Patent ID: RE41225

Claim:
A method of testing electronic signals in a network, comprising network units between which information can be exchanged by electronic data transmission through network connections, wherein a plurality of testing components are coupled each to one or more of the network connections so that the testing components each can detect electronic signals relating to the electronic data transmission through the one or more network connections to which the respective testing component is coupled, the method comprising the following steps: establishing a test connection for exchange of electronic signals, including test and/or control signals, between one of the testing components and at least another one of the testing components in response to a current testing task, the one testing component being coupled to one network connection and the at least one other testing component being coupled to another network connection in the network; establishing a master-server configuration in response to the current testing task, the one testing component being configured as a master testing component and the at least one other testing component being configured as a server testing component; automatically synchronizing in time the master testing component and the server testing component: electronically initiating detection of current electronic test signals by the master testing component on the other network connection by means of the server testing component and allocating electronic time information to the detected current electronic test signals in automatic consideration of the previously accomplished time synchronization; processing the detected current electronic test signals and the allocated electronic time information by the server testing component and/or the master testing component in automatic consideration of the allocated electronic time information, and carrying out another current testing task upon termination of the current testing task, wherein another master-server configuration is established in response to the other current testing task, the at least one other testing component being configured as a master testing component and the one testing component being configured as a server testing component.