LinkRunner AT Network AutoTester

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.

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.

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.

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.