Fluke for less

December 5, 2007 12:00 PM

Is there software that can give a computer the capabilites of a Fluke type device? I've used Fluke Etherscope devices in the past and they are a terrific network troubleshooting tool but they are expensive. I am mostly interested in the cable testing/verifaction functions.

I would like to create a laptop that has the same functionality. Since the Flukes are just small Linux machines, I would assume it would possible. Some of the functions can be done using existing software but I cant find anything to do cable verification and tone generation. My ultimate goal would be to take an Asus Eee PC with the software as my network diag tool.

posted by nivekraz to computers & internet (3 comments total)

The Fluke devices might run Linux, but they are not "just" Linux machines. Testing network lines takes dedicated hardware of the sort that cannot practically be built into normal network cards (it would make them very expensive, and 99% of people would never use the features).

So, the reason you can't find software to do cable verification and tone generation is because it simply cannot be done in software, unless you have the appropriate hardware to go with it. Like a Fluke device.

You can, of course, get a cable tester for $100 or so that will simply verify that the wires are (1) connected, and (2) connected in the proper order. But it won't tell you anything about the quality of the wire or the signal it can carry.
posted by CrayDrygu at 12:36 PM on December 5, 2007

This is basically what computer data acquisition (or DAQ) is all about. You may have to do a little coding or scripting, but offerings from companies like LabJack, or National Instruments are exactly what you want to look at.
posted by fatllama at 1:48 PM on December 5, 2007

MTR?
posted by Orb2069 at 7:03 AM on December 6, 2007