TEST & MEASUREMENT FEATURE
Saving time and money on troubleshooting
ISG Technology reports benefits beyond cost effectiveness and time saving when installing cables and network troubleshooting with the Ideal Networks handheld NaviTEK NT Pro
right VLAN to detecting the IP information or checking cable length for compliance with standards. This means less equipment is needed for efficient troubleshooting.” The tester enables ISG’s maintenance
engineers to identify faults from one place on site, rather than moving between different locations. This not only simplifies testing and
troubleshooting but saves a significant amount of time, especially on big commercial sites. With previous equipment, the tester would need to be connected both at the device end and the comms cabinet to provide the information needed. “As the tester can locate cable breaks,
I
SG Technology specialises in rapid digital transformation services with expertise in the retail, automotive, hospitality, quick service restaurant and ICT and telecoms sectors. With customers spread over large sites,
where working in tight spaces is often required, test equipment needs to be easily portable. With the potential for troubleshooting callouts to occur 24 hours a day, it is also important for network and cable test equipment to provide a fast and simple solution. “Time pressures are always a factor,”
explains Justin Hill, senior engineer at ISG Technology. “Customers want to get up and running as quick as possible and avoid downtime, and we want to get the job done as fast as we can.” To keep jobs profitable, it is important to
both maximise productivity and prevent delays on site. Managing costs is also of paramount importance, so while the company’s previous testers met many of their needs, the cost of the equipment and support was proving extremely expensive. ISG looked to find an option that performed as well, if not better, than its existing network troubleshooting testers, but at a more competitive price. This led the company to the Ideal Networks NaviTEK NT Pro.
The NaviTEK NT Pro delivers many features needed for a wide range of ISG’s cable installation and network troubleshooting services, such as port information, IP address, VLAN service detection and Power over Ethernet (PoE) tests. Ideal Networks then also ensured that the software for the tester supported all the switches that ISG’s maintenance engineers commonly need to work with. The company has purchased seven NaviTEK NT Pro testers in total, as well as fibre kit accessories. “NaviTEK NT Pro saves us time, saves us
money and makes my job a lot easier when it comes to troubleshooting,” says Hill. “There were big benefits beyond just the cost savings.” Whether working with copper or fibre
cable, NaviTEK NT Pro is a lightweight handheld tester that is easy to transport across large sites and makes working in confined spaces simple, even when operating through awkward or ceiling- based access points. “This is a more convenient and efficient alternative to network troubleshooting using a laptop or software tool,” explains Tim Widdershoven, Ideal Networks marketing director. “Plus, a single tester can meet multiple needs, from checking a device is on the
shorting pairs and incorrect wiring, we no longer have to trace the cables manually,” says Hill. “You also don’t need to plug in to both ends of the cable unless you’re doing a wiremap, which makes troubleshooting much easier. Before, our testers provided limited connectivity details, so we’d frequently need to ring up network departments in large organisations to get hold of certain information. Checking the network and making these phone calls was very time consuming but now we can get the information we need more independently which saves a lot of time.” NaviTEK NT Pro offers several features
to help boost onsite efficiency, such as the VLAN detection feature, and port and network information can be easily identified to make sure that devices are correctly configured. The troubleshooter’s cable tests also
make it simple to tell whether a device is using PoE or not, and if it is getting enough power. “The display on the NaviTEK NT Pro was
instantly better than on any of the products we have used before, with a bigger, easier to read screen,” says Hill. Using the free Ideal AnyWARE app, the
NaviTEK NT Pro also provides better reporting than other testers ISG has used in the past.
Ideal Networks
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