One of the most popular features of the Netropy and Linktropy emulators has consistently been the Recorder. The Netropy and Linktropy Recorders are free tools that we offer to record the latency and loss of the live network.
The results can then be imported into the Netropy and Linktropy emulators to reproduce the live network conditions in the lab.
The Recorder gives users a way to reproduce real network conditions as they vary second by second (actually, ten times per second) instead of relying on a single fixed latency or simulating random variation. And it gives the user confidence that they’re reproducing the network conditions users are actually experiencing instead of what the network is supposed to be.
The Recorder was originally developed for Windows since we used to live in a Windows world, at least for enterprise client-server applications. We later added a Linux version to make it easier to test from the server side. And last week we added an Android version.
The Apposite Recorder for Android brings the same (well, almost the same) functionality to Android phones and tablets. This is particularly useful for two related reasons. First, it is now much easier to test mobile apps. And second, It is now much easier to simulate mobile networks, even for desktop apps.
In addition to its specialized use recording network conditions for import into a Netropy or Linktropy emulator, the Apposite Recorder is a handy tool by itself. Fundamentally, under the covers its running Ping (ICMP echo to be exact), but it’s running continuously and displaying real-time graphs to give you an ongoing visual view of what’s happening on the network. While a terrestrial broadband network is usually pretty smooth, with almost no loss, wireless is different world – Wi-Fi, 3G/4G, LTE, GSM may all have very different profiles, as can different carriers even in the same neighborhood – making the Apposite Recorder by itself a useful tool for network monitoring and troubleshooting.
Our app is now available on Google Play™ https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.appositetech.recorder.
Let us know what you think!