Running a LANBERT Test

Before You Begin

  • Identify the cable or channel path that you want to test. (Note that LANBERT uses Ethernet frames to test LAN pathways, including copper or fiber cables. It cannot function on wide-area networks or devices that use IP addresses to route traffic.)

  • Plug one end of the LAN cable into the LR 10G Wired Test Port.

  • Set up a loopback device at the other end of the LAN pathway to relay the received Ethernet frames back to the LANBERT generator. This device can be:

    • A physical loopback device for either copper or fiber media.

    • An Ethernet switch with a loopback feature. (Consult the manufacturer's documentation for instructions on setting up the loop.)

    • A NetAlly wired tester with the LANBERT application running as the LANBERT Loopback. (Either device can function as the loopback relay and can collect data at the endpoint of the test.) See LANBERT Settings for instructions on setting up the loopback settings.

      NOTE: The Loopback mode is designed to stop whenever the LANBERT app is not displayed on the screen. If you plan to run a long test, make sure that the loopback unit is plugged into its AC power supply and that you have turned off the sleep function (go to system Settings, tap Display > Sleep > Never).

Run the Test

You can set up and start either the LANBERT generator or the LANBERT loopback unit first. This procedure starts with the generator.

  1. On the Tester unit, open the LANBERT application.

  2. Tap the START button.

    The Status shows the current activity:

    • Linking: the devices are setting up a connection.

    • Waiting for loopback: the generator is waiting for a response from the loopback device.

  3. On a NetAlly wired tester being used as the loopback unit:

    1. Open the LANBERT application.

    2. Tap on the top left menu icon and tap on LANBERT Loopback.

    3. Tap the START button.

    4. The Status changes to Linking as the connection is set up with the LANBERT generator.

  4. Verify that the Status changes to Running.

    • Test status, frame information, a graph of errored frames are displayed. Multi-gigabit details are also displayed when an RJ-45 line is connected to the Wired Test Port and the link speed is 2.5G, 5G, or 10G.

    • To pan and zoom on the graphs, you can swipe, double tap, and move the slider. See the Trending Graphs topic for an overview of the graph controls.

  5. Let the test run to completion. The Status shows the test result (Success or Failure) and may display additional information, such as not connecting at the fastest advertised speed.

About LANBERT Results

  • The color of the LANBERT icon indicates success or failure (green for success, red for failure).

  • The first line below the icon displays information about the connection including:

    • Connector type

    • Speed (in bold). Other speeds shown as grayed out values are the ones that were advertised by the link partner but not selected. See the Wired Link Test Results for more info about advertised speeds.

    • Half versus full duplex ability.

    The following example below shows a successful test for an RJ-45 connector that transmitted frames at 10 Gbps at full duplex.

    The following example shows an unsuccessful test for an RJ-45 connector that transmitted frames at 100 Mbps at full duplex.

  • SFP details are shown when using a fiber connection. These include: 

    • Wavelength

    • Temperature

    • Voltage

    • Tx Bias Current

    • Tx Power

    • Rx Power

    • Rx Reference Power

    • Power Loss

    • SET REFERENCE button (displayed only while test is running): Latches the Rx Reference Power value to the current Rx Power value.

    • CLEAR REFERENCE button (displayed only while test is running): Clears the Rx Reference Power value.

      NOTE: The LANBERT generator and LANBERT Loopback both use the same reference power value. This reference power is reset or cleared on a power cycle.

  • Loss figures display after the test ends.

  • Severe Loss Seconds occur when the LANBERT generator detects ≥ 1% frame loss for one second.

Uploading Results to Link-Live

To send your LANBERT results to the Link-Live website, tap the action overflow button at the top right of the LANBERT screen, and then tap Upload to Link-Live or Upload graphs to Link-Live (which includes the data graphs with the upload).

The Link-Live sharing screen opens. From there, you can also attach comments to the LANBERT results. The results are displayed on the Results page on Link-Live.com.