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LinkRunner AT Network AutoTester Reviews & Insights

Score10 out of 10

1 Reviews and Ratings

LinkRunner AT Network AutoTester Reviews

2 Reviews

Fluke AT series network testers (Must have for all NetAdmins)

Rating: 10 out of 10
Incentivized

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We have used the LinkRunner AT 2000 and the Onetouch AT network assistants daily for about 6 years. These devices save me hours of troubleshooting, I can go anywhere, plug in and know anything I need to about the port and line I am in. In the hands of one of the technicians, they can go to a line that is having problems and let me know exactly which port in which switch is causing an issue. In the hands of our low voltage wiring guys, Fluke allows them to pre-certify the cables they terminate to ensure good runs. I can use these devices as a ready-made packet capturing devices (inline or mirror port). When deploying new switches or examining reports of latency I can put Fluke on each end of our network and push data between the two points, capturing important information on both sides. While everything Fuke does can be accomplished by other devices, and the information can be pulled from other places. Fluke allows me to dispatch anyone from our IT department to collect information that they would not otherwise know how to assemble.

Pros

  • Identify the exact switchport a given line is plugged in to.
  • View the length and viability of any category or fiber optic cable.
  • It acts as a premade packet capture device, simple enough to walk someone through deploying while I'm offsite.
  • In the event LLDP based identification of a port fails, it has the ability to blink a switchport allowing for manual identification.

Cons

  • Price. There is no other device on the market with the AT's feature set. Fluke knows it and charges accordingly.
  • The addition of bluetooth or a USB slot for a keyboard would be handy for certain functions.
  • The PC based remote connection process is old, and is one of the places where the OS shows it's age.

Likelihood to Recommend

All network administrators would be able to find a use for this tool in their environment. It allows people from outside of the networking industry to capture data required for a quick diagnosis. Things that typically would require me to be onsite for diagnosis can now be handed to Tier 1 techs for data collection and reporting. Since moving toward cable certification, we've experienced an almost unbelievably low level of cable failure. When it does happen, though, there is no guessing. Our Fluke units tell us what the problem is and where.
Vetted Review
LinkRunner AT Network AutoTester
6 years of experience

The tester everyone needs.

Rating: 10 out of 10

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

We use the LinkRunner AT Tester to find pathways as well as quickly identify what interfaces need to be configured. It is a great tool that we provide to new techs to help with the daily moves. We also use it to help troubleshoot connectivity issues by helping to find physical layer issues within the network that we are troubleshooting. The tools saves a massive amount of time.

Pros

  • Finds breaks in cables
  • Identifies switch ports that end devices are connected too.
  • identifies cable lengths to ensure that they are with specifications.

Cons

  • It could be updated for Mgig or 10Gb.
  • Some devices should have SFP+ modules capabilities
  • Could be combined with other tools

Likelihood to Recommend

The tool was recently used to help identify a hardware issue. We were having connectivity problems which was identified with the LinkRunner that has the SFP to test fiber connections. We were able to show the vendor on sight that the link was good and that it was the vendor equipment that had the issue This resulted in them replacing the physical equipment to bring services back online.
Vetted Review
LinkRunner AT Network AutoTester
20 years of experience