Wireless 4G Core Network

IP Network Analysis & Simulation

Automated testing solutions for LTE, VoLTE, and IMS networks

Comprehensive test solutions for LTE, VoLTE, and IMS networks, allowing telecom providers to verify the quality and reliability of their network services.

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Overview

Long Term Evolution (LTE) is the so called 4th Generation (4G) mobile standard in the rapidly evolving mobile technologies. Its distinguishing feature is an all IP infrastructure and significantly greater air interface bandwidth to the mobile handset. It was developed as an enhancement to the existing 3G UMTS System (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) to provide users enhanced mobile radio and internet access.

The LTE air interface is a completely new system based on orthogonal frequency-division multiple access (OFDMA) in the downlink and single-carrier frequency-division multiple access (SC-FDMA) in the uplink. The system efficiently supports multi-antenna technologies (MIMO).

Another significant feature of LTE is its high bandwidth—up to 20 MHz. The LTE can also operate in the existing 5-MHz UMTS frequency bands, or in even smaller bands, as the usable bandwidth is scalable.

However, deploying high-quality voice, video, and data services over LTE has posed significant challenges for service providers, due to backward-compatibility, inter-operability, and high quality requirements – all of which requires rigorous testing.

Automated Testing Solutions for LTE, VoLTE, and IMS Network

The representation of LTE–IMS network above indicates the support of most of the interfaces by GL’s test tools. In summary,

Monitoring LTE-IMS (VoLTE) Networks

GL's PacketScan™ - an All-IP Network Monitoring software offers features to capture and monitor live signaling and traffic over IP. PacketScan™ with Voice, Data, and Video QoS capability addresses customers need of call quality analysis in IP networks.

  • Capable of capture, decode and perform various test measurements between any two nodes across various interfaces of the LTE-IMS network
  • Support for wide-range of codec, including AMR and AMR WB – visit Voice Codec webpage for more details.
  • Supports QoS parameters such as E-model (G.107) based MOS/R-Factor scores, Media Delivery Index (Delay Factor: Media Loss Rate) for video calls, Jitter, Delay, and Gap for Audio and Video traffic
  • Segregates, captures, and collects statistics on VoIP and Wireless calls
  • Live monitoring of traffic statistics - digits, tones, voice, video, and T.38 fax over IPv4 and IPv6 (version 4 and version 6) networks
  • Monitors QoS (quality of service) on voice and video calls
Typical VoLTE Call Captured LTE-IMS Network

Typical VoLTE Call Captured LTE-IMS Network

  • Supports both real-time and offline analysis
  • Trace files for analysis can be loaded through simple command-line arguments.
  • Decode and analyze full LTE protocol stack.
  • Test eNodeB or UE over S1, S3, S4, S5 (or S8), S6a, S10, S11, S13 and X2 interfaces of the LTE network.
  • The protocols supported for decoding across all these interfaces are NAS, S1AP, X2AP, eGTP, GTP-U, Diameter, SCTP, UDP, TCP, and IP.
  • Monitor thousands of Diameter sessions over S6a, S6d, Cx, Dx, Zn, Zh, Wx, Gq, Gy, Sh, Dh, Gx, Rf, Ro, Wg, Wm, Pr, Wa, Wd, Rx interfaces.

KPI and Reports

  • Attach Delay
  • S6a Authorization Delay
  • Update Location Delay
  • Session Delay
  • UE Purge Delay
  • Delete Session Delay
  • Call Duration
KPI and Reports netsurveyorweb™

Visit PacketScan™ for Wireless Networks or LTE Analyzer webpage for more details. For centralized web-based monitoring LTE Network, visit NetSurveyorWeb™ page.

Measure Voice, Video and Data Quality on LTE, VoLTE Networks

Voice, data, and video quality can be tested simultaneously on a wireless or wired network using GL’s vMobile™ / VQuad™ with the Dual UTA HD, or all-in-one VQuad™ Probe, along with WebViewer™ a centralized analytical tool.

GL’s vMobile™ / VQuad™ is a network independent solution, all Voice and Data networks are supported including 3G, WiMax, 4G LTE, and the 5G.  And since the GL vMobile™ / VQuad™ solution supports both Narrowband and Wideband traffic, VoLTE testing is fully supported. 

GL’s VQuad™ NetTest solution provides automated data testing on Mobile Devices (Android and iOS) and PC based internet connections. The Data Testing includes TCP, UDP, HTTP, FTP, DNS, VoIP, SMS, and Email tests.

GL’s Video Application Part (VAC) supports Video Conference testing between any two VAC Agents. GL’s VAC Agents can be installed on any Android device, Win PCs or Linux box. 

GL’s Voice Quality Testing (VQT) supports automated voice quality between any two nodes within the network using latest ITU based algorithms including Perceptual Objective Listening Quality - POLQA (ITU-P.863) and PESQ (ITU-P.862). The POLQA algorithm is specifically used for testing Wideband voice over VoLTE networks.

Automated wireless testing

Automated Network Wide Testing for End-to-End Quality Assessment

  • Complete end to end voice, data, video quality testing of LTE network-visit Automated Network Wide Testing
  • Automated test statistics and results across next generation LTE network can be accessed via web interface
  • Connect to Mobile Phones, Smart Phones, and Broadband Devices using GL’s portable  vMobile™ / VQuad™ - Dual UTA HD system
  • Test LTE devices for Voice, Data, Video quality metrics with complete automation and centrally controlled system
  • Use GL’s vMobile™ / VQuad™ - Dual UTA HD to confirm quality of service during the network upgrade process
  • vMobile™ / VQuad™ can remotely perform Automated Data Testing on any Android or IOS mobile devices (running the GL NetTest app), irrespective of where the phone is located, and whether the phone is on a voice call or not.
  • Perform automated data testing on PC-based Broadband Internet (Broadband 3G/4G/LTE,5G, WiFi, Wired) and on Apple/Android Mobile Devices – tests includes TCP, UDP, HTTP, VoIP, FTP, DNS, SMS, UEInfo, SimInfo, and PhoneInfo
  • Supported devices - Mobile Radio (PTT) & Mobile Phones (5G, VoLTE, 4G, 3G, Wi-Fi, WiMax)
  • Supports both Narrowband (8k sampling rate) as well as Wideband (16k sampling rate) connections for use in VoLTE networks utilizing the AMR-WB codec

Visit Complete Voice and Data Quality webpage for more details.



As an example, the screenshot illustrates the HD voice quality measurement of VoLTE call using POLQA–

  • VQT software includes industry standard voice quality analysis algorithms – POLQA and PESQ
  • POLQA testing is available for VQuad™ interfaces
  • VQT can be configured for fully Automated analysis of recorded voice files
  • Full Reference algorithm (FR) measurements with high accuracy for dedicated tests in live networks
  • POLQA analysis results include POLQA MOS, E-Model, Signal Level, Noise Level, and Jitter
  • Real-time mapping of results with GPS option used in conjunction with vMobile™ / VQuad™.  Results mapped in WebViewer™ using Google Maps
  • The results can be accessed remotely from a database using the WebViewer™, displayed in both tabular and graphic formats

Visit voice quality testing webpage for more details.

HD Voice Quality Testing for VoLTE Networks

HD Voice Quality Testing for VoLTE Networks

Signaling and Traffic Simulation over LTE - IMS

MAPS™ SIP IMS test suite is capable of simulating multiple UEs and IMS core elements such as P-CSCF, I-CSCF, S-CSCF, PCRF, MGCF which provides the IMS core network. With the help of mobile phones, and other simulated wireless networks, the VoLTE Lab setup can be operated in real-time for making VoLTE calls and also for interworking with PSTN and VoIP networks. It includes ready-to-use scripts, as per IETF specification. Test scripts include general messaging and call flow scenarios for multimedia call session setup and control over IP networks.

GL’s “MAPS™ 4G Wireless Lab Suite” supports simulation of S1-MME, S11, S5/S8, and other eGTP interfaces along with Diameter interfaces.

  • Supports emulation of several LTE interfaces. (S1, X2-AP, S3, S4, S5, S8, S10, S11 and S16), and IMS interfaces (Cx/Dx, Rx, Gx, Gm, SGi, Mw, Mi, Mj)
  • Supports generation and verification of traffic over LTE, including VoLTE (Voice), Email, FTP, Web (HTTP), Video, and more with additional licenses - Mobile traffic core – GTP (ETH101) and Mobile Traffic Core – Gateway (ETH102)
  • Supports IMS-based technologies such as VoLTE
  • Simulate up to 500 Smartphones (UEs) powering up and down
  • Integrate IMS core network easily with any other networks (wired or wireless) to test any call scenario It can simulate various nodes across LTE network –
    • S1-MME interface - eNodeB (also called Evolved NodeB), and MME (Mobility Management Entity) nodes in
    • eGTP-c interfaces - MME (Mobility Management Entity), SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node), SGW (Serving Gateway), and PGW (Packet Data Network Gateway)
    • X2-AP interface – two eNodeB (also called Evolved NodeB) end-points
    • Diameter interfaces - MME (Mobility Management Entity), HSS (Home Subscriber Server), AF (Application Function), PCRF (Policy and Charging Rules Function), CSCF (Call Session Control Function), SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node), PCEF (Policy and Charging Enforcement Function), EIR (Equipment Identity Register) and PDN GW (Packet Data Network Gateway)
  • Authenticate and confirm security procedures
  • QoS requests for greater or lesser bandwidth
  • Temporary addressing management for mobility and security
  • 4G IMS network setup for inter-networking with 2G/3G and UE roaming scenarios simulation

Standards

Test Conformance of LTE elements to 3GPP standards

S1AP (S1 Application Protocol)

3GPP TS 36.413 V9.0.0

X2 Application Protocol (X2-AP)

3GPP TS 36.423 V9.0.0

NAS (Non-Access-Stratum)

3GPP TS 24.301 V9.0.0

Evolved GTP (eGTP) for EPS

3GPP TS 29.274 V8.0.0

S6a, S6d, S13

3GPP TS 29.272 V10.3.0

Rx

3GGP TS 29214-b10

Cx/Dx

3GPP TS 29.228 & TS29.229

Gx

3GPP TS 29.212 & TS 23.203

Zn/Zh

3GPP TS 29.109 & TS 33.220

Wx

3GPP TS 29.234

Gx

3GPP TS 29.212 & TS 23.203

Gy

3GPP TS 32.29, TS 32.251 & RFC 4006

Gq

3GPP TS 29.209

Sh/Dh

3GGP TS 29.328 & TS 29.329

Rf/Ro

3GGP TS 32.225, 3GPP TS 32.299 3GPP TS 29.061

Wg/Wm/Wa/Wd/Pr

3GPP TS 29.234

SLg

3GPP TS 29.172

SLh

3GPP TS 29.173

Circuit Switched Fallback in Evolved Packet System

3GPP TS 23.272

SGs Application Part (SGsAP)

3GPP TS 29.118

LPP

3GPP TS 36.355- Release 14

Location Services-Application Part (LCS-AP)

3GPP TS 29.171 V14.0.0 (2016-12)

SCTP

RFC 4960

TCP

RFC793

TLS

RFC 5246


Use Cases

EPC Testing

EPC Testing

MME Testing

MME Testing

Isolated S-GW Testing w/throughput

Isolated S-GW Testing w/throughput

IMS Testing

IMS Testing

Resources

Please Note: The XX in the Item No. refers to the hardware platform, listed at the bottom of the Buyer's Guide, which the software will be running on. Therefore, XX can either be ETA or EEA (Octal/Quad Boards), PTA or PEA (tProbe Units), XUT or XUE (Dual PCIe Express) depending upon the hardware.

Item No. Item Description
PKV107 LTE (Long Term Evolution) Analyzer (Optional with PacketScan™)
PKV108 Offline LTE Analyzer (Decode / Analyze pre-captured LTE files Requires PKV101)
PKV112 5G Analyzer (Optional with PacketScan™)
PKV113 Offline 5G Analyzer - Optional with PKV101 (offline PacketScan™) and PKV170 (NetsurveyorWeb™)
PKS127 MAPS™ IMS Emulator
PKV100 PacketScan™ (Online and Offline)
PKV101 PacketScan™ (Offline)
PKV120 PacketScan™ HD w/4 x 1GigE
PKV120p PacketScan™ HD w/4 x 1GigE - Portable
PKV122 PacketScan™ HD w/2 x 10GigE
PKV122p PacketScan™ HD w/2 x 10 GigE - Portable

PKV124

PacketScan™ HD w/40/100 GigE

PKV124P

PacketScan™ HD w/40/100 GigE - Portable

PKV123 PacketRecorder™ HD & PacketRePlay HD™
PKV121 PacketScan™ FB
PKS139 MAPS™ Diameter Emulator
PKS140 MAPS™ LTE S1 Emulator
PKS141 MAPS™ LTE X2-AP Emulator
PKS142 MAPS™ LTE - eGTP-c Emulator
PKS146 MAPS™ SGs Interface Emulation
VQT280 VQuad™ Probe HD (with Dual UTA HD)
VQT281 VQuad™ Probe HD w/o Dual UTA HD
VQT285 VQuad™ Probe HD Upgrade
VQT601 Mobile Device Controller (MDC) Software
VQT006 VQT w/ POLQA Server license (no limitations)
VQT007 VQT POLQA v3, server license for 20 nodes
VQT600 VQuad™ NetTest Data Server Solution
  Related Software
PKV170 NetsurveyorWeb™ (Perpetual License, Unlimited Users/Nodes)
– Includes Oracle 11g Standard Edition One and Standard Server-Grade Computing Platform
PKV169 NetsurveyorWeb™ Lite
- Probe Level WebServer, PacketScan™, and Oracle 11g Express Edition;
PKV171 Network Surveillance Agent Toolkit
PKV105 SIGTRAN Protocol Analyzer (Requires PKV100)
XX090 HDLC Capture and Playback Software (T1 or E1)
XX120 Real-time SS7 Analyzer (T1 or E1)
XX153 TRAU Analyzer
XX155 GPRS Protocol Analyzer
VQT040 WebViewer™