ISDN Tools is a Macintosh application which lets you test your ISDN line and hardware (Planet ISDN board, external Planet ISDN GeoPort Adapter, or SAGEM H.320 ISDN board). It works in three basic modes:
1. Local Loop Testing. In this mode, you make a call from one B channel to the second B channel on the same Basic Rate ISDN line. Once the connection is made, data is transferred and bytes are compared between data sent and data received. Any differences are logged as errors. This test ensures the data integrity of your local loop.
2. Remote Client Testing. In this case two ISDN calls are made to a Remote Loopback Server. The Remote Server is another Macintosh connected via ISDN (anywhere in the world). Data is sent out from the Client to the Remote Server over one B channel and received back to the client over the second B channel. Once again, bytes sent are compared to bytes received. Any differences are logged as errors. This test ensures data integrity and connectivity to a distant Remote Server.
3. Remote Server Testing. This mode lets ISDN Tools to simply wait for incoming calls from a Remote Client. Upon receiving two data calls, the data received on one B channel is simply loopbacked to the second B channel. No diagnostics (other than bytes received and sent) are available at the remote site (since the remote site cannot be 100% sure of the data which was originally sent).
ISDN Tools does not have to be registered in order to work in Mode 3 (Remote Server). In this way, a registered user can send a copy of the program to a colleague and perform the remote loopback test.