LinkRunner AT Network AutoTester vs. Spiceworks Connectivity Dashboard

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.

Incentivized

hassle free of IT resources is plus point. Monitoring the external resources related to Websites, service provider links or any hosted applications is a great feature in Spiceworks Connectivity Dashboard. Alert reporting on monitored resources is at ease. Integration with custom devices needs to be improved. devices integrated with snmp protocol is not reported with full details which needs to be rectified by Spiceworks Connectivity Dashboard.

Incentivized

• 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.

Incentivized

• Monitoring Applications
• External resources monitoring related to ISP
• Alerting mechanism via email and dashboard monitoring

Incentivized

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

• Integration with custom devices needs to be improved
• providing more insight of device is required when added to monitoring list
• the feel and look of dashboard needs some improvement
• Agent is resource hungry, to be made light weight for systems

Incentivized

The network tester is one of the easest devices I have ever used. It does have capabilities that other testers simply don't have. Being able to identify the switch port it is plugged into, the address of the switch, the switch name, along with the VLAN has helped on so many occasions

I feel that the LinkRunner autotester is just a simple device with an extremely easy to use and understand interface. It does the job that is required without the need of a bunch of additonal bloat that is never used. I find it to be the best tester on the market.

Spiceworks Network Monitor being a free tool, can easily be overtaken against any other product which is cost involved and most of the features are available which are provided by any leading network monitoring tool available in the market. Few of the features which are not present in spiceworks tool (like autodiscovery of resources) needs to be added which will give a great competition for the product. Alerting features, response tickets, sending alerts via email is one of the great features in the product

Incentivized

• Saves time which saves money
• Allows for us to identify where issues are quickly and who the issue belongs too.
• Testing cables has been much easier.

• if on premises cannot be deployed on Linux environment which needs windows license requirement
• competitive price makes easy for decision
• lacking in auto discovery of devices is the most negative point for ROI

Incentivized