Test-bench control · EtherShunt
Leave the setup wired. Switch the test tool in and out.
Sometimes two devices need a direct connection. Sometimes their traffic needs to pass through your test equipment. EtherShunt gives you a repeatable way to choose the path without recabling for every run.
For test-automation engineers, lab teams, and test-system integrators.
The situation
You already have a two-interface test platform, proxy, or experimental appliance. Establishing a baseline, running the tool, and returning to the direct path currently means changing cables or leaving the tool permanently in the way.
A practical workflow
Establish the direct-path baseline
Install EtherShunt during an approved interruption. Connect the original endpoints to W1 and E1, the tool interfaces to W2 and E2, and USB-C to power and serial control. Start in bypass and verify the application works.
Insert your tool for the experiment
Prepare the external tool to forward traffic, then select the inline path over USB serial. Allow the links to renegotiate, verify application recovery, and run the test. EtherShunt selects the physical path; your tool performs the analysis.
Bypass, service, and repeat
Return to bypass before rebooting or updating the test platform. Confirm the direct-path application has recovered, then repeat the same procedure for the next run. Include path selection in your own test automation.
What to record
Record both link recovery and application recovery. A relay changing state or a link LED returning does not establish that the system under test resumed normal operation.
Example test plan, not measured results
Use these checks to plan a demonstration or evaluation. The observations are yours to collect; this is not a customer case study or a qualification report.
| Check | Observation to record |
|---|---|
| Direct-path baseline | Normal application behavior with the test tool bypassed. |
| Insert the test tool | Link interruption, renegotiation, and application recovery. |
| Return to bypass | Direct-path recovery before servicing the tool. |
| Power-loss or armed-watchdog fallback | Path selection and end-to-end recovery under the defined failure condition. |
What you need
- A compatible copper Gigabit Ethernet link and an approved interruption for initial installation and path changes.
- Your own inline test platform with two compatible network interfaces and working forwarding or proxy behavior.
- USB-C power and serial control. FID is optional, not required.
Before you plan the test
- Not hitless: each transition interrupts traffic. Typical link renegotiation is 1–3 seconds; application recovery can take longer and must be measured on your equipment.
- Power-loss fallback restores the physical bypass path. A powered but unresponsive host requires the watchdog to have been armed and serviced correctly.
- EtherShunt does not capture, analyze, or modify traffic by itself. EtherShunt-integrated operation is limited to 1 GbE.
Discuss your test setup
Start with a non-sensitive description of the setup and the behavior you need to test. Do not submit classified, controlled, or confidential protocol material through this form.
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