Abstract

3Com Corp. commissioned The Tolly Group to evaluate its Transcend Network Supervisor.

This Tolly Group evaluation examines 3Com Transcend Network Supervisor v. 1.01, a network management platform designed for small- to mid-sized organizations that need a practical way to discover devices, visualize topology, and monitor network health. Tested in May and August 2000, the software ran on 32-bit Microsoft operating systems with Service Pack 3 or later and was evaluated in a homogeneous 3Com switched environment containing 3Com switches and network interface cards. The report focused on three core capabilities: automatic device and topology discovery, identification of physical and logical link characteristics, and monitoring of link and device utilization.   

Tolly found that Transcend Network Supervisor successfully identified both the physical and logical topology of the test network and accurately discovered device identity. As shown in the network map on page 1, the software detected four 3Com switches, including a SuperStack II Switch 1000, SuperStack II IP Switch 3800, SuperStack II Switch 1100, and SuperStack II Switch 610, along with all connected client workstations. During discovery, the platform collected each device’s MAC address, IP address, and system label, helping administrators isolate connectivity issues and understand which devices were actively communicating. 

The software also identified detailed link properties, including whether connections used UTP copper or fiber-optic media, operated at 10Mbit/s, 100Mbit/s, or 1,000Mbit/s, and were configured for half- or full-duplex. It could also recognize 3Com resilient links and identify device connections down to stack and port location on Layer 2 and Layer 3 Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet switches. 

For operational monitoring, Transcend Network Supervisor demonstrated the ability to track Ethernet utilization on specific links and devices and trigger user-defined alerts when thresholds were exceeded. The report notes that the platform can send e-mail, play a sound file, or display visible alarms when abnormal conditions occur. In one monitored stress test, the system reported 77.29% link utilization on a 10Mbit/s half-duplex link, with a small variance explained by its exclusion of inter-packet gap and preamble from utilization calculations. Overall, the report presents Transcend Network Supervisor as an effective 3Com-centric management tool for topology visibility, link analysis, and proactive utilization monitoring.