LanScaper
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ThetestersendsoutanARPpacketdirectedtotheRouter,andneedsaresponsefromtheRouter
informingthetesteroftheRouter'sMACaddress.Duringthisphase,“ARP”willflashunderthe
“Rtr”acronym.IfnoresponseisreceivedtotheARPrequest,thetesterwillrepeattherequestat
varyingintervals(1-3seconds).NoresponsetotheARPcanmeanthattheIPaddressassignedto
theRouterisnotcorrect,theRouterisnon-functional,orthatitisnotaccessibleontheLANdueto
someotherproblem.IftheRtrconversationisselected,andtheSELbuttonpressed,thestatus
displayedis“NoARPresponse”.
OncetheRouterMACaddressisfound,theLanScaper™beginssendingICMPechorequest
(PING)packetstotheRouter.ThestatusdisplayedundertheRtracronymchangesto|withthe
Symbolbouncingbackandforthacrossthenet(|).EachtimethetestersendsaPINGrequest,
theisshownontheleftsideofthenet.Eachtimearesponseisreceived,thebouncestothe
otherside.Ifnoshowsontheright,whileitisblinkingontheleft,itmeansthatthetesteris
sending,buttheRouterisnotanswering.SelectingtheRtracronymandpressingSELtwicewill
showthepresentIPaddressfortherouteronthetoplineandthecountoftheX(transmit)andR
(receive)packets.IfnoPINGresponsehasbeenreceived,thestatusis“NoPINGResponse.”
MissingReceivepacketscanmeanthattheLANortheRouterisbusy,orthatthereissomeother
problemontheLAN.PressingtheSELbuttonagainwilldropdowntothethirdstatusscreen
whichshowsthetimebetweenthetransmissionofthelastreceivedPINGpacketanditsreception
timeonthetoplineoftheLCD,andtheaveragetimebetweentransmissionandreceptionofall
PINGpacketstotherouterinthisconversationonthebottomline.
TheTargetIPaddresscaneitherbeontheLANsegmentorremote.IftheTargetisontheLAN,the
statusoftheLanScaper™TargetconversationwillbeasdescribedfortheRouterabove.Intheoff
localsegmentcase,wherethePINGpacketsneedstobesenttotheRoutertobeforwarded,thereis
anadditionalstepnecessaryandstatusdisplayed.WhentheRouterisrequiredforTarget
conversation,thestatusshownfortheTargetis“---“whilethetesterisattemptingtocontactthe
Router.ThedetailedstatusfortheTargetis“NoRtrresponse.”InthecasewheretheTargetis
remote,andanARPresponsehasbeenreceivedfromtheRouter,theTargetPINGpacketsaresent
totheRouterwhichisexpectedtoforwardthemontotheTarget.Ifnoresponseisreturnedfrom
theTarget,possiblecausesaretheTargetcannotbereachedduetonetworkproblems,theTargetis
notresponsive,orthatthedevicethatisactiveattheIPaddressselectedfortheRouterisnota
Router,andisnotforwardingthepackets.
TheDNSconversationisonlyactivewhenPINGtestisrunintheDHCPOnmodebecausethe
DNSIPaddressisonlyavailablefromtheDHCPserver.(Notethatifknown,theDNSserverIP
addresscanbeentered asaTargetandPINGedlikeanyotherTarget.)TheDNSservercanbelocal
orremote,likeaTarget.TheDNSconversationstatusissimilartoaTargetconversationstatus.
InmostsmallLANconfigurations,theDNSserverwillbearemotedevice,andsuccessful
PINGingtoitwillverifyproperLANoperationandInternetconnectivity.
Thetesterwillshutoffautomaticallyabout15minutesafterthelastbuttonpress.Theusercanalso
terminatethetestbypressingtheCABLE,NTWRKorPWRbuttons. Inanyofthesecases,the
LanScaperwillissueaDHCPreleaserequesttotheDHCPserverwheninDHCPOnmode.This
ispreferabletosimplydisconnectingthecabletoterminatethetestbecausetheaddressassignedto
theLanScaper™willnotbeavailableforassignmenttoanotherdevice.
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