Hardware-Based, Wire-Speed, Full-Duplex Gigabit Advanced Probes.

Troubleshoot and document local or remote gigabit segments without leaving your desk.

Network Instruments offers both Hardware and Software-based Probes to accommodate all network speeds and specific network configurations.

Cost Structure

Troubleshoot and document local or remote gigabit segments without leaving your desk

Network Instruments offers both Hardware and Software-based Probes to accommodate all network speeds and specific network configurations. Hardware-based Probes are specific to administrators that require wire-speed, full-duplex gigabit capture, analyzation, trending and statistics. Software-based Probes are appropriate for network speeds up to 100 MB (Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI and 802.11b
Wireless) and are a good solution for monitoring low utilization gigabit networks via a TAP port on a switch.

Hardware-Based Advanced Probes
Gigabit Observer Advanced Probes offer wire-speed, full-duplex, gigabit analysis and reporting capabilities to any Expert Observer or Observer Suite console.

Gigabit Observer Probes combine high performance gigabit analysis with the very best price/performance ratio in the industry.

Gigabit Observer Probes comes in two formats - the Gigabit Probe Kit and the 19" rack-mountable complete Probe. Each option has been designed to give the administrator flexibility in implementation and performance. Both Probes functionality include full-duplex, wire-speed gigabit analysis for optical (fiber) SX or LX and copper gigabit networks.

Probes include splitters that provide a copy of the gigabit signal while maintaining the gigabit signal through the network connection. Once a splitter is added to the gigabit connection the Probe can be attached or removed without interruption of the network.

The hardware that drives Gigabit Observer Probes is based around a dual receive gigabit adapter Network Instruments manufactures specifically for the purpose of wire-speed, full-duplex network analysis. The software that drives Gigabit Observer is based in the Windows 2000/XP environment and integrates perfectly with all security and policy based schemes that may be in place. No need to learn a new operating system or to try and integrate some foreign operating system into your network - if you know how to administer Windows, you already know how to work with Network Instruments' hardware.

The Hardware-Based Gigabit Observer Probe comes in two formats:

1. The Gigabit Probe Kit (for local or remote use). The Probe Kit includes Network Instruments' 64-bit PCI gigabit adapter, the Gigabit Probe software, as well as all required cabling and either an optical or copper splitter. The Gigabit Probe Kit is designed to be installed into a user provided Intel system (requirements described below). Once integrated into a system, the Gigabit Probe will report to any Expert Observer or Observer Suite console. Each Probe Kit can monitor one gigabit segment or link. The Gigabit Probe Kit includes a 10/100 Ethernet adapter link for communication to the Observer console.

2. A 19" 4U Rack-Mountable Complete Probe (for local or remote use). The rack-mount Probe integrates the Probe Kit (see above) into an industry standard dual processor rack system completely configured and ready for wire-speed, full-duplex analysis. The rack-mountable system runs Windows 2000 Professional and the Gigabit Probe software. The rack-mount Probe will report to any Expert Observer or Observer Suite console. Each Rack-Mount Probe can monitor one gigabit segment or link.

System Requirements
Gigabit Probe Kit: For wire-speed analysis, a dual processor Pentium III or 4 based system running at 1.2 Ghz (or more) with a free 64-bit PCI slot (66 Mhz slot 64-bit bus speed), a free 32-bit PCI slot (for the 10/100 adapter), 512MB RAM, 20 GB HD, CD Drive, keyboard and mouse and Windows 2000/XP. Once installed into the above described PC, the Gigabit Probe Kit will report to any Expert Observer of Observer Suite console (at least one console is required for analysis).

19" Rack-Mount Probe: The rack-mount Probe is a complete system, and only requires a Expert Observer or Observer Suite console to report to.