HP Introduces Industry's First Portable Gigabit Ethernet Protocol Analyzer; Internet Advisor Leads Data-communications Market with a Portable, Dual-port Gigabit Ethernet Protocol Analyzer.

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 6, 1997--To help Gigabit Ethernet developers and trouble-shooters at the forefront of network development and deployment, Hewlett-Packard Company today introduces a comprehensive Gigabit Ethernet test capability for its HP Internet Advisor protocol analyzer. The announcement was made here at the Networld+Interop show, which runs through May 8.

"We expect HP's aggressive strategy of providing early gigabit-analysis tools will help accelerate the development and deployment of gigabit technologies," said Nathan Walker, product line manager for Gigabit Ethernet Solutions at Cisco Systems Inc. and vice chairman of the Gigabit Ethernet Alliance. "Its early entry into this part of the market will benefit users requiring a smooth and immediate transition to higher-speed links beyond Fast Ethernet."

CAPTURING AND ANALYZING ALL NETWORK DATA

By using multiple Gigabit Ethernet media-access-control (MAC) chips from Cisco Systems with HP's custom hardware, the HP Internet Advisor captures all data present on a Gigabit Ethernet segment -- up to 2 gigabits per second (Gb/s) for full-duplex links -- providing a capability that is essential for analyzing complex networking problems.

"In addition to capturing all the data on a Gigabit Ethernet link, the HP Internet Advisor has the expert analysis capability to make the information useful in the real world," said John McConnell, president of McConnell Consulting, Inc., a Boulder, Colo.-based research firm. "Without expert analysis, having millions of frames in a buffer is next to useless."

The Gigabit Ethernet capability in the HP Internet Advisor includes features that facilitate high-speed testing including the following:

--16-nanosecond hardware time stamp;

--comprehensive hardware filters and triggers; and

--statistical information for errors, frames and

protocols, which are accurate at full wire rate.

"HP Internet Advisor's gigabit interface illustrates our commitment to addressing our customers' analysis needs, when they need it," said Rick Pearson, operations manager for HP's Communications Measurements Division. "Using Cisco's gigabit MAC chip in our design helps accelerate our time to market with a state-of-the-art, industry-standard product."

WIRE-RATE TRAFFIC GENERATION

For stress-testing of Gigabit Ethernet devices, the traffic-generation capability of the Internet Advisor can transmit data at more than 1.48 million frames per second for 64-byte frames. An intuitive Windows(R) 95 user interface allows users to specify frame rate, percent utilization, bad/good frame-check sequence, number of frames to transmit and transmit-time duration. Other parameters, including frame size, and MAC and OSI Layer 3 addresses, can be specified or programmed to change incrementally or randomly.

To automate performance testing of Gigabit Ethernet switches, a performance test suite based on the IETF (Internet Engineering Task Force) RFC 1944 is available for characterizing the throughput and latency of interconnect devices.

ABOUT THE INTERNET ADVISOR

The HP Internet Advisor is a portable, full-featured network-analysis solution that allows users to design, install, support and maintain local area and wide area networks in addition to asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) networks by providing features that make troubleshooting any network segment quick and easy. It constantly monitors traffic on Gigabit Ethernet, as well as other legacy and high-speed networks, and distills meaningful diagnostic information from extensive data.

The modular design of the HP Internet Advisor hardware and software allows for regular upgrades and enhancements. A software-update subscription service helps ensure that HP Internet Advisor customers receive the latest test capability available from HP.

U.S. PRICING AND AVAILABILITY

The Gigabit Ethernet undercradle (HP J2901A) for the HP Internet Advisor is expected to be available for customer orders in the third quarter of calendar 1997, with product shipments slated for the fourth quarter. HP expects the undercradle to be priced under $30,000. The HP J2899A+UAF software-upgrade and subscription service is available now for $1,800.

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and Intranet solutions, services, communications products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 112,800 employees and had revenue of $38.4 billion in its 1996 fiscal year.

Information about HP Internet Advisor products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com/go/internetadvisor .

Information about products from HP's Test and Measurement Organization can be obtained on the World Wide Web via http://www.hp.com/go/tmnews . -0-

Windows is a U.S. registered trademark of Microsoft Corp. -0-

NOTE TO THE EDITOR: Sales information may be obtained by calling 1-800-452-4844 ext. 5347. Please do NOT use editor-contact or corporate telephone numbers for sales information.

Information in this release applies specifically to products available in the United States. Product availability and specifications may vary in non-U.S. markets.

If you choose to review this item, your readers will receive the quickest response to their inquiries by mailing them to Hewlett-Packard Company, Test and Measurement Organization, P.O. Box 50637, Palo Alto, Calif. 94303-9512.

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