On April 24, we’ll be hosting a webinar where we will be discussing NetBeez Release 14.1. In this webinar, we will provide an overview of the new features in release 14.1, as well as a live demonstration of how to use them to monitor and troubleshoot network issues. The two main new features in version 14.0 were WiFi6 and monitoring conditions. In 14.1 we are adding two more monitoring condition options but the main features will be support for IPv6 Ping and Scheduled Test Alerts. Let’s look into the details.
Monitoring Conditions with Ping and Interface Status
The concept of monitoring conditions enables users to establish automated execution or pause of tests performed by a remote worker agent (RWA). This is achieved through the utilization of conditional logic, which allows users to define specific criteria that must be met before a test is executed.
A monitoring condition example is as follows:
- If:
- The user can resolve google.com using the DNS server 10.10.2.10.
- The user is connected to the SSID “Acme.”
- Then:
- Run an HTTP test to the Acme CRM system.
This monitoring condition ensures that the HTTP test to the Acme CRM system is only executed if both of the specified conditions are met. This approach allows users to ensure that the test is executed only when the necessary conditions are satisfied, thereby optimizing the testing process and reducing unnecessary test executions and false positive alerting.
In Release 14.0 the monitoring condition predicates included DNS lookup, VPN status, and connected SSID. In 14.1 we are adding two more predicates:
- Ping host: you can add an FQDN or IP to be pinged:
- Interface Subnet: specify a subnet for a wired or wireless interface:
With these additions, you can be even more fine-grained in determining when tests run or not based on a user’s location or network.
IPv6 Ping
The latest version of NetBeez introduces support for IPv6 Ping. By default, NetBeez uses IPv4 for ping tests, but it will automatically switch to IPv6 if only IPv6 is available on the target host. Additionally, there is an option to force IPv6 to be used even if IPv4 is available. This can be useful for testing IPv6-only networks or for troubleshooting IPv6 connectivity issues.
Scheduled Test Alerts
The most notable feature in version 14.1 is the introduction of Scheduled Test Alerts. Previously, users could only receive alerts for events related to Ping, DNS, HTTP, or Traceroute tests. However, for scheduled tests such as iPerf, Speedtest, and VoIP, the option to create alerts based on historical baselines or failed tests was unavailable. Similar to existing alerts, users can now create alerting conditions. For instance, users can specify that they wish to receive notifications in their inbox if three consecutive Speedtests show download and upload values lower than 0.2 times the baseline.
The process of setting up Scheduled Test Alerts is as follows:
A new option we added for scheduled tests is three running modes:
- Parallel
- Serialized
- Randomized
Consider a scenario where you have scheduled a speed test to run on 100 user laptops at 4:00 PM. If all those laptops are in the office and the speed tests are run simultaneously, it could result in significant network traffic at that specific time every day. To prevent this, you can opt for either the serialized or randomized option. In the serialized approach, the speed tests will be executed one after the other, while in the randomized approach, the order of execution will be randomized. Both options will distribute the speed tests within a two-hour time window to alleviate the impact on network traffic. Comment end
In conclusion, NetBeez Release 14.1 brings several exciting new features that enhance the network monitoring capabilities of the platform. The addition of monitoring conditions with Ping and interface status provides greater flexibility in defining when tests should be executed. Support for IPv6 Ping allows users to test IPv6-only networks and troubleshoot IPv6 connectivity issues. And the introduction of Scheduled Test Alerts enables users to receive notifications for scheduled tests such as iPerf, Speedtest, and VoIP based on historical baselines or failed tests.
To learn more about these new features and how they can benefit your organization, please join us for our upcoming webinar on April 24th at 2:00pm EST. Register here!
