100BaseTX, and 1000BaseT) networks through an RJ45 interface. See the description of ES2-LAN model under “Available Models”.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

• ES2-ITO-OPT: (Internetwork Throughput Option)

enables you to test the bandwidth available between two nodes on a network. This option enables the EtherScope Network Assistant to generate a background traffic load to test new systems and configuration or to simulate the impact of additional users on a network.

• ES2-SX-OPT: enables the SFP fiber interface. Supports

1000BaseSX, 1000BaseLX, or 1000BaseZX fiber.

For information on these options, contact Fluke Networks.

Package Contents

Take a moment to check the shipping container to make sure that the contents match each numbered standard accessory that is shown in Figure 1 and the accompanying list in Table 1.

If any item is damaged, call the carrier at once for inspection and request an inspection report. Please do not write the factory until you have notified the carrier, since this will delay your claim. If this precaution is not taken, we cannot assist you in recovering the amount of the claim against the carrier.

After you obtain the carrier's inspection report, immediately return the instrument along with a copy of the inspection report to the factory. See “Contacting Fluke Networks” on page 13 for various ways to contact us.

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Network Assistant Introduction

LINK

UTILIZATION

COLLISION

ERROR

TRANSMIT

WLAN

LC-1

North American

LC-5

Swiss

LC-6

Australia

CompactFlash Memory Card

LC-3

Europe

LC-4

LC-7

South Africa

eih04f.eps

Figure 1. Standard Accessories

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Table 1. List of Standard Accessories

Item

Number

B C D E

Item Description

EtherScope™ Series II Network Assistant

Holster Removable, form-fitting yellow holster.

Stylus Stylus for use with the instrument’s touch screen display.

Storage Case Case for carrying and storing the instrument.

External AC adapter, charger, power cord

WireView™ wiremap adapter (office locator)

EtherScope Series II Network Assistant mainframe.

Input: 90V -264V AC, 50/60Hz; Output: 15V DC, 1.3A (20W); Power Cord termination varies by country.

Cable termination device with office locator ID #1. Used to perform the Cable Test wiremap operation and used as an office locator.

Network Assistant Introduction

Table 1. List of Standard Accessories (continued)

Item

Number

K L

Item Description

CD-ROM EtherScope Resource CD. Includes On-line Help and Getting Started

Guides.

WLAN card Fluke Networks EtherScope Wireless LAN Adapter IEE 802.11 a/b/g. This is

a standard accessory for the ES2-WLAN, ES2-PRO, and ES2-PRO/I models.

ES2-SX-Pro fiber adapter Fluke Networks EtherScope Fiber LAN Adapter 1000BASE-SX. This is

a fiber accessory for the ES2-SX-PRO, and ES2-SX-PRO/I models. Also available are the 1000Base-LX and 1000BASE-ZX option.

Getting Started Guide

CompactFlash® memory card CompactFlash® memory card used for saving reports.

Carrying Strap Strap clips to the instrument for easy carrying.

Provides basic operating and introductory troubleshooting information, lists of accessories, and specifications.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Table 1. List of Standard Accessories (continued)

Item

Number

M N

Not

Shown

Item Description

Network Patch Cord 1 meter patch cord.

Universal adapter RJ-45 Female to female adapter. It is intended to be used to connect a

RJ-45 Ethernet cable from the instrument to a WireView™ wiremap adapter.

External directional antenna Directional antenna for use with WLAN card to locate WLAN devices

Battery Pack Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack installed in the instrument.

Network Assistant Introduction

Optional Accessories

Additional accessories available for purchase for your EtherScope Network Assistant are listed in Table 2. Contact Fluke Networks for buying information (see “Contacting Fluke Networks” on page 13).

Table 2. Optional Accessories

Item Description

EtherScope Extended Test Kit The EtherScope Extended Test Kit includes additional accessories: spare rechargeable

battery, external battery charger, external mini keyboard, wiremap adapters (#2-6)

WireView wiremap adapters Set of five wiremap adapters with office locator IDs #2 through #6

External Keyboard USB mini keyboard

Battery Pack Rechargeable Lithium Ion battery pack

External Battery Charger External battery charging station

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Safety and Operational Information

The international electrical symbols used in this document and on the instrument are described in Table 3.

Table 3. International Electrical Symbols

j W

Not for connection to public telephone systems

Please read the manual for safety information

Complies with European Union Directive

X Shock hazard *

Class 1 Laser Product. Do not look into the laser.

)

Complies to CSA C22.2 No. 950 Canadian standards, and UL 1950 (US standards)

Do not dispose of Lithium Ion batteries in garbage, recycle

Meets Australia EMC requirements

Recycle Lithium Ion batteries

Network Assistant Introduction

Please observe the following safety regulations when using your EtherScope Network Assistant:

Warning Class 1 Laser Product

This product contains a Class 1 laser (EtherScope Fiber Models). Do not look into the laser port because this may cause eye injury.

XWWarning

To avoid possible electric shock or personal injury, follow these guidelines:

• Do not use this product if it is damaged.

Before using the product, inspect the case. Look for cracked or missing plastic.

• Do not operate the product around

explosive gas, vapor, or dust.

• Do not open the case. There are no user-

serviceable parts inside.

• Do not connect a telephone line to this

product.

• If this product is used in a manner not

specified by the manufacturer, the protection provided by the product may be impaired.

WCaution

• To avoid possible damage to the

instrument and to the equipment under test, use the proper terminals and cable for all connections.

• Use of controls or adjustments or

performance of procedures other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation exposure (EtherScope Fiber Models).

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Registering Your EtherScope Series IINetwork Assistant

Take the time to register your instrument. The EtherScope Resource CD contains registration information and instructions.

You can also register the instrument by going to our website at www.flukenetworks.com

1. Click support, then click the Registration link to

display a login screen.

2. Do one of the following:

• If you are a returning visitor, follow the login

instructions.

• If need to set up an account, click Create then

follow the new account instructions.

. To register:

3. Click Register your product and fill out the online registration form.

As a registered user, you are entitled to entrylevel product support. This includes basic access to the online Knowledge Base library of product operation and application information and web-based trouble ticketing. In addition, you will receive Fluke Networks company and product information updates.

After registering the product, make sure that you have the latest software installed. See “Updating the Instrument’s Software” on page 17 for details.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Before You Begin

The information in this section acquaints you with the basic operations and functions of your instrument so that you can start using it immediately. You will learn how to:

• Turn on the instrument and configure the interface

type for testing an Ethernet 802.3/802.1x wired or an

802.11 wireless network

• Adjust the brightness of the screen

• Set the date and time

• Update the instrument’s software

• Charge the battery

• Navigate the user interface and understand the

meanings of the LEDs

• Get Help

Turning the Instrument On and Off

To turn the EtherScope Network Assistant on, press the green On/Off button. This button is located on the right side of the instrument’s front panel.

The front page Test Results screen is displayed (see Figure 6 or Figure 24).

Note

When you turn on the instrument (wired mode only), you may hear a series of clicks. These sounds are a normal part of the boot-up and cable testing process and do not indicate a problem with the instrument.

To turn off the instrument, press and hold the On/Off button until the instrument turns off (approximately two seconds). The On/Off LED will blink when the instrument is turned off and connected to the AC adapter charger indicating that the battery is charging.

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Network Assistant Before You Begin

Using the Stylus

The stylus, which is used for navigating the user interface, is stored in the right side panel near the green On/Off button.

In the same way that you use a mouse to click elements on your computer screen, you use the stylus to “tap” elements on the instrument’s touch-sensitive screen.

To select elements and execute commands, simply tap the item with the point of the stylus. In addition, use the stylus to drag a slider or move the scroll box on the scroll bar.

Note

Always use the point of the stylus to tap the screen. We do not recommend that you use a pen or pencil or any other sharp object that might scratch the finish.

Selecting the LAN or WLAN Interface

If your instrument has the capability to test both a wired LAN (RJ-45 or SFP fiber interfaces) and a wireless LAN, you need to specify which technology you are testing.

1. On the front page, do the following:

• Tap

interfaces.

• Tap

or SFP fiber interfaces.

2. On the Change Active Port screen, tap change the interface.

The instrument resets itself and runs autotest on the selected interface.

The interface type you select remains the same even after you power off the instrument.

(see Figure 6) to test wireless

(see Figure 24) to test the RJ-45

Note

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Adjusting the Brightness of the Screen

Note

The degree of brightness is a significant factor in conserving battery power. Turning the brightness up causes the instrument to use more battery power.

To adjust the brightness:

1. Tap

2. Tap the Light & Power icon

3. On the Light and Power screen, you can do the

4. Click

then select Settings.

following:

• Select the desired Power saving settings. To do

this, tap (to check) an option. Then, for each option, specify a time interval.

• Adjust the brightness. To do this, tap and drag

the slider control until the desired level of brightness is achieved.

to save the settings.

Setting the Time and Date

The current time is displayed in the lower right corner of the status bar. To change the time and date, do the following:

1. Tap the current time.

2. Select Set time to display the Date/Time screen.

3. Select date and time settings and formats.

4. Tap

The instrument now displays the new time on the status bar.

to save your changes.

Network Assistant Before You Begin

Updating the Instrument’s Software

To update the instrument’s software, do the following:

1. Insert a CompactFlash memory card into SLOT 2.

2. Tap the EtherScope Network Assistant icon which is located in the upper-left corner of the screen

3. From the drop-down list, select Instrument Settings.

4. In the preview pane, tap Version.

The Instrument Settings—Version screen displays the versions of currently installed software and hardware.

5. To check for updates, tap .

The instrument automatically checks to determine whether a software update is available.

6. When prompted, tap files to the CompactFlash memory card.

All files and reports on the CompactFlash memory card will be erased.

7. After you are notified that the download is completed, tap

8. With the CompactFlash card in SLOT 2, restart the instrument to begin installing the software.

A software update can take up to five minutes.

After installation is completed, the instrument automatically restarts and you can resume testing.

If you encounter trouble updating the software, contact our Technical Assistance Center. See “Contacting Fluke Networks” on page 13 for contact information.

to download the update

Note

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Recalibrating the Screen

The touch-sensitive screen is calibrated at the factory. Though unlikely, the instrument may not respond properly when you tap the stylus on the screen. If this happens, you may need to recalibrate the screen. Recalibration aligns the instrument’s internal circuitry with the screen so that it can correctly detect taps with the stylus.

To recalibrate your screen:

1. Using the stylus, tap the desktop icon located in the lower-left corner of the screen. From the menu, select Settings.

2. On the Settings screen, tap the Recalibrate icon

Follow the prompts to complete the recalibration.

, which is

Enabling Software Options

If you purchased a software option for your EtherScope Network Assistant, you received a proof-of-purchase code along with a software option activation instruction card. Follow the instructions on the card to obtain a key code from the Fluke Networks website and use that key code to activate your option.

Note

If you need help obtaining your key code, contact Fluke Networks for assistance. See “Contacting Fluke Networks” on page 13 for information on how to contact us.

To enable one or more software options, have your instrument’s key code handy, and then do the following:

1. Tap screen).

2. From the drop-down list, select Instrument Settings. Then, in the preview pane, tap the Options hyperlink.

The Options screen is displayed.

(located in the upper-left corner of each

Network Assistant Before You Begin

3. In the Current Key Code box, enter your key code.

Note

You can use a remote keyboard or tap

access the virtual keyboard.

4. In the EtherScope Options group, tap (to check) each software option that you want to activate.

5. Tap

The software options you selected are now enabled.

Displaying Hardware and Software Version Information

1. Tap the EtherScope Network Assistant icon , which is located in the upper-left corner of the screen

2. From the drop-down list, select Instrument Settings.

3. In the preview pane, tap Version.

The Instrument Settings—Version screen displays the versions of currently installed software and hardware.

The Power Supply

You can operate the instrument by using the rechargable Lithium-Ion battery. Alternatively, you can use the supplied AC adapter charger (with or without the battery installed).

Note

Although the instrument can run on the AC adapter without the battery pack installed, this method is not recommended. The battery pack provides stability for the instrument when you are using the stand.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Operating the Instrument on Battery Power

When the instrument is running on battery power, it is capable of approximately four full hours of operation in wired mode and 3.5 hours in wireless mode. The instrument comes packaged with the battery installed. To operate on battery power, simply turn the instrument on.

Although the battery is pre-charged at the factory, you should fully charge it before you begin using the instrument. This is an important step because if the power source is interrupted while you are operating the instrument, you will lose data.

Charging the Battery

Figure 2 shows you how to charge the battery. Note that you can charge the battery while it is installed or you can remove it and charge it in an external battery charger.

Note

The On/Off led will blink when the instrument is turned off and connected to the AC adapter charger.

You can purchase an extra battery and/or charger separately or as part of the EtherScope Network Assistant Extended Kit (see Table 2).

Network Assistant Before You Begin

When fully discharged, the battery takes approximately 4 1/2 hours to reach a full charge if the instrument is powered off. It takes approximately 7 hours to fully charge the battery if the instrument is powered on.

Checking the Status of the Battery Charge

To find out how much battery power remains, tap the battery icon of every screen.

Conserving Battery Power

One way to conserve battery power is to put the instrument in Suspend mode. This is a low-power usage mode, in which the instrument is not completely turned on or off. While in Suspend mode, the instrument cannot collect data.

• To put the instrument in Suspend mode, tap select Suspend. Alternatively, press the green On/Off button for less than one second.

The green LED turns amber and the screen changes to blank.

which is located in the lower-right corner

then

• To take the instrument out of Suspend mode, press

the On/Off button. Release this button as soon as the LED turns green.

The screen that was displayed prior to your putting the instrument in Suspend mode is redisplayed.

Note

Another way to save battery power is to use a lower backlight setting. See “Adjusting the Brightness of the Screen” on page 16 for details.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Removing and Installing the Battery

The battery is located behind the product stand.

To remove the battery, refer to the diagram in Figure 2 and do the following:

1. Make sure that the instrument is turned off.

2. Remove the yellow holster and pull the stand up.

3. Push the release tab away from the battery.

4. Pull up on the end of the battery that is close to the release tab to disengage the connections. Then, lift the battery out of the compartment.

To install the battery, insert it into the battery compartment. Then, press on the battery near the release tab until it locks into place. Finally, push the release tab toward the battery to secure its position.

Operating the Instrument on AC Power

When the instrument is connected to AC power, you can use the power supply as a continuous power source. In this way, you can test for long periods of time without depleting the battery.

To operate the instrument using AC power, refer to Figure 2 and do the following:

1. Connect the power cord to the external AC adapter charger.

2. Connect the AC adapter charger to the power jack on the instrument’s side panel.

3. Turn on the instrument.

Network Assistant Before You Begin

LINK

UTILIZATION

COLLISION

ERROR

TRANSMIT

LC-1

North American

LC-3

Europe

LC-4

LC-5

Swiss

LC-6

Australia

LC-7

South Africa

Figure 2. Charging and Removing the Battery

eih30f.eps

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

EtherScope Network Assistant’s Physical Features

The EtherScope Network Assistant is designed to be used as a dispatched or desktop network test device. The instrument is shipped with a removable yellow holster that provides more protection for dispatched tasks.

The instrument is also packaged with a stand for use on a desktop. To access the stand, remove the yellow holster. Then, pull the stand out from the bottom of the instrument (see Figure 3).

A stylus for navigating the user interface is stored in the right side panel near the green On/Off button.

Figure 3 illustrates the EtherScope Network Assistant’s physical features.

Locating the Network Connections

The instrument’s network connections are located on the top side panel:

• LAN copper: an RJ-45 port that provides direct connection to IEEE 802.3 10/100/1000 BASE-TX networks.

• LAN fiber: an SFP port that provides direct connection to networks through the optional 1000BaseSX, 1000BaseLX, or 1000BaseZX fiber connection.

• SLOT 1: a PCMCIA/CardBus® interface that supports an 802.11 wireless network. Accepts Fluke Networks EtherScope Wireless LAN Adapter IEEE 802.11 a/b/g.

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Network Assistant Before You Begin

Locating the External Interfaces

The following external interfaces are located on the instrument’s right side panel:

• Serial DB-9: provides a network device connection via

a serial cable

• Headphone: enables quiet operation of the

instrument (for future applications)

• Microphone: (for future applications)

• USB port: connection for an accessory, such as a

keyboard or mouse

SLOT 2 is located on the top side panel. This interface accepts a CompactFlash® (type 1 and 2) memory card.This memory card enables you to store test data and temporarily hold files that are transferred from a PC during a software update.

Locating the External Power Connection

The DC power jack is located on the instrument’s right side panel. Plug the supplied AC adapter into this jack to provide external power to the EtherScope Network Assistant and to charge the battery.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Strap Attach

DB9 Serial Port

Headphone

Jack

Microphone

Jack

USB Port

Power

Jack

PCMCIA/CardBus SLOT 1

Fan

Compact Flash SLOT 2

Stylus

Removeable

Battery Pack

Figure 3. EtherScope Network Assistant’s Physical Features

Fiber LAN Connector

RJ45 LAN Connector

Kensington Lock (left side)

Stand

eih31f.eps

Network Assistant Before You Begin

Status LEDs

Five status LEDs are located at the top of the front panel, as shown in Figure 4:

LINK UTILIZATION COLLISION ERROR TRANSMIT

avs01f.eps

Figure 4. Status LEDs

These LEDs provide instant, visible feedback on the state of your network and indicate conditions relative to the type of of interface (LAN RJ-45 or wireless) you are testing.

This section describes the LEDs for wired LAN and wireless LAN interfaces.

LAN (RJ-45 or Fiber) Interface LEDs

LINK LED

• Green (solid): indicates that a link is present for all

speeds.

• Off: indicates that no cable or no link is present.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

UTILIZATION LED

Represents the percent bandwidth consumed on the local network:

• Green (blinking): 0% to 50%.

• Amber (blinking): 51% to 89%.

• Red (blinking): 90% to 100%.

COLLISION LED

Amber (blinking): indicates that collisions have been detected by the instrument on the local network. The more collisions detected, the faster the LED blinks.

ERROR LED

Red (blinking): indicates that errors have been detected on the local network segment. Possible errors include the following:

• Bad FCS: a packet that has an invalid checksum.

• Undersized packet: a packet that has fewer than 64

bytes.

• Oversized packet: a packet that has more than 1518

bytes.

• Jabber: a packet that has more than 1518 bytes and

also has an invalid checksum.

• Ghost: energy on a cable that appears to be a real

frame but the frame does not have a valid startframe delimiter.

TRANSMIT LED

Green (blinking): indicates the instrument is transmitting packets. Note that the more transmit activity, the faster the LED blinks.

Network Assistant Before You Begin

Wireless LAN Interface LEDs

LINK LED

• Green: 802.11b link established.

• Amber: 802.11a or 802.11g link established.

• Off: no link is present.

UTILIZATION LED

Represents the percent bandwidth consumed on the current channel:

• Green: 1.0 % - 30.0 %.

• Amber: 31.0 % - 60.0 %.

• Red: 61 % - 100 %.

COLLISION LED

Amber: indicates that a retry packet was received.

ERROR LED

Red: indicates an FCS error was detected in a received packet.

TRANSMIT LED

Green: indicates that packets are being transmitted.

Power LED

• Green: instrument turned on (same for both

operating on battery and operating with AC power adapter connected)

• Flashing Green: instrument turned off with AC

power adapter connected and charging

• Off: instrument turned off; no AC power adapter

connected.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

The User Interface

The user interface is presented on a touch-sensitive, color screen. You navigate the interface by tapping the touchsensitive targets with the supplied stylus.

This section describes the layout of the user interface and describes the elements that appear on some or all of the screens. Suggestions are also provided to help you locate screens and navigate your way around.

Screen Layout

The display screen is divided into two main areas:

• A preview pane (on the left), which provides an

overview or summary of information for the item that is selected in the right (main) pane. The preview pane may also have hyperlinks (displayed in blue text) that link to other screens in the user interface.

• A main pane (on the right), which provides detailed

information, such as test results, graphs, and status information.

Title Bar

The title bar is the horizontal area at the top of every screen that shows the name of the screen that is currently displayed.

In the upper-left corner, the title bar contains the EtherScope Master Menu icon. This icon displays a menu that lists all of the “details” screens.

Selection Indicator

When you select an item, it is highlighted in a contrasting color to let you know that it is selected. When you first display a screen, the default selection is always highlighted.

Network Assistant Before You Begin

Toolbar

The toolbar is the first row of buttons located at the bottom of every screen. The toolbar contains buttons and icons that are used to perform basic tasks.

Note

The toolbar buttons that are available depend on the test that is selected.

• : (RJ-45 LAN only) reports the actual link

speed and duplex mode of the connection. Two solid arrows (shown) indicate a full-duplex connection; one solid and one outlined arrow represent a half-duplex connection.

• : (Fiber only) reports the link speed, full

duplex (always), and the SFP hardware module installed (FX, LX, or ZX).

• : (WLAN only) indicates the current channel

being scanned and shows linked status when the instrument is in a WLAN linked state.

•

the selected test or device.

•

copper and fiber.

•

: displays detailed information or results for

: changes the interface type to WLAN.

: changes the interface type to RJ-45

restarts all tests.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

• (Back): displays the previously displayed screen.

• (Home): displays Test Results, the top-level user

interface screen.

• : displays screen-specific help. See “Error!

Reference source not found.” on page Error! Bookmark not defined. for details.

: displays a menu of troubleshooting tests and

•

productivity tools.

Status Bar

The status bar is located at the bottom of every screen. The following icons appear on the far left:

•

Desktop icon. Tap to display a menu containing

the following selections:

Applications: displays a submenu containing the instrument’s desktop tools (see “Using the Desktop Tools” on page 117).

Reports: displays a directory that lists all

saved reports.

Settings: displays the Settings menu (see “Personalizing Your EtherScope Network Assistant” on page 34).

Suspend: puts the instrument in Suspend mode (see “Conserving Battery Power” on page

21).

•

Keyboard icon. Tap it to display a virtual

keyboard that you can use to enter numbers and text. Tap

•

again to put the keyboard away.

EtherScope Network Assistant icon. Tap this icon

from any screen to return to the Test Results screen.

Network Assistant Before You Begin

To the far right, the instrument displays the currently set time. To change the date and time, see “Setting the Time and Date” on page 16.

Additional icons give you status on the following;

•

Sound: Tap it to view and adjust the volume of

the touch screen’s audible taps.

•

Light & Power: Tap it to view and adjust the brightness of the screen (see “Adjusting the Brightness of the Screen” on page 16).

•

Battery level: Tap it to find out how much battery power remains. If the battery is low on power, see “Charging the Battery” on page 20 for instructions.

The Clipboard icon right. Tap it to display a menu with cut, copy, and paste

is also located on the bottom

options. These options come in handy when you are working on screens requiring you to enter a lot of text.

Navigating the User Interface

Following are some general guidelines for navigating the user interface:

• All blue text represents a hyperlink. Tap the hyperlink

to go to the desired screen.

• To display the detailed results screen for a specific

test:

 Tap

(EtherScope Master Menu icon located in the upper-left corner of each screen). From the drop-down list, select the “details” screen for the selected item.

 Tap

to go to the detailed results

screen.

• To expand a group so that you can see individual

items within it, tap

. To collapse a group, tap .

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

• To sort data in a table, tap the desired column

heading. A directional arrow indicates the column you are sorting on and the direction (ascending U or descendingV) of the sort.

• Tap

• Tap to close a screen.

(Back) to return to the previously displayed

screen.

(Home) to return to the Test Results screen.

Personalizing Your EtherScope Network Assistant

You can customize your instrument so that it suits your particular operating style and work preferences.

Tap screen. On this screen, you can make the following changes to your instrument:

•

and then tap Settings to display the Settings

Appearance

Changes the style and background color of the screen and the visual appearance of the buttons.

•

Date/Time Sets the date and time and changes the date/time formats.

Language

Changes the default Help language from English to one of the following: French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, or Spanish.

Light & Power

Adjusts the brightness of the screen (see “Adjusting the Brightness of the Screen” on page 16) and identifies the power source.

Sound Adjusts the volume of system sounds (taps on the touch screen and clock alarm).

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Network Assistant Before You Begin

Getting Help

Screen-level Help is context-sensitive. It provides detailed “how to” and explanatory information that is related to the currently displayed screen.

To obtain this type of help, tap (located in the bottom right corner of the tool bar).

EtherScope Network Assistant Help is displayed, as shown in Figure 5:

avs55s.bmp

Figure 5. Screen-Level Help

Note that Help for the current screen is displayed in the main pane. To move through the information, drag the scroll box. The browser window is resizable so that you can view test information alongside the context-sensitive Help text.

The main pane displays a table of contents. When you tap a topic in this list, you are directed to its Help. To see a list of entries, tap the Keyword Index link.

Note

The Help file is also available on the EtherScope Resource CD.

Accessing the Documentation Online

This Getting Started Guide is provided in PDF format on the EtherScope Resource CD. The guide is available in the following languages: English, German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese, and Chinese.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

After you connect the instrument to your network and power it on, the instrument attempts to become an active device on the network by obtaining an IP address. By default, it tries to acquire an address by using DHCP.

Note

If your network policy requires the use of fixed IP addresses or if you need to change other network configuration data (such as the default router), see “Configuring the Instrument for a Wired LAN” on page 74.

If the instrument acquires a valid IP address, it automatically runs a series of tests that include verifying the cable and signal, gathering network utilization and bandwidth statistics, and actively discovering networks, services, and devices using the network. It reports its findings on the Test Results screen.

If the instrument cannot acquire a valid IP address, it can still analyze traffic for statistics and passively discover devices. However, without a valid IP address, the instrument cannot run its active discovery tests. The basic steps for monitoring and troubleshooting a wired LAN are given below. Detailed information for a step can be obtained by going to the referenced section provided at each step:

1. Power on the instrument (see “Turning the Instrument On and Off” on page 14) and, if necessary, configure the interface type (see “Selecting the LAN or WLAN Interface” on page 15).

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

2. Connect to the network (see “Connecting to a Wired Network “on page 37).

After you turn on and connect the instrument, it goes through a complete power-up sequence, which entails initializing the processor and memory, performing a self-test, and loading the operating system and application software. When this process is completed, the autotest results screen (Figure 6) is displayed.

3. View autotest results for each test. See “Viewing AutoTest Results” on page 38.

4. Make any needed configuration changes to match your testing environment. See “Configuring the Instrument for a Wired LAN” on page 74”.

Connecting to a Wired Network

To connect to the network, plug one end of an Ethernet cable into the instrument’s RJ-45 LAN connector and the other end of the cable into the network segment you are testing.

If you have purchased the optional Fiber SFP adapter for 1000BaseSX, 1000BaseLX, or 1000BaseZX, connect the fiber cable from the adapter to the network segment you are testing.

Note

Make sure you are using the correct fiber cable type for the installed optional fiber adapter type, or you may experience no link or bad test results.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Viewing AutoTest Results

After you power on the EtherScope Network Assistant and connect to the network, the instrument runs a series of automated tests and displays its findings on the Test

Results screen, as shown in Figure 6.

Figure 6. LAN Test Results Screen

epi40s.bmp

The Test Results screen gives you at-a-glance visibility into the state of your network. The main pane on the right displays the name of each test and reports its status. Note the status icons that appear along the right. They give you a visual indication of the progress and status of each test:

•

Running

• Not running

•

Completed and passed

Completed and failed

The preview pane on the left provides a summary of the results of the selected test.

Note

When autotest finishes, the Connection test (the default selection) is highlighted.

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

You can get quick idea of the overall health of your network and see what devices and services are running by tapping each test in the main pane and then viewing a summary of its findings in the preview pane. To view in-depth results for any test, select the test from the list in the main pane. Then, tap

The individual tests that comprise the autotest are described in this section.

Connection Test

The Connection test checks your network’s performance at the physical layer. Results from higher layer tests are misleading if the equipment or cabling is faulty or installed incorrectly. Therefore, before you investigate higher layers of the network as the source of any problems, you should first identify and eliminate any problems occurring at the physical or link layer of your network.

Results from the Connection test can help you isolate the source of network problems due to malfunctioning cabling or equipment.

Figure 7 illustrates various cabling test configurations. After you connect and power on the instrument, it automatically detects the type of connection (for example, to a patch cable, an Ethernet network, NIC, or a wiremap adapter) and then determines the appropriate cable tests to run.

Note

You do not have to disconnect the far end of a cable for length to be measured. Length can be measured while a cable is connected to a wiremap adapter, active hub, switch or NIC, or a cable that is not terminated.

If no problems are found, a green checkmark indicates that the Connection test passed. If problems are detected, a test failed symbol is displayed.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

LINK UTILIZATION COLLISION ERROR TRANSMIT

Network monitoring

Cable test live network

Universal

Adapter

MDI MDI-X

LINK UTILIZATION COLLISION ERROR TRANSMIT

NIC testing

Cable test terminated cable

LINK UTILIZATION COLLISION ERROR TRANSMIT

Cable test WireView

LINK UTILIZATION COLLISION ERROR TRANSMIT

Cable test open cable

Adapter

eih32f.eps

Figure 7. Testing Cables

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

The Connection test consists of two subtests:

Cable Verification: provides cable length and impedance information and identifies any problems with the cable.

Signal Verification: verifies that the instrument is

detecting a proper signal at the input.

Note

Cable Verification and Signal Verification do not apply when testing a fiber connection. For a fiber connection, the Connection Test displays the Fiber Loss Test which requires that the optional Fluke Networks’ Fiber Optic Meter be attached to the RJ45 port.

Cable Verification

Cable Verification includes tests that check the physical layer cable and equipment to verify that they are working properly.

Note

To run these tests, the instrument must disconnect from the network, which causes other tests that are running to stop. If you are operating the EtherScope Network Assistant remotely, the connection is lost, preventing the instrument from being able to verify the duplex of the connection.

In the main pane, tap the expand the list so that you can see these two tests.

next to Connection to

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

After you run the autotest, tap Cable Verification to view initial autotest results for the cable:

• The preview pane displays the length of the cable to

the active device or termination. Individual wires are numbered and color-coded to identify pairs.

• The main pane displays results of the Cable

Verification test. A

detects a valid cable. A problem with the cable

indicates that the instrument

indicates that there is a

To view detailed results, tap

The Cable Verification details screen (Figure 8) displays results for each wired pair. The main pane displays breakout of the cable by wired pairs so you can obtain specific termination and impedance information and identify problems.

Figure 8. Cable Verification Screen

epi60s.bmp

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

To run the detailed test, tap

To run this test, the instrument must unlink from the network. Current test results are discarded.

If you want to trace the cable to a switch, hub, or patch panel, tap Cable Toner test.

This test requires a companion probe device for locating and tracing cable.

Note

to set up and run a

Note

To test signal power and loss on a fiber optic cable, select the Fiber option. Then, set up and run a Fiber Optic Meter (FOM) test.

Note

This test requires a (separately purchased) Fiber Optic Test Kit Accessory.

You will need to use the supplied universal adapter to perform a wiremap (test a patch cable).

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Signal Verification

The Signal Verification test is comprised of a suite of tests that analyze the quality of the signal and establish connectivity at the physical layer.

To provide comprehensive link signal information, the Signal Verification test does a complete auto-negotiation regardless of the current link configuration. For example, if the instrument is configured to link at 100 Mbit halfduplex, the Signal Verification test temporarily overrides that configuration to measure the complete autonegotiation process. When you exit the test, the previous link configuration settings are restored.

To view initial autotest results, select Signal Verification.

The preview pane shows the type of service on the connection. In addition, the actual and advertised speed and duplex of the connection is provided, enabling you to compare determined values with negotiated values. By default, the instrument auto-negotiates to the highest speed and duplex allowed by the link partner.

Note

You can configure the instrument to link at a specific speed and duplex. See “Configuring the Instrument for a Wired LAN” on page 74”.

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Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

To run the full suite of signal verification tests, do the following;

1. Tap

2. Tap to disconnect the instrument from the network.

To run these tests, the EtherScope Network Assistant must disconnect from the network, which causes other tests that are running to stop. If you are operating the instrument remotely, the connection is lost, preventing you from viewing the test results or regaining remote control of the instrument until it is manually reset.

The Solicit for 802.3af Power over Ethernet check box enables soliciting for PoE voltage information through a PoE (802.3af standard only, non-standard is not supported) connection. Press the Start Test button after checking this box to initiate this test.

. Then tap .

Notes

The main pane (see Figure 9) displays results from the four Signal Verification tests. The tests are designed to provide visibility into possible link quality and configuration issues that could be contributing to connectivity or performance problems.

• DC Voltage Scan: cable line voltages are scanned for

DC-level content and over-voltage conditions. In this section, voltage levels are reported.

Note

The presence of high voltages may indicate telephone connections, early versions of applied hard-wired power-over-Ethernet (PoE), or

802.3ae or 802.3af probe voltages.

A green checkmark indicates that either no DC voltage is being detected or no significant DC voltage is being detected. If some other DC voltage is detected (for example, 802.ae), a red check mark is displayed.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

• Signal Levels: No signal, NLP (Normal Link Pulse), FLP

(Fast Link Pulse) and Data signals and their amplitudes are monitored and displayed.

A green checkmark indicates that signal levels are acceptable. If signal levels are below the minimum specification, a red check mark is displayed.

• Link Partner Signaling: these signals indicate the

device-supported signaling capabilities of the cable source (link partner) before the auto-negation sequence begins.

The presence or absence of a signal is indicated by a green box or an empty box, respectively.

• Auto-negotiation Signals: FLP signals from the auto-

negotiation sequence display what the cable connection source (link partner) advertised and what the EtherScope Network Assistant advertised.

The presence or absence of a signal is indicated by a green box or an empty box, respectively.

epi84s.bmp

Figure 9. Signal Verification Screen

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

Local Statistics Test

The Local Statistics test reports local and remote bandwidth utilization and errors seen on the network.

1. In the main pane, tap Local Statistics.

epi64s.bmp

Figure 10. Local Statistics Summary

The preview pane (Figure 10) presents a profile of the types of traffic seen on the network. In the top half of the pane, the types of traffic are classified (for example, unicast frames and collisions) and the percentage of bandwidth consumption for each group is reported. Traffic types are color-coded for easier viewing.

The graph at the bottom of the pane plots the types of local traffic seen according to the percentage of bandwidth utilization (y-axis) over time (x-axis). Tap the graph to view statistics for a particular time period.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

2. Tap the next to Local Statistics to expand the list

and show its subtests:

•

3. To view summary results for a particular subtest, select it from the list:

• Protocol Statistics: identifies the top 12 network

Protocol Statistics

Top Talkers

VLAN Statistics

services, applications, and devices discovered on the local network segment and provides a breakout by percent of bandwidth utilization of all packets.

• Top Talkers: identifies the top 10 devices that

are the highest consumers of bandwidth on the local network segment and provides a breakout by percent of all packets sent.

• VLAN Statistics: identifies VLANs (up to 12) that

are most active on the local network segment and provides a breakout by percent of all packets detected. The status line shows the total number of VLANs discovered and the top VLAN ID with its percentage of total packets.

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

Viewing the Local Statistics Details

If the summary reports indicate problems, check the detailed results to see if you can determine the source of a problem.

1. On the Test Results screen, select Local Statistics and then tap

The Utilization History screen (Figure 11) is displayed:

epi50s.bmp

Figure 11. Utilization History Screen

On this screen, you can:

• Look at the different types of traffic present on the

network segment. This information can help you determine if the network is experiencing or has experienced high utilization, excessive collisions, or unusual error conditions.

• Monitor local utilization (select Utilization Details in

the preview pane) or errors (select Error Details) on the port that the instrument is connected to.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

• Get visibility into remote devices and segments

without directly connecting to them. To do this, choose a discovered switch and interface source from the Source selection box. Then monitor the source’s utilization and errors.

Note

The EtherScope Network Assistant monitors and trends the source throughout the session or until you change the source. It also continues to monitor local utilization and errors in the background.

• View utilization statistics during a particular period

of time. To do this, tap the graph directly.

A white vertical bar marks the sampling period.

Note

The graph is updated according to the frequency set in the Update every selection box. To change the frequency, select a value from the drop-down list.

Viewing Details for Protocol Statistics, Top Talkers, and VLAN Statistics

To view details:

1. On the Test Results screen, tap the

Statistics to expand the list and show its subtests:

•

2. Select the desired subtest.

3. Tap selected subtest:

• Protocol Statistics: the main pane lists all of the

Protocol Statistics

Top Talkers

VLAN Statistics

to display detailed results for the

network protocols that have been discovered on the local network segment.

next to Local

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

• Top Talkers: the main pane lists all the

discovered devices that are generating traffic on the local network segment.

• VLAN Statistics: the main pane lists all VLANs

discovered on the local network segment.

Notes

The number of VLANs discovered by VLAN Statistics and VLAN Discovery (described later) frequently differs. VLAN Statistics monitors the local segment only and generates a list of VLANs discovered. The VLAN Discovery test, on the other hand, uses active SNMP discovery to determine the number of VLANs on your entire network.

If the instrument is connected to a port that is configured with 802.1Q VLAN tagging and the instrument is not so configured, or if 802.1Q is enabled on the instrument but not on the port, DHCP will fail and device discovery will probably show one device (This EtherScope). VLAN Statistics, on the other hand, will show whether any VLAN tagged packets are on the network segment. To fix this problem, you should either disable 802.1Q on the instrument, or to configure the instrument for the correct VLAN (try configuring the instrument for the VLAN with the highest packet count). See “802.1Q/IP TOS Settings” on page 76 for details.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Device Discovery Test

As soon as the EtherScope Network Assistant is connected, it performs active SNMP discovery for all network devices. The instrument examines each device it discovers to learn more about the device’s capabilities and to detect possible problems. The Device Discovery test lets you know what devices the instrument sees on your network. As devices are discovered, they are added to the instrument’s discovery database.

Notes

• For best results, the instrument needs to be

configured with the SNMP community strings being used on your network. See “Instrument Security Settings” on page 79 to find out how to enter additional community strings.

• If the instrument does not automatically

discover a device, the device can be manually added to the discovery database. See “Adding a Device to the Discovery Database ”on page 55.

To view results:

1. In the main pane, tap Device Discovery.

The preview pane displays an inventory of the devices the instrument discovered. You can find out the total number of devices found. In addition, the devices are categorized into the following groups and the number of devices within each group is provided:

Total Devices

Routers

Switches

Servers

Printers

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

Key Devices

SNMP Agents

Hosts

A device that is an SNMP agent may be counted twice; that is, in the SNMP Agents group and in the device group to which it belongs. Therefore, the sum of devices in all categories can be greater than that reported for Total Devices.

2. To view detailed results, tap detailed Device Discovery screen.

On this screen, you can find out information about each discovered device, such as its DNS name, IP address, and key device status.

to display the

You can also see whether the device is experiencing any problems.

a. Drag the scroll bar or tap the directional

arrows at the bottom of the main pane to bring all of the information about a device into view.

Alternatively, check one of the Show buttons at the bottom of the preview pane to move selected information about the device (for example, switch information) into view.

b. Rearrange the information on this screen by

choosing a particular column heading as the basis for the sort. To do this, tap the heading you want to sort on. A directional arrow indicates the column you selected and the direction (ascending U or descendingV) of the sort.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

3. To obtain device-specific information, select the desired device.

The upper portion of the preview pane (Figure 12) shows the IP and MAC address information for the device you selected while the lower portion graphically shows utilization details (relative percents of packets, broadcasts, and errors).

Figure 12. Device Discovery Screen

epi43s.bmp

4. Tap

to view obtain detailed information

about the device.

The Device Details screen provides name, address, domain, and nearest switch information about the device, as shown in Figure 13:

Figure 13. Device Details Screen

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Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

From this screen, you can also run specialized tests (such as Trace Switch Route, Trace Route, or Ping) to troubleshoot connectivity or performance problems associated with the device. These tests are started by tapping the desired hyperlink in the preview pane. See “Running the Diagnostic Tests” on page 108 for descriptions of these tests.

Adding a Device to the Discovery Database

If the instrument does not automatically discover a device, you can manually add the device to its discovery database. After a device is added to the database, the instrument keeps track of it and reports its statistics on the Device Discovery test screens.

To add a device to the discovery database:

(located in the top left corner of the screen)

Tap

1. and then select Instrument Settings.

2. Tap the General hyperlink to display the Instrument Settings—General screen.

3. Tap

4. On the User-defined Devices screen, tap Then use a keyboard to supply the required information.

If you want to identify the device as a key device, check the Add to key device list button.

5. Tap

The device you added is now in the discovery database.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Network Discovery Test

The Network Discovery test scans the local segment, looking for what networks are present and how they are configured. This test enables you to see discovered networks by IP subnets, NetBIOS domains, and IPX networks.

1. Select Network Discovery.

The preview pane identifies the types of networks found and reports the number of networks per type. EtherScope Network Assistant organizes discovered networks into the following groups.

•

Within each group, you can also find out the number of devices discovered.

IP Subnets

NetBIOS Domains

IPX Networks

2. To view detailed results for Network Discovery:

• In the preview pane, tap the desired network

group.

• Tap .

Subnet details include IP address ranges and subnet masks, while domain details identify master browsers and domain controllers.

3. If you need to quickly locate a device within your network environment, use the Find facility. Do the following:

a. Tap inside the text entry box. Use a remote

keyboard or tap to display the virtual keyboard and enter a full or partial name, IP address or MAC address.

b. Tap

to begin the search.

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

VLAN Discovery Test

The VLAN Discovery test identifies all of the VLANS discovered on the network segment that the instrument is connected to. The test informs you of VLAN membership configurations and interface status. You can also get details on connected hosts and view trending data.

Note

The VLAN Discovery test differs from the VLAN Statistics test discussed earlier. VLAN Discovery queries all switches that the instrument communicates with and generates a list of VLANs discovered. The VLAN Statistics test monitors the frames only on the switch port/interface that the instrument is connected to and generates a list of VLANs discovered.

1. Tap VLAN Discovery.

The preview pane (see Figure 14) displays the total number of discovered VLANs.

The main pane shows inventory of the discovered VLAN trunks and lists associated switch interfaces. For each VLAN interface, you can obtain the VLAN and slot/port numbers and find out how many hosts belong to the VLAN.

Note

You can sort the information on any of the VLAN discovery screens. To do this, tap the heading you want to sort on. A directional

arrow and the direction (ascending or descending) of the sort.

indicates the column you selected

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

2. Tap

to display the VLAN Discovery screen.

Figure 14. VLAN Discovery Screen

epi48s.bmp

3. To see the member switch interfaces within a particular VLAN, select the desired VLAN. Then tap

to expand the list.

VLANs that have no associated switch interfaces simply display the switches that reference this VLAN.

4. To get general information for a particular VLAN/Interface, select it.

The preview pane identifies the IP address of your selection.

5. To obtain a detailed report on a particular interface, select it from the list, then tap

You can view the port traffic and the devices configured for that interface.

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

Nearest Switch Test

An integral part of discovery is locating the switches on the network. The Nearest Switch test uses SNMP to search for and find the switch that is closest to the port that the instrument is connected to. After the nearest switch is discovered, its active ports are monitored for utilization and errors.

1. To check the status of the nearest switch, tap Nearest Switch.

epi66s.bmp

Figure 15. Nearest Switch Summary

As shown in Figure 15, the preview pane displays the IP address of the switch along with its VLAN identifier and port number. You can also see the speed of the interface and find out how many hosts are connected to the ports on the switch.

The graphs update you on bandwidth utilization and errors found on the busiest port.

2. To see a detailed report on the nearest switch, tap .

On the Switch Details screen, you can run also one of the diagnostic tests (for example, Trace Switch Route or Ping) to troubleshoot connectivity or performance problems associated with the switch.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

3. To set up and run a test, tap the associated hyperlink in the preview pane. (See “Running the Diagnostic Tests” on page 108 for descriptions of these tests).

Switch Scan Test

The Switch Scan test continuously monitors the nearest switch plus a second (user-selected) switch so that you can determine their health and status.

1. Tap Switch Scan.

The preview pane shows you the name of the switch that is being monitored and the number of active ports on the switch. In addition, you can find out whether bandwidth utilization is excessive and whether the switch is experiencing any errors.

2. Tap

If no switch is selected, select one from the Select a device list box.

The Switch Scan details screen (Figure 16) identifies the slot/port number of the switch and shows a breakout of utilization statistics by port.

3. Select the type of statistic that you want to view for the switch by tapping one of these options in the title bar:

• Utilization

• Packets

• Octets

• Errors

The main pane redisplays switch statistics based on your selection.

Note

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

6. To view details for a particular interface:

a. Select the desired interface.

The top portion of the preview pane shows the port number, VLAN identifier, speed of the interface, and number of connected hosts. The lower portion displays a graph that lets you see the relative percentage of packets and bandwidth.

b. If you want to see interface statistics over a

period of time, select the desired interface. Then tap .

Figure 16. Switch Scan Screen

epi49s.bmp

4. To select an additional switch to scan, select it from the Select a device box.

5. By default, the nearest switch is monitored. To prevent this switch from being monitored, tap (to

The Utilization History is displayed. On this screen, you can specify a time period during which errors and utilization statistics for the interface are gathered and reported.

c. Tap

information for the selected interface.

to obtain more detailed

uncheck) the Show box.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Key Devices Test

The Key Devices test checks the availability of critical or “key” devices on your network. You can use this test to verify connectivity between certain network devices and critical network services (for example, print or email servers).

For the Key Devices test to operate properly, you need to specify which devices you want EtherScope Network Assistant to track. Devices you might include in this category are servers, switches, and routers because these are the devices that you most likely want to monitor on a regular basis.

When you define a network device as "key", the instrument periodically checks its status (up or down) to determine its availability. An occasional intermittent non-response is ignored, but if no response is received from a key device after several consecutive attempts, the instrument reports its status as Fail

...In addition, the instrument always generates a message when the status of a key device changes so that you are always made aware of any problems it is experiencing.

Defining Key Devices

To define a key device, do the following:

1. On the Test Results screen, select Key Devices.

2. Tap

to display the Key Devices screen:

Note

If EtherScope Network Assistant is operating in WLAN mode, the screen is slightly different from the one shown in Figure 17.

Figure 17. Key Devices Screen

epi41s.bmp

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

3. Do one of the following:

• If the instrument discovered the device:

a) Tap the arrow in the drop-down list box at

the top of the screen. Then, select a category (for example, Hosts to see all of the devices in that category.

b) Find the desired device in the list and then

tap (to check) the box to mark it as a key device.

• If the instrument did not discover the device:

a) Tap

b) Tap . Then in the Add Key Device box,

supply the IP address of the device.

c) To ensure that the instrument discovers the

device, tap (to check) the Add to device discovery? box and supply the MAC address.

d) Tap

As you add devices to the Key Devices group, the preview pane keeps track of the number of devices to be tested.

4. To run the Key Devices test, tap

As the test runs, detailed status on each device is reported in the main pane.

to close.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Problem Detection

The Problem Detection test checks each discovered device to determine if it is experiencing any problems. If a problem is detected, the instrument enters a problem report in the Problem Log.

The Problem Log is an extremely useful troubleshooting and management tool because it lets you know what types of problems are occurring on your network and specifically identifies which devices are having problems. Knowing what types of errors are present and where they are coming from can help you identify the cause of network problems.

To check for errors:

1. Select Problem Detection.

The preview pane shows the number of problems detected in each of the following severity groups:

Errors: indicates that a severe problem exists

•

with the network or the device; the problem is disrupting or severely impeding normal use.

•

Warnings: indicates that a condition exists that can possibly cause a problem with the network or device.

•

Information: indicates that the device or network is functioning normally, but there is an event or condition that you need to be aware of.

•

Resolved: indicates that the problem has been fixed or that there has a been a change in the failure state.

The

Deleted category maintains a count of problems that you delete from the Problem Log (see “Deleting a Problem from the Log” on page 66).

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Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

2. If errors are indicated, tap to look at the Problem Log (Figure 18):

epi41s.bmp

Figure 18. Problem Log

The main pane lists each device that is experiencing a problem. The Description column provides a brief description of the nature of the problem along with its assigned severity level.

Note

You can sort the information in the main pane by tapping one of the column headings. For example, to sort on problem severity, tap

. A directional arrow VU indicates the column you are sorting on and the direction of the sort.

3. To obtain information on a specific device, select the device.

The preview pane shows the IP and MAC address of the problem device along with a description of the problem. A timestamp indicates when the problem was detected.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

4. Tap to view detailed information about the device.

The Device Details screen (Figure 13) is displayed. On this screen, you obtain specific information about the device.

Follow the Problems link to view a Problem Log that lists only those problems associated with the selected device.

You can also tap the Interfaces link to see the I/F status of the device or you can tap the SNMP System

Group link to view SNMP information for the device.

Deleting a Problem from the Log

To delete a problem from the log:

1. Select the problem.

2. Tap

The deleted problem is moved to the Deleted problems folder in the main pane, and the number of problems is incremented in the Deleted category (preview pane).

To cancel the deletion:

1. Tap to expand the Deleted problems folder.

2. Select the desired problem and then tap

The problem is re-entered into the Problem Log, and the count of Detected problems in the preview pane is incremented.

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

RFC 2544 Tests

The RFC 2544 tests enable you to measure the performance of your network. Each test requires a second (remote) EtherScope Network Assistant running Version 3.0 software (or later) to communicate with your network.

Note

The RFC 2544 tests are a separately purchased software option. To enable this option, you need to supply the key code for RFC 2544/ITO ES_ITO_OPT. For instructions on enabling software options, go to “Enabling Software Options” on page 18.

The following tests are in the RFC 2544 test group:

• RFC 2544 Throughput: measures the throughput

speed and efficiency of your network.

• RFC 2544 Latency: measures how much time it takes

for frames to travel through your network.

• RFC 2544 Loss: measures your network’s frame loss

rate.

The Remote Device

The remote device operates as the DUT (Device under Test). The remote device must be an EtherScope Network Assistant.

Configuring the Remote Device

The remote device must be enabled to use the RFC 2544 test option (see “Enabling Software Options” on page

18).

In addition, the remote device must be configured with the same port number and timeout setting as the local device. To configure these settings, follow the procedure under “Configuring the Remote Unit” on page 72.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Specifying the IP Address of the Remote Device

You can designate a device for use in all of the RFC 2544 tests or you can designate a particular device for each individual test.

1. Select RFC 2544 Tests and then tap

2. Do one of the following:

• To specify a device for all RFC 2544 tests, tap RFC

2544.

• To specify a device for a specific test, tap the

name of the test or device.

3. Tap

4. In the Add Device box, select the device from the drop-down list box or select (User Defined) and supply the IP address of the device.

5. Click

Repeat this procedure to add additional devices for use in the individual tests. The device name or IP address is added to the list of devices under the individual test and can be selected when you run a test.

Configuring the RFC 2544 Tests

You need to configure the test parameters and the parameters for the remote device participating in the test. You can set global configuration parameters that apply to all devices used and all tests in this suite or you can configure the devices and tests individually.

The following procedures show you how to access the configuration screens. See the online Help for detailed descriptions of the RFC 2544 test configuration parameters.

Note

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

Global Configuration Parameters

To set configuration parameters that apply to all RFC 2544 tests and devices:

1. Select RFC 2544 Tests and then tap

2. Tap to display the RFC 2544 Configuration screen.

3. Select the desired RFC 2544 test parameters and then tap

Individual Test and Device Parameters

Individual settings apply only to the selected test and/or device. These settings override any global parameters set under RFC 2544 Tests.

To set parameters for an individual test or device:

1. Select RFC 2544 Tests and then tap

2. Tap Configuration screen.

to save your changes.

to display the RFC 2544

3. Tap next to RFC 2544 to display the list of subtests and devices.

4. Select the desired subtest or device and then tap

to display the configuration screen and set

the desired parameters.

5. Tap

Restoring the Default Configurations

Tap default settings. Then, tap

to save your changes.

to restore the configuration to factory

to save the changes.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Running an RFC 2544 Test

To run a test:

1. Select the desired test from the RFC 2544 Performance Tests screen.

2. Tap .

Results

The Status column indicates whether results are available for the selected test.

• To view Throughput test results:

1. Select a device under RFC 2544 Throughput and

then tap

2. Use the radio buttons to select the Display

Mode (FPS (Frames/Sec) or BPS (Bits/sec) and View Mode (table or graph).

• To view Latency test results:

1. Select a device under RFC 2544 Latency and then tap .

2. Use the radio buttons to select the View Mode (table or graph).

• To view Loss test results:

1. Select a device under RFC 2544 Loss and then tap

2. Use the pull-down menu in the Show field to select the frame sizes to be displayed. Use the radio buttons to select the View Mode (table or graph).

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

ITO Tests

The EtherScope Network Assistant features two ITO (Internet Throughput Option) tests:

• Traffic Generator: enables you to generate

background test traffic into the network. This test is helpful when you are testing new systems and configurations because it allows you to simulate diverse mixes of traffic which can help you identify and isolate network performance issues.

• Throughput: a double-ended test of bandwidth

between two network nodes. This test enables you to test throughput and evaluate a link’s capacity.

Traffic Generator

To run the Traffic Generator test:

1. In the main pane, tap the subtests.

2. Tap Traffic Generator. Then tap configure the parameters for the test (see Figure 19):

• Frame Description: specify the packet type and

size; in addition, provide the destination IP and MAC address.

• Rate and Duration: specify the transmit rate and

duration.

next to ITO Tests to view

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Throughput Test

To run the Throughput test, you need two instruments: one that functions as the local unit and a second that serves as the remote unit. The remote unit can be any of the following: a second EtherScope Network Assistant, a OneTouch™ Network Assistant with the Internet Throughput Option (ITO) installed, or an OptiView INA V4.0 analyzer.

During the test, both instruments simultaneously transmit packets to each other at a user-configurable bit rate for a specified duration. When the test is completed, the local instrument displays results for both the local and remote units (see Figure 20).

Figure 19. Traffic Generation Screen

epi81s.bmp

3. Tap

to begin the test.

The preview pane shows results of the test. You can see the number of packets the instrument is transmitting and bandwidth utilization statistics.

Configuring the Remote Unit

Note

This procedure assumes that the remote unit is an EtherScope Network Assistant. If you are using an OptiView INA analyzer or a OneTouch Network Assistant as the remote unit, refer to that instrument’s documentation for instructions on configuring it as the remote server.

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

1. On the remote EtherScope Network Assistant, tap . Then, select Instrument Settings.

2. In the preview pane, tap the General hyperlink. In

the Remote Throughput Testing section:

a) Tap (to check) Enable as throughput remote.

b) Specify values for the following:

• Port: identifies the port to use for the

throughput protocol. Configure the same port number on both the local and remote units. This number can be changed to allow throughput testing through firewalls that block some ports.

• Timeout: number of seconds the remote

server should wait for additional throughput traffic from the local unit before timing out and terminating packet transmission.

3. Tap Save Remote Throughput Settings.

Configuring the Local Unit and Starting the Test

On the local unit, complete the following:

1. Tap the show its subtests.

2. Select Throughput Test.

3. Tap for the test:

• Frame Description: specify the remote device’s IP

• Rate and Duration: specify the transmit rate (in

next to ITO Tests to expand the list and

to configure the following parameters

address. Select the frame data pattern to be transmitted, timeout, the frame length, and the port number.

Note

Both the local and remote devices must be configured on the same port.

bits per second) and the duration of the test

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

4. Tap

to begin the test.

As the test progresses, Throughput results are continuously updated.

The local unit keeps track of the number of frames sent, the percent received, and the percent loss for both the local and remote units.

5. To see results displayed graphically (see Figure 20), tap Graph (located in the title bar).

Figure 20. Throughput Test Results

epi72s.bmp

6. Tap

to end the test.

Configuring the Instrument for a Wired LAN

Although EtherScope Network Assistant is designed to provide as much automated configuration as possible, every network is different. For the instrument to provide you with the best network analysis possible, you may need to change some of the default configuration settings.

To access the instrument’s configuration screens, do the following:

1. Tap the EtherScope Network Assistant icon

, which is located in the upper-left corner of the title bar.

2. From the drop-down list, tap Instrument Settings.

The Instrument Settings —TCP/IP screen (Figure 21) is displayed.

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Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

On this screen, you configure the instrument’s TCP/IP settings:

epi86s.bmp

Figure 21. Instrument Settings—TCP/IP Screen

The hyperlinks in the preview pane take you to other configuration screens, which are described in the sections that follow.

TCP/IP Settings

If DHCP is available, the Instrument Settings—TCP/IP screen (Figure 21) displays the address that the instrument is able to obtain.

If you want to manually configure the IP address or change the subnet mask, do the following:

Note

When manually assigning an IP address, you can use an address for an alternate subnet but that address must be in the same broadcast domain as the EtherScope Network Assistant.

1. Clear the Automatically configure TCP/IP settings checkbox to disable auto-configuration of the IP settings.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

2. For the address field that you want to change, do the following:

• Tap

• Select an address from the drop-down list.

3. Tap

802.1Q/IP TOS Settings

The 802.1Q/IP TOS settings define the VLAN tag in the header of an Ethernet packet. The instrument uses these settings during discovery, traffic generation, RFC 2544 tests, and network service tests to make decisions about routing traffic.

and use the keyboard to type an IP

address.

to save your changes.

In the preview pane, tap 802.1Q/IP TOS to display the Instrument Settings— 802.1Q/IP TOS screen. This screen enables you to configure the instrument for tagged VLAN (802.1Q) and/or IP Type of Service (TOS) operation. These settings are applied globally to traffic from the instrument and remain in memory even after you turn off the instrument.

It is important that you configure these settings correctly. If you select a VLAN ID that is not configured on the port that the instrument is connected to, the instrument may not be able to communicate with the network. DHCP will fail and active discovery will not work. You can experience the same failure, if you enable 802.1Q on the instrument but plug it into a port that is not enabled for

802.1Q. If this happens, you can use the VLAN Statistics test to identify the VLANS that are active on the port. Then, try configuring the 802.1Q settings for the VLAN that has the highest packet count

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

1. In the 8021Q Settings section, do the following:

a) Check Enable 802.1Q to select 802.1Q tagging

mode.

This setting denotes a new frame format whereby every packet that is transmitted by the instrument contains an extra four bytes in the header to include fields for the VLAN ID and a priority level for the frame (see next two items). On the receive side, the instrument extract and process this information from incoming packets.

b) Supply the VLAN ID (values range from 1 to

4095)

c) Set Priority: select a value between 0 and 7 (low

to high) to specify a priority level for the frame.

2. In the TOS (Type of Service) section, select one of the following:

• TOS with IP Precedence then check one of the

type of service parameters (Delay, Throughput,

Reliability, or Cost) and select a priority in the IP Precedence box.

• TOS with DSCP then supply a value for DSCP

(Differentiated Service Code Point).

3. Tap restarts its tests with the new configuration.

to save your settings. The instrument

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

802.1X Settings

The 802.1X standard defines the mechanism for portbased network access control. This provides a means of authenticating and authorizing devices attached to a LAN port. This screen allows for the configuration of the 802.1X security.

The supported authentication types are:

• --None—

• EAP TLS

• EAP GTC

• EAP MD5

• EAP MSCHAPV2

• PEAP GTC

• PEAP MD5

• PEAP MSCHAPV2

• PEAP TLS

• TTLS PAP

• TTLS CHAP

• TTLS MSCHAP

• TTLS MSCHAP-V2

• TTLS EAP-MD5

• TTLS EAP GTC

• TTLS EAP MSCHAP-V2

• TTLS EAP-TLS

The TLS authentication types (also called SmartCard) allow you to import a User Certificate provided by your IT administrator and use alternate IDs (in Advanced Options) in the encryption.

The other encryption types allow you to enter a User Name and Password. These encryption types are not as secure as the TLS encryption types.

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

Connection Log

The

Connection Log

authentication and authorization process, and indicates whether it passed or failed. It also provides DHCP detail to which servers reply to DHCP requests and which DHCP offers were ignored by EtherScope.

Ethernet Settings

On Instrument Settings—Ethernet screen, you can override the instrument’s link auto-negotiation process and force EtherScope Network Assistant to link at a userselected speed and duplex.

To link at particular duplex setting, tap Use Forced

Setting. Then select one of the settings in the Forced Setting group.

An asterisk ( *) next to the value on the link button (located in the lower- left corner of the task bar) indicates the speed/duplex is a forced setting.

provides detail about the 802.1X

Note

At the bottom of this screen, a factory assigned MAC address is shown. You can change this address to enable testing of switch forwarding tables and ARP caches as part of the troubleshooting process.

Instrument Security Settings

On the Instrument Settings—Instrument Security screen (Figure 22), you can provide password-level security for your EtherScope Network Assistant. This screen enables you to password-protect access to EtherScope Network Assistant through the remote user interface, authorize running of RFC 2544/ITO tests, and prevent unauthorized users from editing the instrument’s SNMP community strings or viewing the remote user interface.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Figure 22. Instrument Settings–Security Screen

epi85s.bmp

If a field is password-protected, this symbol denotes that the field is secure:"*". The fields and controls on the Security screen are disabled until a user successfully enters the password and logs in using the Login button.

On the Security screen, you can also configure the instrument’s SNMP community strings. The default community strings are “public”, “private”, and “security”. You can change the default strings to strings that are used on your network.

Note

The discovery process successively tries the community strings in the order in which they are listed. For a quicker discovery, you should list the strings in order of frequency of use.

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

General Settings

On the Instrument Settings— General screen, you can change the following settings for your EtherScope Network Assistant:

• Restore Defaults: resets the instrument to the

factory default settings. These include interface configurations and address settings. If you restore the instrument’s default settings, any changes that you made to the instrument and all current data is lost.

• Edit user-defined devices: lets you edit or delete

existing user-defined devices, or add a new device that is either outside of the local broadcast domain or not being discovered.

• Remote RFC 2544/ITO Throughput Testing: enables/disables the instrument to serve as the RFC 2544/ITO Throughput remote server and to interoperate with another EtherScope Network Assistant serving as the local unit during a remote throughput test.

• Preferences

 Show vendor prefix with MAC address: lets you

control how a device’s MAC address is shown. By default, it is shown with a vendor prefix. When the box is unchecked, the MAC address is shown in raw hexidecimal format.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

 Enable fast connect mode (applies to wired LAN

only): lets you quickly obtain a network link and DHCP address.

By default, when EtherScope Network Assistant is first plugged into a network, it tries to determine whether it is connected to the same broadcast domain it was previously connected to. If it is, it saves the data it previously collected.

Use the Enable fast connect mode setting when you repeatedly connect EtherScope Network Assistant to different networks because usage results in a faster response time. For example, select fast connect mode when you are verifying the connectivity of multiple office cubicles in a new installation. In this mode, the instrument automatically resets its discovery database when changing the network connection or when returning to the Test Results screen from the Cable or Signal Verification screens.

 Edit SNMP System Name: tap

supply a new SNMP system name for the instrument. Tap

to save.

and then

Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Fiber LAN

The ES-FIBER-OPT option supports 1000BaseSX, 1000BaseLX, and 1000BaseZX fiber. The basic steps for monitoring a fiber LAN are listed below.

1. Install the SFP fiber adapter (see “Installing and Removing an SFP Fiber Adapter” on page 83.

2. Power on the instrument (see “Turning the Instrument On and Off” on page 14).

3. If necessary, change the interface type to LAN (see “Selecting the LAN or WLAN Interface” on page 15).

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Fiber LAN

All the existing LAN features are supported when EtherScope is connected to gigabit fiber interface with the following exceptions:

• The link speed displays 1000MB and the fiber

type (SX, LX, or ZX)

• The Cable Verification and Signal Verification

tests are replaced with the fiber Loss Test (requires an optional Fiber Optic Meter)

Note

If both the RJ-45 copper and SFP fiber (SX, LX, or ZX) adapter are connected to the network at the same time and the instrument is trying to establish link, the fiber connection has priority over the copper connection.

Installing and Removing an SFP Fiber Adapter

To install an SFP fiber adapter:

1. With the instrument turned off, remove the protective cap as shown in Figure 23.

2. Insert the fiber adapter, making sure that it is firmly seated into the connector.

WWarning

SFP fiber adapters are Class 1 laser lightemitting products. Avoid staring into the SFP module while the EtherScope Network Assistant is on; otherwise injury to the eyes may occur.

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

To remove the fiber adapter:

1. Make sure the instrument is turned off.

2. Press the release tab located on the back of the adapter.

W Caution

Do not pull the fiber adapter without pressing the release tab or damage to the adapter may occur.

Remove fiber adapter dust cover.

Gently insert the fiber adapter into the connector.

Lock/Release Tab

Figure 23. Inserting the Fiber Adapter

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Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wireless LAN

Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wireless LAN

The basic steps for monitoring a wireless LAN (WLAN) are listed below. Detailed information for a step can be obtained by consulting the referenced section.

1. Install the WLAN Card.

2. Power on the instrument (see “Turning the Instrument On and Off” on page 14).

3. If necessary, change the interface type to WLAN (see “Selecting the LAN or WLAN Interface” on page 15).

Note

If you are operating EtherScope Network Assistant for the first time, you should configure a default SSID to automatically test link and to use active discovery methods. See “Wireless Instrument Security Settings” on page 101. If operating the instrument in passive scan mode, you do not have to configure security settings.

EtherScope Network Assistant runs a series of passive scan tests then attempts to establish a link to an AP that is configured with the default SSID.

4. View autotest results. See “Viewing AutoTest Results” on page 38.

5. Make any needed configuration changes to match your wireless network. See “Configuring the Instrument for a Wireless LAN” on page 98.

Installing the WLAN Card

To install the wireless LAN card, insert it into SLOT 1, which is located on the top side panel (see Figure 3).

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

Viewing AutoTest Results

After you power on the instrument, it runs the automated tests and displays the Test Results screen, as shown in Figure 24.

epi73s.bmp

Figure 24. Wireless LAN Test Results Screen

The Test Results screen gives you at-a-glance visibility into the state of your WLAN.

The main pane displays the name of each test and reports its status. The icons along the right side give you a visual indication of the progress and status of each test:

•

Running

• Not running

•

Completed and passed

Completed and failed

The preview pane provides a summary of the results of the test that is selected in the main pane.

Note

When autotest finishes, the Connection test (the default selection) is highlighted.

Network Assistant Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wireless LAN

You can get a quick idea of the overall health of your network and see what devices and services are running by tapping each test listed in the main pane and then viewing its summary results in the preview pane.

The individual autotests are described in this section. To obtain in-depth results for a test, select it from the main pane. Then tap .

Connection Test

The Connection test checks the status of the link and determines whether EtherScope Network Assistant established an association with a wireless access point. The instrument first scans the wireless network, and then attempts to link to an AP that is configured with the default SSID.

After autotest runs, the Connection test is highlighted. The Status column reports the results of the attempt to connect:

• If the attempt to link to the default SSID/AP is successful, this status icon is displayed: address that the instrument acquired is identified in the Status line.

The preview pane shows you information about the connection, including the SSID, IP address, and channel.

• If the attempt to link to the default SSID/AP fails, this status icon is displayed , and the reason for the failure (for example, no Access Point found) is reported.

The IP

EtherScope™ Series II

Getting Started Guide

EtherScope Network Assistant runs in active scan mode, in which it continuously monitors active channels. The Scan button in the lower left corner updates you on which channels are being scanned.

To view details about the connection, tap .

The Connection details screen is displayed. This screen shows you the connection settings (the results of autoconfiguration using DHCP) and configuration options. You can change the current configurations from this screen (see “Configuring the Instrument for a Wireless LAN” on page 98 for assistance).

Channels Test

The Channels Test scans all channels in the 802.11a and

802.11 b/g spectrums to locate active channels, active APs, active clients, and ad hoc devices. For each active channel discovered, the test focuses on key metrics that give you information about a channel’s configuration and health.

To view results:

1. Tap Channels.

The main panel indicates how many channels are being scanned. The preview pane shows separate summaries of results for the 802.11a and 802.11b/g networks. A small graph, which accompanies each summary, visually displays the percentage of local utilization.

Fluke etherscope II Getting Started Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

LIMITED WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY

Table of Contents

List of Tables

List of Figures

EtherScope™ Series II Network Assistant

About This Guide

Introduction

Features

Available Models

Available Options

Package Contents

Optional Accessories

Safety and Operational Information

Registering Your EtherScope Series IINetwork Assistant

Before You Begin

Turning the Instrument On and Off

Using the Stylus

Selecting the LAN or WLAN Interface

Adjusting the Brightness of the Screen

Setting the Time and Date

Recalibrating the Screen

Enabling Software Options

Displaying Hardware and Software Version Information

The Power Supply

Operating the Instrument on Battery Power

Operating the Instrument on AC Power

Locating the Network Connections

Locating the External Interfaces

Locating the External Power Connection

Status LEDs

Power LED

The User Interface

Screen Layout

Navigating the User Interface

Personalizing Your EtherScope Network Assistant

Getting Help

Accessing the Documentation Online

Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wired LAN

Connecting to a Wired Network

Viewing AutoTest Results

Connection Test

Local Statistics Test

Device Discovery Test

Network Discovery Test

VLAN Discovery Test

Nearest Switch Test

Switch Scan Test

Key Devices Test

Problem Detection

Deleting a Problem from the Log

RFC 2544 Tests

The Remote Device

Configuring the RFC 2544 Tests

Running an RFC 2544 Test

Results

ITO Tests

Traffic Generator

Throughput Test

Configuring the Instrument for a Wired LAN

TCP/IP Settings

802.1Q/IP TOS Settings

802.1X Settings

Connection Log

Ethernet Settings

Instrument Security Settings

General Settings

Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Fiber LAN

Installing and Removing an SFP Fiber Adapter

Monitoring and Troubleshooting a Wireless LAN

Installing the WLAN Card

Viewing AutoTest Results

Connection Test

Channels Test