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LinkRunner pros and cons

Vendor: NetAlly
4.3 out of 5
Badge Leader
164 followers
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Pros & Cons summary

The AutoTest feature of LinkRunner automatically starts testing after setup, beneficial for single users. It offers LLDP decoding with detailed port descriptions, and the ability to pause tests for verifying connectivity. Cloud storage aids in managing network changes, and VLAN testing accelerates troubleshooting. However, it has a slow boot time, lacks tone and packet viewing capabilities, has short battery life, and restricts firmware updates to AllyCare contracts.

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Prominent pros & cons

PROS

AutoTest feature facilitates solo testing operations, allowing efficient setup and immediate testing processes.
LLDP decoding capabilities exceed those of other devices, enhancing port identification and network troubleshooting.
Network validation and configuration for both copper and fiber Ethernet are greatly simplified, enhancing efficiency and effectiveness.
Investigative capabilities are expanded with features like end-to-end testing and VLAN testing, saving time and resources in network troubleshooting.
Direct result sharing via email enables effective documentation and easier management of network infrastructure details.

CONS

LinkRunner takes a while to boot up, which can be frustrating for users.
It lacks the ability to send a tone down the cable, requiring an additional tool.
The device is somewhat bulky, and a smaller form factor would be preferred.
Battery life is limited, needing to be charged frequently for back-to-back shifts.
Firmware updates are restricted without an AllyCare contract, reducing its usefulness.
 

LinkRunner Pros review quotes

BAI QING - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 21, 2022
LinkRunner 10G is very handy for onsite troubleshooting and implementations. We can quickly identify the links in terms of 1G, 2.5G, 5G, and 10G on the copper side, and also from 1G up to 10G on the fiber side. It is very handy for me because we deal with a lot of banks. Especially for the provisioning of new services, we use this tool to identify the link capacity and do the necessary testing to ensure all the circuits are ready before the handover to the next team to operate the technology. This is something that saves a lot of time as compared to the old days.
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Jesse_B - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 30, 2022
I've found the VLAN test feature to be most valuable. That's because not many devices do VLAN tests. Normally, I have to send a center technician to check a line and see if it's alive. If it's working, then I have to send a network technician out to log into a switch and see which port it's on and on which VLAN that port is. That's two persons and two separate visits. This device does all of this in a matter of seconds, and that has saved me a lot of time, troubleshooting, and resources.
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SK
Feb 12, 2024
The solution's ability to simplify network validation and configuration of copper and fiber Ethernet networks is very useful to me. Otherwise, I’m guessing. Having a tool that I can trust doesn't solve all problems, but for the problems it solves, I can trust that it has told me “yes” or “no.” I would rate it highly for that.
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LinkRunner
October 2024
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ManuelGuerrero - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 8, 2022
In terms of documenting ad hoc additions and other changes to wired ethernet connections, this product is very good. It keeps the information in the cloud and I have the ability to name it. This makes it very nice and easy to see.
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BL
Jun 29, 2022
It provides a way to test 10Gig connectivity. Previously, we had to hook up a switch. That was our only way. Now, with LinkRunner, we can test on the fly if an SFP is bad or if the switch has the right configuration on it.
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Mike Robinson - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 16, 2022
I like the fact that I can tell the equipment to stop at a certain point during the test of a cable, to see whether or not there is basic connectivity. I can stop it before it starts pinging the outside world, such as Google or, perhaps, our core network switch. Those basic results—do I have a basic connection and power—finish up fast and I can move on.
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RV
Mar 10, 2022
AutoTest is very helpful. It's very streamlined and it's very easy to set up and very easy to identify what we want to achieve. It's probably the feature we use the most. It provides us with LLTD, which is very useful.
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Bruce Hall - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 7, 2022
The LLDP decoding is better than on some of the other devices that we've used. Specifically, it goes beyond the minimum of the LLDP data to decode, and it shows the LLDP port descriptions. That makes it vastly simpler to identify which port you're connecting to on a switch that's patched back to some other building, rather than having to figure out an SNMP index or something else.
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Robin Puliparambil - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 26, 2024
Performance testing is the most valuable feature. It gives a brief summary of the information we're looking at, such as latency, jitter, and the available throughput.
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JT
Jun 21, 2022
The auto-test feature is vital and does 90 percent of what I need on its own. It's fast and I can get there in just a few clicks. It does a good job and tells me everything I need to know. LinkRunner works pretty quickly and always seems to be accurate.
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Show 6 more reviews (out of 16)
 

LinkRunner Cons review quotes

BAI QING - PeerSpot reviewer
Jun 21, 2022
It is a great tool, but in the long-term, they can make its processor more powerful to do more functions. They can upgrade the hardware to make it run faster and more efficiently from the process point of view. That'll be beneficial because the technology is evolving and the network traffic is going higher and higher. We have to leverage better spec products to handle the traffic load.
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Jesse_B - PeerSpot reviewer
Oct 30, 2022
One of the things I'd like to see in future versions of LinkRunner is a wireless dongle embedded into the product so that I don't need to have a separate wireless dongle. It should be built into that.
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SK
Feb 12, 2024
It is very stable. That being said, there is one feature that is not quite as stable as the rest of the product. You can leave it plugged into a location where you're doing some work and connect to it remotely by a program called VNC... sometimes that function breaks down, if you've been running for a couple of days... if you're remotely controlling it, you're probably not right next to it. That can be modestly annoying.
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LinkRunner
October 2024
Free Report: LinkRunner Reviews and More
Learn what your peers think about LinkRunner. Get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions. Updated: October 2024.
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814,649 professionals have used our research since 2012.
ManuelGuerrero - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 8, 2022
Unlike using an application like Wireshark, this device gives us no way to see network packets specifically to look at what's going on. It doesn't have the capability.
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BL
Jun 29, 2022
It doesn't turn off automatically, but the toning function goes to sleep. It seems to stop toning after five or six minutes if you don't find the cable. It could be up to ten minutes, but if you don't find the cable that you're trying to tone quick enough, you'll have to go back and restart the tone. So, it doesn't turn itself off, but while toning, it turns itself off.
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Mike Robinson - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 16, 2022
A feature that I would like to see is the ability to send a tone down the cable. That would be great. I have to use a separate tool for that. If I'm trying to troubleshoot a cable that is not plugged into a network switch, I need the ability to tone.
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RV
Mar 10, 2022
It's a bit bulky. It would be nicer if it were a little bit smaller and packed with all its features. I would also like it if the screen were a bit bigger.
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Bruce Hall - PeerSpot reviewer
Mar 7, 2022
It does take a little while to boot up if it's turned off.
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Robin Puliparambil - PeerSpot reviewer
Jan 26, 2024
I wish they had software that could create continuous streams of traffic. I'm not sure if that's possible with LinkRunner, but it would be very helpful in some of the test case scenarios that clients are looking for, in regards to quality of service
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JT
Jun 21, 2022
It runs tests quickly, but it takes a while to boot up. It's somewhat disappointing that LinkRunner takes some time to turn on. When I arrive in the space, I usually spend the first two minutes waiting.
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Show 5 more reviews (out of 15)

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