Network Monitoring, Analysis and Troubleshooting

Nothing will damage an integrated IT-based business faster than poor performance or availability on its core network infrastructure. When problems occur, you must be able to react fast, analyse and understand what's happening - anywhere on the corporate network.

To meet that need, Phoenix Datacom supplies network testers and analysers with applications ranging from physical layer testing to applications layer traffic and traffic flow analysis. Protocol analysis of both data and signalling is a key part of network troubleshooting and the range extends from software-based analysers for simple departmental LAN traffic to hardware-assisted analysers for high-speed data capture and analysis of LAN, WAN, ATM or VoIP traffic. Real-time expert analysis helps solve the complex and multi-layered problems that may occur at any level of the stack from physical faults to applications malfunction.

LAN Healthcheck

The Agilent FrameScope 350 is a truly innovative hand-held tester that combines an excellent network discovery tool with a complete suite of network and server healthcheck and diagnostic tests - and a full Cat 6 cable test and verification option. The unit is operated by simply touching the large touch-sensitive colour screen and an intuitive "drill-down" menu approach takes you logically through each test step.

The FrameScope Pro combines link testing of 10/100 and Gig ethernet with discovery and functional network healthcheck of connected systems. FrameScope Pro includes 10/100 and Gigabit, both copper and fibre, in a single non-modular unit - and has options for Triple Play Qos testing of VoIP and IPTV.

Applications Performance Analysis

Poor applications response times may be due to problems with the network, the server, the client, the application itself - or a combination of several interactions! Accurate troubleshooting of applications performance is vital, especially in multi-supplier situations and NetSensory from Network Physics is ideal for that task. NetSensory allows you to analyse the end-to-end traffic flows of applications by individual user, logical groups of users across the organisation, or by application. Critically, NetSensory shows which elements of user-perceived applications performance are caused by the network, the server and the application itself.

Protocol Analysers

Triple Play protocol analysers for Data, VOIP and IPTV

The Agilent Network Analyzer family provides expert protocol analysis from physical to application layer of the stack with an extensive range of physical interfaces for LAN, WAN, ATM and VoIP. The great strength of the range is its consistency - software-based versions, portable stand-alone hardware versions and fully distributed versiona all share the same "expert" and the same user interface.

Part of the family, the Agilent Triple Play Analyzer (TPA) provides the most complete monitoring and troubleshooting tool for installing and and troubleshooting IPTV, VoD, VoIP and data applications. In particular, a single instrument provides integrated analysis of the total traffic - voice, data and video - and their interaction together. (This is an important breakthrough as many test tools look at a single aspect of Triple Play, eg video or VoIP quality, without considering the effect of one application on another.)

Telephony and signaling analysers

Sunrise Telecom's NeTracker is particularly strong for telephony applications and offers an integrated tool to fully verify, monitor, and troubleshoot the signaling and services deployed over PCM, ATM, and LAN networks. The supported architectures include: IMS, NGN, MEGACO/MGCP and mixed (SS7/NGN/IP). NeTracker is also used by service providers and operators during the network planning, and implementation phases thanks to the Call Detail Record generation, intrusive and non-intrusive QoS measurements, network statistics and correlation of messages between different protocols and interfaces.

The Agilent Signaling Analyzer is used by major 3G mobile telephone operators and phone manufacturers - providing installation testing and troubleshooting of 3G systems including traffic analysis and call trace of multi media message services.

The Agilent Voice Quality Tester provides objective testing of analogue voice to PAMS, PSQM and PESQM standards. Agilent VQT is available in a variety of form factors to meet the needs of installation and maintenance testing, troubleshooting in the field, and in-service quality monitoring.

Configuration analysis and monitoring

NetCordia's NetMRI is a revolutionary new network management tool that collects information continuously from network infrastructure devices and provides automated analysis and reporting. NetMRI is like having your own dedicated team of network analysts providing a daily assessment of your complete network infrastructure – reporting on configuration changes and errors, highlighting performance and security concerns, showing any breaches of your own compliance policies and comparing with industry best practice. NetMRI gives tremendous time and money benefits by providing prioritised lists of concerns, avoiding the management information overload of other NMS and allowing network managers to concentrate on the really important issues.

Transmission link testers

The performance of all networks, however sophisticated, is ultimately dependent on the quality and reliability of the underlying communications links. The Phoenix range meets the industry's need for installation, set-up and maintenance testing - of established technologies such as ISDN and SDH/PDH - Metropolitan Ethernet. Gigabit and Fibre Channel links - newer technologies such as ADSL2+, NGN and EoS - and new applications such as Voice-over-IP and IPTV.

Click here for details of all comms transmission testers

Click here for details of all optical testers

To find out more about Phoenix Datacom products, call Phoenix Datacom on 01296 397711 , send an email or use the Request More Info form.

For a full list of Phoenix Datacom products and applications, click here.