NetAlly EtherScope nXG vs Observer GigaStor comparison

NetAlly and Viavi Solutions are both solutions in the Network Troubleshooting category. NetAlly is ranked #3 with an average rating of 9.0, while Viavi Solutions is ranked #14. NetAlly holds a 11.1% mindshare in NT, compared to Viavi Solutions’s 1.9% mindshare. Additionally, 100% of NetAlly users are willing to recommend the solution, compared to 100% of Viavi Solutions users who would recommend it.

NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Read 23 NetAlly EtherScope nXG reviews

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1,335 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

Observer GigaStor

Read 7 Observer GigaStor reviews

575 Views
86 Comparison Views

100% willing to recommend

NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Observer GigaStor

Comparison Buyer's Guide

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Executive SummaryUpdated on Jul 11, 2024

Observer GigaStor and NetAlly EtherScope nXG are both powerful network analysis tools, each with unique strengths and weaknesses. Users are generally happier with Observer GigaStor's comprehensive support and pricing model, although the NetAlly EtherScope nXG is appreciated for its advanced features, which many users find worth the extra cost.

Features:Observer GigaStor is praised for its robust data capturing, advanced analytics, and historical traffic replay capabilities. In contrast, NetAlly EtherScope nXG stands out with its handheld form factor, real-time network testing, and seamless integration with cloud services. Despite Observer GigaStor’s detailed analysis tools, the portability and real-time testing offered by NetAlly EtherScope nXG provide significant practical advantages for on-the-go network professionals.

Room for Improvement:Observer GigaStor users frequently mention the need for a faster setup process and enhanced reporting features. NetAlly EtherScope nXG users suggest better battery life and a more intuitive navigation experience. While Observer GigaStor users focus on improving speed and utility in their reports, NetAlly EtherScope nXG users are more concerned with usability aspects like battery and navigation.

Ease of Deployment and Customer Service:Observer GigaStor users report a high level of satisfaction with the deployment process, though it can be time-consuming. Customers praise the comprehensive customer service. NetAlly EtherScope nXG is noted for its quick deployment due to its portability but has mixed reviews regarding customer service. Observer GigaStor excels in post-deployment support, whereas NetAlly EtherScope nXG benefits from a user-friendly deployment but could improve support responsiveness.

Pricing and ROI:Observer GigaStor is favored for its reasonable setup costs and high ROI due to its in-depth analytics capabilities. NetAlly EtherScope nXG, while more expensive upfront, is seen as providing good ROI through its advanced features and mobility, which is especially valued in dynamic network environments. Users feel Observer GigaStor offers solid value for more extensive analytical needs, while NetAlly EtherScope nXG justifies its higher price with unique, practical features.

To learn more, read our detailed NetAlly EtherScope nXG vs. Observer GigaStor Report (Updated: July 2025).

Buyer's Guide

NetAlly EtherScope nXG vs. Observer GigaStor

July 2025

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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

Ranking in Network Troubleshooting

3rd

Average Rating

8.8

Reviews Sentiment

7.7

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Diagnostics (3rd)

Observer GigaStor

Ranking in Network Troubleshooting

14th

Average Rating

9.0

Reviews Sentiment

8.1

Number of Reviews

Ranking in other categories

Network Monitoring Software (96th), Network Packet Broker (NPB) (10th)

Mindshare comparison

As of August 2025, in the Network Troubleshooting category, the mindshare of NetAlly EtherScope nXG is 11.1%, down from 14.4% compared to the previous year. The mindshare of Observer GigaStor is 1.9%, down from 2.1% compared to the previous year. It is calculated based on PeerSpot user engagement data.

Network Troubleshooting

Featured Reviews

Chase McGee

Cyber Range Engineer 2 at Tech Data Limited

Reduces troubleshooting from hours to minutes, and increases our security by finding rogue devices

My favorite features, ones that I have used continuously almost every single day, are the Link-Live Cloud Service and the AirMapper Site Survey. The latter is absolutely essential to almost every business I go to. I move around the building and mark where I've been and then, when I get back to my desk, the information is on the dashboard, showing me exactly where devices are. I can see, "Okay, here are printers that shouldn't be there," and I can relocate them better. Or I can check whether the WiFi signal is strong at a given spot and whether I need another access point. The AirMapper Site Survey app is one of the biggest highlights of this product. When somebody asks me, "Why should I use this device?" it's the first thing I show them, and they usually love it. Its ability to gather WiFi site survey data is absolutely amazing. You can collect so many different things including using its spectrum analyzer. You can also use the directional antenna and other features to detect the WiFi signal, its strength and where things are at. If devices are having an issue, you can figure out the cause. Maybe it is behind a wall that is not allowing WiFi signals and you can determine, "Hey, I need another access point here to get my users the internet coverage they need." The AirMapper Site Survey Heat Maps were one of the first things that I used the device for. I wanted to see the WiFi signals, where everything was at, and what was the most used. That was able to help me determine that I needed a new access point inside our center for demos. We were getting a lot of drops there and I figured out that the coverage was not good. We had to get a replacement access point. Overall, the EtherScope nXG is easy to use for less skilled staff but it has deep diagnostics for experts. I had no experience when I first received this device. I had no training and, in less than a week, I was fully proficient with it. When I really wanted to do a deep dive and figure out everything about it through the Link-Live Cloud Service, I had so much data. It made my life a lot easier.

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Jeroen-Dubbelman

Director at Bitrate

Aids significantly in the threat-hunting process and provides a score-based evaluation of user experience

There are many valuable features, but understanding end-user response times stands out. It provides a score-based evaluation of user experience, helping customers quickly pinpoint whether issues originate from the network, server, client, or application. Additionally, it facilitates in-depth analysis of application dependencies. The retrospective network analysis capability of Observer GigaStor has been beneficial. It's a pivotal feature for network performance solutions. However, I prefer to consider the entire solution suite - GigaStor, along with GigaFlow and Apex - for comprehensive network visibility and monitoring. So, I prefer to integrate all three solutions to provide the best visibility. They complement each other well, with Apex aggregating and correlating data from both GigaStor and GigaFlow to enhance environmental understanding and troubleshooting efficiency.

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Quotes from Members

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

Pros

"It has reduced our internal troubleshooting time. In the cases where we could not internally solve the troubleshooting, we would have had to contact an external vendor to test cable, rerun it, etc. NetAlly EtherScope has let us eliminate that in most cases so we can resolve an issue on our own without having to call a third-party out to identify the problem. It has reduced our troubleshooting time for network cabling issues by a good 75 percent."

"I like EtherScope's WiFi scanning, heat map, and load testing. It's an excellent tool that sets you straight, so you don't need to beat around the bush or wait for other people. It's easy to share the reports with other people."

"The solution’s AirMapper Site Survey app is extremely easy to use. We give it to the technicians and send them out to go do that function. We hand it to the technician who goes onsite, then they take a photo of the overall area of a floor plan and are able to go do that site survey without almost any instruction from any engineer. So, it is very usable for beginner-type techs."

"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."

"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."

"The things that I find most valuable are the Wi-Fi app and the Discovery app. Those two things help a lot when I'm doing the initial discovery of a space. I also use the AutoTest feature quite a lot, especially if I'm troubleshooting."

"The AirMapper Site Survey app is one of the biggest highlights of this product. When somebody asks me, "Why should I use this device?" it's the first thing I show them, and they usually love it. Its ability to gather WiFi site survey data is absolutely amazing."

"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."

More NetAlly EtherScope nXG pros

"It can help to write your rules, organize firewalls, your block, and also your protocols and IP address to come in or out of your network."

"It's able to capture packets and, after a long time, you can come and use that information; to check, to analyze - everything you would want to do. So it's very good and helpful if you want to protect your data. It is stored in a certain place where you can access it every time you want to analyze it."

"The ability to capture packets. It is not only for monitoring. That is very important for a company that wants to keep an eye on the packets, the transactions, the flows..."

"I also have the ability to see an application's performance, to see what's going on, why a network is slow, why this program for this user is experiencing a delay or some network issue"

"There are many valuable features, but understanding end-user response times stands out. It provides a score-based evaluation of user experience, helping customers quickly pinpoint whether issues originate from the network, server, client, or application. Additionally, it facilitates in-depth analysis of application dependencies."

"This solution allows us to see exactly what is going on in the network and we can very quickly solve issues with users."

Cons

"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."

"The battery life should be improved."

"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 small screen is a little bit of a handicap. It would be nice if we could, for instance, connect a larger screen to the device, but it's very user-friendly. You're only limited by the size of the screen. That's the only negative aspect of doing surveys with this device."

"When it works, I love the AirMapper Site Survey app. Currently, my device has a hardware bug that the manufacturer and I are working on actively, to get it fixed or replaced. The 5 gigahertz radio on my device is flaky at best... It doesn't seem to have anything to do with the product itself, as much as it is some kind of unique hardware problem."

"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 one thing that it doesn't do well, when it's doing airtime utilization measurements, is that it will classify things as non-802.11, and that isn't correct. What it could do better is make sure that it classifies all traffic that's in the air correctly."

"We have had to use a battery pack unit, bringing it with us, when we are doing long testing or a lot of testing. It is like a mini computer, so it does use a lot of battery life."

More NetAlly EtherScope nXG cons

"Graphics need improvement. Because a lot of the information there you have to input first in some case to have full potential. It could be more automated."

"Maybe the graphical user interface could be simplified to allow people to use it more easily. It's already good, but they can work more on it to make it even easier."

"I would like to have more than 4TB of storage available in the portable version of this solution."

"GigaStor feeds into Apex. So, the area where there could be improvement would be in artificial intelligence. For example, the incorporation of more advanced machine learning or AI capabilities could enhance its functionality."

Pricing and Cost Advice

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

"Depending on the company, it could be somewhat costly. But just two of these devices can save you thousands upon thousands of dollars."

"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."

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

"The pricing can be a little bit high for a handheld tool, mostly because, potentially, people do not understand what's in the package. However, NetAlly offers great bundled deals. We got a significantly good deal by ordering a package of these devices that had a whole test kit together. So, while it's very high, the value is certainly there, and the vendor does offer value-added features to offset that cost."

"The cost is not cheap but it totally pays for itself because it can do so much."

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

"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."

More NetAlly EtherScope nXG pricing and cost advice

"It depends on the requirements you have. There are three types of license. There's the updates license, the work group license, and the workstation license."

"It's quite expensive."

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Top Industries

By visitors reading reviews

Healthcare Company

11%

Comms Service Provider

Manufacturing Company

Government

Financial Services Firm

18%

Manufacturing Company

13%

Computer Software Company

13%

University

Company Size

By reviewers

Large Enterprise

Midsize Enterprise

Small Business

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.

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

What do you like most about Observer GigaStor?

See all answers

What is your experience regarding pricing and costs for Observer GigaStor?

I would rate the pricing a ten out of ten. It's quite expensive.

See all answers

What needs improvement with Observer GigaStor?

GigaStor feeds into Apex. So, the area where there could be improvement would be in artificial intelligence. For example, the incorporation of more advanced machine learning or AI capabilities coul...

See all answers

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LinkSprinter vs NetAlly EtherScope nXG

Compared 7% of the time

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Product Reports

Buyer's Guide

NetAlly EtherScope nXG

August 2025

Download NetAlly EtherScope nXG product report

Buyer's Guide

Observer GigaStor

August 2025

Download Observer GigaStor product report

Also Known As

EtherScope nXG, EtherScope, netAlly EtherScope, OptiView XG

No data available

Overview

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.

NetAlly

Observer GigaStor is a network analysis tool that comes in a variety of form factors, including rack mount, portable, and virtual. Capable of storing up to a petabyte of traffic for later analysis, GigaStor helps ensure optimal network and application performance.

Viavi Solutions

Sample Customers

Information Not Available

Cisco Systems, Hawaiian Telecom, Renown Health, State of Nevada, U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, Allstate Insurance, Jack Henry & Associates, United States Airforce, US Bank, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Chicago Board Options Exchange

Buyer's Guide

NetAlly EtherScope nXG vs. Observer GigaStor

July 2025

Free Report: NetAlly EtherScope nXG vs. Observer GigaStor

Find out what your peers are saying about NetAlly EtherScope nXG vs. Observer GigaStor and other solutions. Updated: July 2025.

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