Agilent Technologies Introduces Software that Creates Industry’s Only Combined Cable Certification, Ethernet Services Tester

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced an advanced network test option for its WireScope Pro cable certification tester. It supports two new software licenses that enable network administrators and network solution integrators to validate and pre-qualify the quality of voice over IP services and to stress test Ethernet connections, all with the WireScope Pro.

Current owners of WireScope Pro, Agilent’s Category 3...6A/Class C...EA and F LAN cabling certification tool, can upgrade their instrument by simply purchasing license codes for the new functions and installing the latest firmware version. Every WireScope Pro comes equipped with a copper 10/100/1000 Mbit/s test port and an SFP port that supports optical Gigabit Ethernet modules. This enables VoIP testing without carrying another tool and offers a 50-percent reduction in the price of VoIP testing and Full Line Rate traffic generation compared to purchasing a separate tester. For the user, this saves money and training time, and reduces the amount of gear to carry.

Earlier this year, Agilent introduced option N2640A-010 for the WireScope Pro, which activates the Autodiscovery function for network stations and servers, Autotest, ping, trace route, traffic statistics, and basic SNMP queries like Locate Switch Port.

More Information about the Software Licenses (licenses are serial-number specific).

License option N2640A-030 activates the VoIP test function. The test delivers MOS value and R-factor of SIP based VoIP services, according to ITU-T G.107.
License option N2640A-011 activates traffic generation up to Gigabit line rate, suitable to stress-test Ethernet links, and to validate the traffic steering capabilities of the network infrastructure.
Both license options require that network test option N2640A-010 be installed on the instrument.
“IT technicians and cabling installers who apply moves, adds and changes to local area networks, no longer need to carry two sets of instruments to complete these tasks,” said Joachim Peerlings, general manager of Agilent’s Broadband Deployment business. “WireScope Pro, supercharged with the new network test options, enables them to do multiple tasks during the same visit, like cabling installation to service turn-up and troubleshooting. Do more with less gear and a lower investment.”

U.S. Pricing and Availability

The new software upgrade licenses for the Agilent WireScope Pro will be available in July, with pricing starting at $1,100.