Network test instrument

Abstract

A method and apparatus (e.g., network test instrument) for presenting network device diagnostic information in which a listing of network devices discovered via a first network connection (e.g., wirelessly—802.11) to a test network is presented in a GUI of a network diagnostic instrument. Acquired network diagnostic information for a network device selected from the listing of network devices is then presented in the GUI wherein the presented network diagnostic information is acquired via the first network connection (e.g., wirelessly—802.11). Indication (and a link thereto) is provided in the GUI indicating network diagnostic information for the selected network device was also acquired via a second network connection to the test network (e.g., via a wired connection—802.3).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for presenting network diagnostic information for network devices in a test network comprising:
 presenting in a GUI of a network test instrument acquired network diagnostic information for a network device wherein the presented network diagnostic information is acquired via a first network connection with the network test instrument;   providing indication in the GUI that network diagnostic information for the network device was also acquired via a second network connection with the network test instrument, and   wherein the first network connection is one of the wired and wireless connections to the test network and the second network connection is the other one of the wired and wireless connection between the test network and the network test instrument.   
     
     
         2 . The method recited in  claim 1  further including:
 presenting in a GUI of a network diagnostic instrument a listing of network devices discovered via a first network connection to the test network; and 
 determining if network diagnostic information for a device selected from the listing of network devices was acquired via the second network connection when the device is selected from the listing of network devices discovered via the first connection method. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method as recited in  claim 2  further including presenting in the GUI acquired network diagnostic information for a network device selected from the listing of network devices wherein the presented network diagnostic information is acquired via the second network connection upon selection of the indication in the GUI that network diagnostic information for the selected network device was also acquired via a second network connection. 
     
     
         4 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the wireless connection comprises IEEE 802.11 over-the-air modulation techniques for connecting the network diagnostic instrument to the network devices and the wired connecting comprises IEEE 802.3 physical connection techniques for connecting the network diagnostic instrument to the network devices. 
     
     
         5 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein at least of portion of the network diagnostic information acquired via the second network connection is different than that acquired via the first network connection for a selected network device 
     
     
         6 . The method as recited in  claim 4  wherein the acquired network diagnostic information for the wireless connection comprises Wi-Fi captured layer 1 and layer 2 information. 
     
     
         7 . The method as recited in  claim 4  wherein the acquired network diagnostic information for the wired connection comprises wired captured layer 2 and layer 3 information. 
     
     
         8 . The method as recited in  claim 1  wherein the network diagnostic test instrument comprises:
 a first memory location for storing network device information acquired via the wireless connection between the network diagnostic instrument and each network device; and 
 a second memory location for storing network device information acquired via the wired connection between the network diagnostic instrument and each network device. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method as recited in  claim 8 , wherein each network device is identified in both the first and second memory location according to a same device MAC address. 
     
     
         10 . The method as recited in  claim 1  the diagnostic information of a network device includes at least one of a power over Ethernet (PoE) voltage, a test network connection speed and duplex, a nearest switch and port identification, a dynamic host configuration protocol (DHCP) address, a response time of gateway tests, and a response time of server connectivity tests. 
     
     
         11 . An apparatus having a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for acquiring network device information from both a wired and wireless connection to network devices in a test network comprising:
 at least one network port for establishing a wired connection to the network devices of the test network;   at least one wireless network interface for establishing a wireless connection to the network devices of the test network;   a processor coupled to the network port and wireless network interface, the processor adapted to execute one or more processes; and   a memory configured to store a instructions executable by the processor, the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:
 present in the GUI acquired network diagnostic information for a network device selected from a listing of network devices wherein the indicated network diagnostic information is acquired via a first network connection; and 
 provide indication in the GUI that network diagnostic information for the selected network device was also acquired via a second network connection between the apparatus and the test network wherein the first network connection is one of the wired and wireless connections to the test network and the second network connection is the other one of the wired and wireless connections to the test network. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus recited in  claim 11  further including instructions for causing the processor to determine if network diagnostic information for the selected device was acquired via the second network connection when the network device is selected from the listing of network devices discovered via the first connection method. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus recited in  claim 12  further including instructions for causing the processor to indicate in the GUI acquired network diagnostic information for a network device selected from the listing of network devices wherein the indicated network diagnostic information is acquired via the second network connection upon selection of the indication presented in the GUI that network diagnostic information for the selected network device was also acquired via a second network connection. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus recited in  claim 11  wherein the wireless connection comprises IEEE 802.11 over-the-air modulation techniques for connecting the apparatus to the test network and the wired connection comprises IEEE 802.3 physical connection techniques for connecting the network diagnostic instrument to the network devices. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus recited in  claim 11  wherein at least of portion of the network diagnostic information acquired via the second network connection is different than that acquired via the first network connection for a selected network device. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus recited in  claim 14  wherein the acquired network diagnostic information from the wireless connection comprises Wi-Fi captured layer 1 and layer 2 information. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus recited in  claim 16  wherein the acquired network diagnostic information from the wired connection comprises wired captured layer 2 and layer 3 information. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus recited in  claim 17  wherein the network diagnostic test instrument comprises:
 a first memory location for storing network device information acquired via the wireless connection between the network diagnostic instrument and each network device; and 
 a second memory location for storing network device information acquired via the wired connection between the network diagnostic instrument and each network device. 
 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus recited in  claim 18 , wherein a network device is identified in both the first and second memory according to a same device MAC address. 
     
     
         20 . A graphical user interface for a test instrument, comprising:
 a graphical display having a touchscreen interface;   a listing of network devices on the graphical display indicating each network device has network device diagnostic information acquired via a first network connection to the network device;   an indicator on the graphical display indicating that network device diagnostic information for a selected network device from the listing of network devices was also acquired via a second network connection to the selected network device the first network connection is one of a wired and wireless connections to the selected network device and the second network connection is the other one of the wired and wireless connections to the selected network device.