Fluke: Verify Network Service Availability

Verification of data cable installation has provided an effective tool for network owners and wiring personnel to ensure the integrity of the physical network. This provides a solid foundation for network reliability. With the emergence of Ethernet communication protocols and other services, such as Ethernet Power Supply-PoE, higher-level verification must be provided after the business is activated or moved, increased, and changed, or, after resolving the connectivity failure of the cable or link, ensure that necessary network services are available at the communication outlet. Currently, DTX network services provide the capability to verify and archive available services.

Mobile, added, and changed Environments

Although all focus on cable installation in large new construction projects, many new installation cables may occur in existing networks. Moving, adding, and changing will happen when the Office is reconfigured to meet changes in the work area or network expansion to support business growth (MAC ). In typical new construction projects, cables are laid, distribution racks are configured in the Communication Room, and sockets are mounted in the work area. Authenticate the permanent link to meet the standards stipulated in the development contract. The cables are not in use until users in the building move in, switch is installed in the communication room, and the PC is installed in the work space. In this case, the cable certification test is the final proof that the cable installer completes the work with satisfaction and meets the standards and customer technical requirements.

In MAC environments, cables are installed in existing networks. Like the new building environment, the cables are laid and connected to sockets and distribution frames. Use the corresponding certification tester to test the cables and verify that all components and the installed specifications meet the requirements of the corresponding wiring standards. However, the authentication in this environment only answers "is the cable correctly installed ?" This is a problem. The end users in the existing network also want to know "does the outlet in the work zone provide the services I need ?"

Certification of copper and Optical Fiber Links

Cable authentication serves two main purposes. First, it provides a neutral reference for the installer to prove to the owner that all the cable components meet the technical specifications and that the installation meets the quality required to support the expected network data rate. Second, the network owner can obtain performance when the speed of network equipment increases in the future according to the wiring standard. Higher wiring standards can assure network owners that no cabling needs to be upgraded when network equipment is upgraded. The owner using the 10/100 BASE-T network may choose to install enhanced 6-class cabling, because he plans to upgrade all devices to 1000BASE-T in a few years, and upgrade a few connections between servers to 10GBASE-T. To maximize the flexibility of deploying servers in the future, he requires enhanced 6 types of cables throughout the network. If he has determined that the slow protocol is sufficient to meet future rate requirements, he may choose a low quality cabling system because it is sufficient to support his expected network rate, as shown in 1.

OSI model

Although network applications use protocols such as 100BASE-TX for communication, devices must be connected using physical media such as twisted pair wires, optical fiber cables, or coaxial cables. The transmitted data is transmitted from the physical media through different processing layers, so that two applications on the network can communicate. The Open System Interconnection OSI model created by ISO) provides a framework for understanding the relationship between different network devices in the communication process.

. OSI Network Communication System Model

The cable authentication test confirms that the OSI model's layer-1 physical medium, Copper Twisted Pair wires or optical fiber, meets the performance requirements required to support data traffic. In many new building installations, cables are installed prior to network switches and PCs, so no device can verify the functionality of the network's layer 2nd or layer 3rd. In a MAC environment, there may be network devices. The network owner needs to know whether the expected service is available at the outlet. The network owner also wants to know:

At what rate can the network be connected?

Can this outlet provide power for VoIP phones?

Can I access the Internet?

Can I use a network printer?

DTX-NSM network service module can provide answers.

At what rate can the network be connected?

In MAC, after the cable Authentication Test is completed, the new link is connected to the corresponding switch port. All services required by end users should be provided at the outlet of the work zone. DTX network service module DTX-NSM) provides the ability to verify and validate these services after completing MAC.

Insert the DTX-NSM network service module into the back of the DTXCableAnalyzer cable authentication analyzer host and turn the knob to MONITOR ). Only one jumper is required to connect the work area socket and the RJ45 port of the DTX-NSM to use the optional small pluggable SFP) optical transceiver installed on the DTX-NSM, which can also be used in the optical network ). Select Network Connectivity) and press TEST. DTX displays similar TEST results.

The figure at the top of the display shows that the socket supports 10BASE-T or 100BASE-TX communication. Currently, 100BASE-TX uses green highlighted values) and Full Duplex Real arrows) for communication.

The DTX-NSM will report socket 10/100/1000BASE-T (X) and half/Full Duplex capabilities. Select "Negotiation Details" for detailed Negotiation information) to provide detailed information about the connection, as shown in figure 4.

In addition to the connection rate information, the "Negotiations Details" screen displays two types of information: connection status and PoE capability. The first type of information, the connection status provides the pin reversal and crossover information. If the sending and receiving lines reverse a certain point in the channel, many switches can detect this status and modify it. In this case, the "MDI-X" will be reported in the "MDICrossover Status" MDI cross Status) bar; likewise, if the core line is reversed in the channel tip/ring reversely ), the switch can be corrected by reversing polarity, in which case the DTX-NSM will report as a pin reversal. In both cases, the switch can correct the errors in the jumper, assuming that the permanent link is certified to be correct ). Second, if there is a PoE application, the PoE status shows which pair of lines provide DC power and whether there is sufficient voltage on the load. This ensures that VoIP phones, wireless access points, or other Ethernet power supply devices work properly at the outlet.

Return to the screen shown in. The other four lines indicate that the connection is successful with the green check mark. The four items are DTX address, gateway, DHCP server, and DNS server. Each Green check mark indicates that the connection is successful, and the IP address of the corresponding device is behind it. You can select a specific device, such as a gateway, to view its details, as shown in Figure 5. The statistics show the number of Ping requests and the number of responses received. Other statistical information provides connection reliability and consistency information. A reliable connection with the gateway indicates that end users can access resources outside the LAN, for example, accessing the Internet.

Successful access to the Gateway provides the ability to verify the connection with the LAN external device. When an end user needs to access a specific location on the WAN or other Internet addresses, the private IP addresses of these devices can be saved in a list of common devices, these devices may include local servers, printers, or remote offices, as shown in figure 6.

You can select any device from the list. We can obtain the same statistics when testing the gateway. In the example shown, Ping "San Jose office ". Note: The average round-trip time (RTT) of the Request/return is significantly greater than the time when the gateway is pinged. It indicates that the Ping packet is sent to San Jose over the Internet and then the return time is required. The consistency between the average RTT and RTT is represented by its standard deviation-RTT Std Dev) is critical for time-sensitive applications, such as VoIP or IP video streams.

Conclusion

Although cable authentication is still a key step in installing any new link, we see that DTX-NSM provides higher levels of network visibility. In a mobile, increased, or changed environment, the link may be put into use immediately and the network capability of the socket can be proved. This provides a greater guarantee for the cabling and network owners to ensure that the network reaches its full potential. For detailed test functions of the DTX cableanzyer cable certification analyzer, visit www.flukenetworks.com.cn/seedtx/cnto view the virtual demonstration of the instrument.

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