Some of our customers have commented on the lack of an Ethernet test port on the AirCheck G3. While a useful feature, the decision to leave that capability off AirCheck G3 was driven by the following factors:
• The Ethernet test port was left off for space (both board space and package size), power, cost, and cooling reasons.
• The elimination of the Ethernet port is what has allowed us to create a Wi-Fi analyzer with 10 hours of use time – feedback from our beta customers and others about the trade-off (“Would you rather have 10 hours of usage or 3-4 hours with Ethernet testing?” invariably, the answer is, “Yes, please give us more testing time.”
• We choose to go with the 2nd Wi-Fi radio as the management port since this is a Wi-Fi tester and the convenience of the Wi-Fi connected management plane allows scanning while uploading data or when using remote control. Our focus is on complete mobile operation.
SOLUTION
While most AirCheck G2 users operate in installed Wi-Fi environments and are not using/testing wired connections, we recognize that at certain project phases or in confirming network configuration, testing AP uplinks is still a necessary function. We also recognize that any change in functionality between product generations (e.g., the EtherScope nXG does not do inline testing compared to its predecessor, the OneTouch G2) will affect some users, we have identified 3 solutions:
1. For the case of uploading test data at sites without any Wi-Fi or hotspot, the current G3 supports any USB (Type A) Ethernet adapter. These are quite popular (dozens for $15 USD) because newer laptops also do not support wired Ethernet, nor do tablets/gaming stations. In addition to providing a wired management plane for pushing results to Link-Live or for remote operation, this also provides ‘basic’ connectivity testing as you will see Link/Traffic LEDs on the adapter and the G3 will show the wired IP address – see image below. (In many cases, the IP address provides the user an indication of what VLAN the port is a member of.)
2. In our December v2.2 release for AirCheck G3, we added the ability to ‘pair’ a LinkSprinter® or Test Accessory to an AirCheck G3 via Link-Live. Anytime a wired test is run from the paired tester (on a link with connectivity to Link-Live), the results will be automatically pushed from Link-Live back to the AirCheck where they will be displayed – think of it as a display on the LinkSprinter or Test Accessory when the LEDs do not provide enough information.
3. We have identified a new 2.5GBASE-T USB Ethernet dongle that we are investigating for future support of testing newer 6/6E wired AP connections.
See below for example of Ethernet link IP address when using a USB adapter:
Below, see configuration of Link-Live for pairing LinkSprinter or Test Accessory to an AirCheck G3. Test results are pushed to the tester from Link-Live and can be seen in the Android notifications drop-down.
