Control Network Newsletter
New Skorpion 5-port Diagnostic Switch Supports Gigabit Speed When Using Wireshark®
July 2012 - Contemporary Controls announced that the popular Skorpion Diagnostic Switch Series now has a Gigabit Etfhernet (GigE) model that allows users to conduct protocol analysis on automation systems regardless of network speed. Skorpion Diagnostic Switches retain all the features of an unmanaged switch but perform like a repeating hub where all received messages are flooded to all other ports. This allows a sniffer tool attached to an unused port on the switch the opportunity to observe all traffic on the network without the expense of a mirror-port on a managed switch. Diagnostic switches are ideal for PlugFests or for troubleshooting tough network problems in the field.
Skorpion Diagnostic Switches retain all the virtues of switched Ethernet technology (including Auto-MDIX and auto-negotiation) but with one exception – no address learning. Thus, all messages (directed, multicast, and broadcast) are flooded to all switch ports so that network sniffers such as Wireshark® can observe all network traffic that passes through the switch.
The switch can be permanently installed or carried from one site to another. It can be used for control panel installations if users need the ability to diagnose problems in the field. It can also be used in a development environment when debugging code.
The Wireshark.org website claims that Wireshark is the world's foremost network protocol analyzer. It lets you capture and interactively browse the traffic running on a computer network. It supports hundreds of protocols including BACnet thanks to the numerous individuals who support the Wireshark open-source application.
"The Skorpion Diagnostic Switch has been very popular, especially at PlugFests when testing interoperability is so critical," said Bennet Levine, R&D manager at Contemporary Controls. "Adding the GigE model makes an already popular product even more versatile."
Visit the Skorpion Diagnostic Switch product page to learn more about the new EISK5-GT/H.
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