Following its recent acquisition of Test-Um, a provider home network test instruments, JDSU has expanded its portfolio of home networking test products with the introduction of a home network installation meter, the IVT-600, and a software management tool, dubbed Plan-Um AP [Advanced Planning].
The company says the home networking tools are designed to enable rapid deployment of broadband services such as VoIP over FTTX and digital cable networks, as well as high-bandwidth applications such as HDTV and gaming.
The IVT-600 is a home networking installation meter that handles a range of physical wiring tests to enable efficient delivery of IP-based voice, video, and data services in a home or small office. The company says the tool provides service installation and electrical contractors with the ability to analyze "test, talk, and trace" characteristics from a single unit.
The tool's test functionality verifies wiring integrity and wire mapping for both twisted pair and coaxial cables. In test mode, the IVT-600 also performs outlet identification and Ethernet verification via the testing of DHCP and ping, which helps to verify network connectivity while ensuring proper function of server operations.
In talk mode, the IVT-600 enables VoIP installation testing and subscriber line interface circuit SLIC) emulation. The unit's trace functionality provides advanced tone generation and tracing (including three different tone sounds) with the ability to trace coaxial wires through splitters.
The IVT-600 meets the home networking technology standards of both the Home Phoneline Network Alliance (HPNA) and Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA).
The company's Plan-Um AP software allows electrical contractors and broadband service installation technicians to set up simple graphical "blueprints" to plan and maintain home and small office networks. The company says the software management tool allows technicians to easily configure network floor plans, diagram and label cabling routes, and schedule and store data generated from wiring certification tests, providing the ability to easily and professionally document and record such work.
"The introduction of Plan-Um AP is a great complement to our home and small office networking test instruments, providing technicians with an easy, fast way to plan, install, and maintain home and small office networks. An excellent planning tool that speeds network cabling and broadband service installation, it stores critical test data and establishes a graphical network diagram to make future network changes or repair easier and more cost-effective to manage," explains Kevin Oliver, vice president of marketing for the cable networks business unit of JDSU's communications test and measurement group.
The company has made a special version of Plan-Um AP available for customers using Test-Um's Validator, a networking instrument for certification testing of Cat 3, Cat 5, and coaxial cables. Customers using Validator can upload and download test-related files using Plan-Um, allowing technicians to archive test results and other information for future reference.