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NetAlly EtherScope nXG vs OptiView XG [EOL] comparison

 

Comparison Buyer's Guide

Executive Summary

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

NetAlly EtherScope nXG
Average Rating
8.8
Reviews Sentiment
7.7
Number of Reviews
23
Ranking in other categories
Network Diagnostics (2nd), Network Troubleshooting (3rd)
OptiView XG [EOL]
Average Rating
8.6
Number of Reviews
38
Ranking in other categories
No ranking in other categories
 

Featured Reviews

ScottSmith2 - PeerSpot reviewer
CIO at ProTek Communications
Saves time and has fifteen tools and functionality all in one
I don't have any issues right now. However, in terms of my beta relationship, sometimes I'm at the forefront and I know there are timelines for certain fixes. Even right now, it's come such a long way. They keep adding features to the software side and the hardware side functionality that I have, however, it’s mostly just priceless in the case of both hardware and software. I am able to do much more now. On a hardware spec, it'd be nice to have something above 10-Gigs. I have recently started looking at some products that are 25, 40, and 100-Gigs. I realized they probably have something in the works already, however, there’s nothing I'm aware of and certainly, this device cannot do that. I would say that a tool that has above 10-Gigabit of support would be needed and of value in the near future. However, as far as software and functionality, I really can't think of anything missing. Even all my creative tips on VNC, web server functionality, and remote access have been included over the last couple of years. I can't think of anything really off the cuff for software development that I would highly recommend.
MW
President at Bitwise Micro
A valuable, impressive, and portable product that saves time and has great scalability and stability
It just saves time. We have run into situations where contractors come in, and they plug in a WiFi device that is handing out DHCP addresses, which affects the rest of the network. To be able to quickly identify from where the problem is originating, you need a network tool that can identify the device that is doing this. It just brings into clear focus the exact issue when there is a problem or outage. When there is a crisis and you've several people wanting to know an estimate of when things are going to be back up and running again, you need to have answers. I have been at places that didn't have a tool like that. I know one place that had an outage for almost a week, and it was craziness. It turned out to be just a bad cable. That's all it was. They were having trouble with their email server, which was an on-premise email server, but emails were taking six hours to appear. The whole problem was because of a bad network cable. When I plugged in the Fluke analyzer, it analyzed and told me immediately that there were transmission errors on this one port from one switch. It told me this within 10 minutes. It is an incredible product.

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 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."
"I love the AutoTest feature... AutoTest allows us to find out what port it is on the switch and to trace it back to a particular patch panel. We can then document it, if necessary, or use that information for connecting a device or for re-VLANing a switch to the appropriate VLAN."
"This product has definitely reduced our troubleshooting time."
"The most valuable features are the WiFi troubleshooting, network validation, and cabling validation, and the fact that it's an all-in-one tool. You don't have to carry different tools. The multi-technology functionality and its ability to do WiFi and wired Ethernet analysis in one device are the best aspects."
"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."
"The most valuable part is absolutely being able to assess existing WiFi networks quickly."
"This solution provides visibility into our network that we could only get by using many other tools."
"It cuts the time down in half. You don't need to get a laptop out and do different testing. We can just grab this one tool, bring it, and do all our network testing, surveying, and reviews to figure out what the problems are with just one device, instead of having to use multiple people and devices to do that. You cut down time by 50% because you won't normally need multiple people onsite. A lot of times, you can do everything with one person and one tool."
"When I plugged in the Fluke analyzer, it analyzed and told me immediately that there were transmission errors on this one port from one switch."
"I think it cuts down the time to resolution drastically for an environment that would not have the ability to do these packet captures."
"OptiView just made it a little bit easier; it was a neat package that made it easier to utilize."
"It's a good tool and is pretty simple to use."
"The pre-site survey and the AirMagnet site survey help my company in pre-sales and post-sales."
"The packet capture feature is valuable when there's a troubleshooting issue, and since this is a data center, there are thousands of servers and users."
"We use it for all of our predictive Wi-Fi designs, and we get standards reports so we're able to do more of the designs more quickly and more consistently."
"I like the fact that it can map my whole network when I plug it into my router, my switch, that it can literally discover nodes and clients."
 

Cons

"On a hardware spec, it'd be nice to have something above 10-Gigs."
"I use the NetAlly site and one of the things I don't like about the topology map, something I wish I could fix, is that the map kind of jiggles if you don't adjust any of the settings."
"NetAlly doesn't have a spectrum analyzer. I have to use other tools to view the spectrum, and this is a problem."
"Currently, my device has a hardware bug that the manufacturer and I are working on actively, to get it fixed or replaced."
"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."
"I use the NetAlly site and one of the things I don't like about the topology map, something I wish I could fix, is that the map kind of jiggles if you don't adjust any of the settings."
"I would love to see port profiles. This is something I've expressed to them. The ability for a technician to plug it into a switch port, and say, "Okay, this port will be an access point or this port will be a phone and desktop PC," thus choosing a profile. It will then push a configuration to the device it's connected to and verify that the switch port is correctly configured, so I can hand this to a phone tech who doesn't have any access to a network switch to be able to make changes. They can go out and plug this into a port, then they are able to push a profile to the switch port through the device. That would be pretty fantastic as a next step for this device."
"The battery life could be better. There have been a couple of times that I used it and put it down, then I went to pick it up and the battery was dead."
"Its price was a bit excessive. The device that I had died; it is under warranty, and they want $20,000 for another one, so I am trying to find an alternate solution."
"The licensing cost needs to improve since it is very expensive, especially the licensing and maintenance costs."
"Also, the overall weight of the product is a lot to carry around for a long period of time."
"I would like a built-in tap feature which doesn't interfere with the network, and it allows you to see what is happening there."
"The reports I got back from the guys I sent to training said the guy spent more time telling stories, war stories and that type, rather than actual training about the product."
"I haven't been able to really get the mobile app to function right, but that's minor."
"Maybe the licensing could come down; the price could come down a little bit, that would be kind of nice. I think it's a little bit expensive, but as far as functionality goes, I'm not too sure about any room for improvement; I'm not the one that uses it every day."
"Its price can be improved. Their support can also be improved a little bit. In terms of features, it did everything I wanted it to do. With more features, I would have to start installing network agents or something else, and I don't want to have to install anything. This was the value for me about this device."
 

Pricing and Cost Advice

"The pricing was a little bit high, but I understand that when you are getting multiple tools."
"Depending on the company, it could be somewhat costly. But just two of these devices can save you thousands upon thousands of dollars."
"It's a pricey device, but I see value in it from a business perspective."
"If you're in the networking world, this product makes great sense very quickly, if you're going to use it more than a few times a week... If you are just looking at a handheld device unit for specific, wireless or wired testing and not much else, the cost may be a little more prohibitive than what you have in your budget."
"It's the best 10Gig network tester for the price on the market."
"For the average network shop, the cost is a bit high. In a lot of organizations, people don't share test devices between teams. Generally, you need a device for the network team and a device for the system team, the security team, etc. While the cost is a little on the high side, that is offset by the regular updates and continued improvements that NetAlly adds to the device. Those improvements continue to increase the perceived value of the device."
"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."
"I don't consider the pricing to be a problem. It's not a cheap device, but it's a very capable device for the money. It's a good value."
"Its price was a bit excessive. The device that I had died. It is under warranty, and they want $20,000 for another one. I just don't want to spend that kind of money, so I'm trying to find an alternate solution. They have annual maintenance on it, which probably was 10% a year, so it all starts to add up."
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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews
Manufacturing Company
10%
Comms Service Provider
9%
University
8%
Government
7%
Government
11%
Non Profit
10%
Educational Organization
8%
Manufacturing Company
8%
 

Company Size

By reviewers
Large Enterprise
Midsize Enterprise
Small Business
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business11
Midsize Enterprise1
Large Enterprise11
By reviewers
Company SizeCount
Small Business7
Midsize Enterprise8
Large Enterprise26
 

Questions from the Community

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.
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...
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...
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Also Known As

EtherScope nXG, EtherScope, netAlly EtherScope, OptiView XG
No data available
 

Overview

 

Sample Customers

Information Not Available
XG is used in all industries. Example customers include: Republic National Distributing Company, Titelive, CitiGroup, Los Angeles Unified School District, Saudi German Hospital, DeKalb County Schools, Valdosta State University, The Everett Clinic, Bio-Reference, Miami-Dade Library, Mitel, Borsa Istanbul, Cimarex, Air National Guard Lowndes County, High Point City, Carrollton City Schools, Kern County, Pruitt Communications and Bosch Group.
Find out what your peers are saying about Auvik, Wireshark, NetAlly and others in Network Troubleshooting. Updated: May 2026.
893,311 professionals have used our research since 2012.