IxNetwork VE vs NetAlly EtherScope nXG comparison

Keysight Technologies and NetAlly are both solutions in the Network Diagnostics category. Keysight Technologies is ranked #1, while NetAlly is ranked #2 with an average rating of 8.5. Keysight Technologies holds a 17.0% mindshare in ND, compared to NetAlly’s 5.8% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of NetAlly users are willing to recommend the solution.

IxNetwork VE

Read 1 IxNetwork VE review

441 Views
437 Comparison Views

0% willing to recommend

NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Read 23 NetAlly EtherScope nXG reviews

1,376 Views
206 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

IxNetwork VE

NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive Summary

We performed a comparison between IxNetwork VE and NetAlly EtherScope nXG based on real PeerSpot user reviews.

Find out what your peers are saying about Keysight Technologies, NetAlly, Riverbed and others in Network Diagnostics.

To learn more, read our detailed Network Diagnostics Report (Updated: February 2026).

Buyer's Guide

Network Diagnostics

February 2026

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Helped 881,733 peers since 2012

Review summaries and opinions

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Categories and Ranking

IxNetwork VE

Ranking in Network Diagnostics

1st

Average Rating

0.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.4

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

No ranking in other categories

NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Ranking in Network Diagnostics

2nd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Troubleshooting (3rd)

Mindshare comparison

As of February 2026, in the Network Diagnostics category, the mindshare of IxNetwork VE is 17.0%, down from 31.7% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of NetAlly EtherScope nXG is 5.8%, down from 8.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Diagnostics Market Share Distribution
Product	Market Share (%)
IxNetwork VE	17.0%
NetAlly EtherScope nXG	5.8%
Other	77.2%

Network Diagnostics

Featured Reviews

WilsonAitan

Deputy Country Manager at PT Securite Asia Indonesia (ABP Securite)

Reduces probe solution costs with advanced deduplication and metadata capabilities

The use case for this tool is generally for enterprise customers who have more than two monitoring tools. These customers obtain information from switches that have a limitation of up to two-point mirroring or span ports. Therefore, if I have more than two monitoring tools, I need a network packet…

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Doug Dickerson

Manager at Northwestern

Handheld form factor, intuitive interface that is easy to use, helps us quickly troubleshoot network problems

It would be helpful if this product interfaced with AirWave. The battery life should be improved. The real negative to the product is the horrible battery life. We had hoped for it to be able to deliver configurations to our network switches, and I think they're developing something for that. However, it doesn't do that now. We were hoping that we would, as we replace or refresh network components, be able to use this tool to push a config file to the switch. For example, the Aruba switches that we're deploying come with a Bluetooth function where we can push configs from our phones. It would be much more convenient to use this device, rather than using our personal cell phones to do it. I think that the capability is there, but it just hasn't been figured out yet.

Read full review

Quotes from Members

We asked business professionals to review the solutions they use. Here are some excerpts of what they said:

Pros

"The most valuable features for me include deduplication, metadata processing, and the ability to perform media services."

"I would recommend IxNetwork VE to others."

"The most valuable part is absolutely being able to assess existing WiFi networks quickly. You get very powerful details of networks, details that you couldn't see unless you had multiple pieces of software and hardware. This does it all in one thing."

"One of the key measurements that we use out of the device is the channel utilization measurement, how much traffic is on the air in a given channel. That's the most valuable feature for us. The ability to make a very fast measurement of how much traffic is on the air is a key value. Otherwise we'd have to do a packet capture and do some analysis. It speeds up our testing."

"Among those features that are important are the AutoTest to create a profile and then see that the network connection is in line with that profile. Also, the LANBERT test to have an idea about the quality of the cable. It is often the case that you have no reports on the cable infrastructure, so this test is also very valuable for us."

"The most valuable features are LANBERT, Discovery, and AirMapper. AirMapper is the best. Both Discovery and AirMapper are very easy to use because you can view all the problems on a single screen. If you quickly need more details about your network, then AirMapper is the best."

"In terms of the solution's full line rate 10-gigabit capability, my other 10 Gb test equipment is much bigger, bulkier, and heavier. One of my ways of assessing the nXG was to compare it with what I knew to be tried and true on 10-gig to make sure that they matched, and they did. It very quickly got my trust. The fact that it can do 10 Gb, without dropping a packet from what I've seen so far — and we used it a lot in that first three months — tells a pretty good story."

"Being able to do a Wi-Fi walk-around survey with a handheld tool is one of the most valuable features of NetAlly EtherScope nXG."

"The wireless aspect of it has been super valuable. The AirMagnet Survey feature is very useful for site surveys. For a long time, it used to be done on laptops, and now, we can do this simply on a handheld with one technician. The data automatically gets uploaded to the cloud so that our more experienced technicians can review the data and pull it into AirMagnet. This feature has saved tons of time. It's not easy to approximate the time saved, but for each survey, I'm taking a junior technician and getting him to do a role that a senior technician used to do. So, there is a cost-saving of at least 50%."

"When it comes to that remote troubleshooting perspective of being able to survey an area to see if there are problems, make adjustments, and then have that same individual resurvey that same area, I don't have to send people to a week long class on how to use the device. I know I am getting consistent results, which can verify near real-time, and whether or not the changes that I have implemented solve the problem."

More NetAlly EtherScope nXG pros

Cons

"The data center facet of IxNetwork Packet Broker can be improved, particularly concerning mapping from the cache."

"There are some inconsistencies in how it uploads the test results to the cloud, but it might just need a minor improvement on the software side. When you don't have an internet connection on the EtherScope when you do the testing, it saves the results into memory. When it has an internet connection, it uploads those results, but it doesn't work all the time. Sometimes, you need to manually push it."

"The main area for improvement that stands out is the lack of a microburst dashboard, which some other vendors offer. However, NetAlly has carved out its niche by focusing on comprehensive network analysis up to layer seven, including automatic network mapping with tools like CyberScope. While there may be some features missing compared to competitors, NetAlly remains strong in its specialized market, providing robust solutions like EtherScope for detailed customer scans, despite being on the pricier side."

"The largest complaint that we get is the battery life on the unit. If you are using it heavily, you get about five hours of usage out of it. In an eight hour day, that is not perfect for us. We would like more battery usage. The battery thing is annoying."

"The user interface could be a little bit more streamlined, a little bit easier. Sometimes it's hard to find a specific thing that you're looking for. In terms of hardware-based improvement, the battery would be the biggest issue. The battery goes out very quickly."

"The only issue that I have ever had is the battery life. It does drain a little bit quickly... While it's true that by the time I'm finished with my assessment it's usually dead, I have usually finished what I need to do and everything has been pushed to Link-Live. But occasionally, I might need a backup battery if I need to do something for multiple hours."

"The only improvement I can come up with is the battery life. If they could improve the battery life, that would be great."

"If I could reset it remotely, meaning reboot the unit, that would be helpful. One time, the test would not respond; the script would lock up. I had to go and manually reboot it. If I could have sent a command to reboot and it would have automatically connected to the wireless, that would have made it perfect. That was the only thing that it did not do."

"AirMapper is very quick and easy once everything is on there, but I would like to see an improvement on how you get things on there. Currently, rather than being able to build up buildings or a site of things, every map is an individual piece. We should be able to set up an AirMapper survey easily and more effectively. At the moment, we just have separate floor plans. It'd be great to be able to build a building and tell where different floors are so that if it hears an AP on the floor below, it doesn't put two APs, one on that floor and one on the other floor, and it knows that there are two floors here. One is on top of the other, and it won't put the AP at both places. It would put it on one of the floors where it would be strongest. This would be one of the biggest improvements."

More NetAlly EtherScope nXG cons

Pricing and Cost Advice

Information not available

"The pricing is very expensive, but this tool is the best."

"It's the best 10Gig network tester for the price on the market."

"The stuff is expensive. I really do wish the price would come down. I don't really call support. I haven't had a problem. But it's really expensive and every year I have to pay them a ton of money. I don't want to make up reasons to justify that cost, but I'm not using the support."

"It's very expensive. I wish I could buy a few more and give them to all the people who could use it, or perhaps send it to a client, given that some of its features are easy to use. But sending something worth $8,000 or $9,000 is nerve-racking. It would be nice that if it were a lot less expensive."

"If we were to purchase separate meters to do similar things, it would be double or triple the cost for us to have each toolkit available. Being a small business, putting that much money on a single truck is not cost-effective. Instead, we could put the analyzer, network heat map, and cable tester all in one meter. That is why we went for it."

"It's a pricey device, but I see value in it from a business perspective."

"The pricing was a little bit high, but I understand that when you are getting multiple tools."

"It is relatively high-priced and it should certainly not get any more expensive. I would like it to be $1,000 less, and I think everyone would say that. And of course, maintenance is also a recurring cost."

More NetAlly EtherScope nXG pricing and cost advice

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

No data available

Manufacturing Company

11%

Educational Organization

10%

Government

Healthcare Company

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

No data available

By reviewers
Company Size	Count
Small Business	11
Midsize Enterprise	1
Large Enterprise	11

Questions from the Community

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for IxNetwork VE?

The pricing of this solution is usually quite high.

See all answers

What needs improvement with IxNetwork VE?

The data center facet of IxNetwork Packet Broker can be improved, particularly concerning mapping from the cache.

See all answers

What is your primary use case for IxNetwork VE?

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for NetAlly EtherScope nXG?

In terms of pricing, EtherScope isn't cheap. It's a significant investment, and not a budget option.

See all answers

What needs improvement with NetAlly EtherScope nXG?

The main area for improvement that stands out is the lack of a microburst dashboard, which some other vendors offer. However, NetAlly has carved out its niche by focusing on comprehensive network a...

See all answers

What is your primary use case for NetAlly EtherScope nXG?

We mainly use NetAlly EtherScope nXG for troubleshooting. Linksprinter helps us solve problems and understand how things work. For example, SpamTitan is automatic, but beginners might not understan...

See all answers

Comparisons

Fortinet FortiTester vs IxNetwork VE

Compared 47% of the time

IBM Tivoli Network Manager vs IxNetwork VE

Compared 26% of the time

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LinkRunner vs NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Compared 23% of the time

AirCheck G3 vs NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Compared 19% of the time

AirMagnet Survey PRO vs NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Compared 16% of the time

Wireshark vs NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Compared 13% of the time

IxNetwork vs NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Compared 5% of the time

More NetAlly EtherScope nXG Competitors

Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

Network Diagnostics

February 2026

Download IxNetwork VE product report

Buyer's Guide

NetAlly EtherScope nXG

January 2026

Download NetAlly EtherScope nXG product report

Also Known As

No data available

EtherScope nXG, EtherScope, netAlly EtherScope, OptiView XG

Overview

IxNetwork VE is designed to test the functional and performance testing of physical and virtual network infrastructure, capacity, scalability, and convergence using scaled protocol emulation and traffic. IxNetwork VE can emulate protocols for routing and switching, data center Ethernet, software-defined networking (SDN), broadband access, and industrial Ethernet.

Provides comprehensive protocol coverage for routing/switching, multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), broadband access, data center networking, and SDN
Powerful traffic generation and statistics engine including stateless L2-3 traffic and stateful L4-7 application flows
Common IxNetwork user interface across both Ixia hardware and virtual products enables end-to-end virtual and hardware based testing from a single pane of glass
VMs of the Ixia hardware components (virtual chassis, virtual load modules_ are software that is optimized for protocol emulation and traffic generation in a virtual environement
Comprehensive platform support including standalone hypervisors (VMware ESXi and KVM) and OpenStack-based private clouds

Keysight Technologies

Multi-technology, all-in-one handheld network tester that enables engineers and technicians to get more done faster, from deployment to maintenance and documentation of their ever-changing Wi-Fi and Ethernet access networks.

The Etherscope nXG is the the industry’s first handheld analyzer for Wi-Fi 6/6E surveying (with AirMapper™ Site Survey), troubleshooting, and analysis.

Find out what your peers are saying about Keysight Technologies, NetAlly, Riverbed and others in Network Diagnostics. Updated: February 2026.

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