Until Apposite developed the Linktropy and Netropy products, there were only two alternatives for network simulation: high-end telecoms products and freeware emulators. High-end telecoms simulators are designed to test WAN connection equipment rather than application performance and the products are focused primarily on the needs of telecoms professionals. Their prices put them out of range of most IT departments while their complexity make them difficult to use without extensive training.
Freeware systems are extremely limited in precision and performance, rendering them useless as a reliable test tool.
See our side by side comparison to freeware here
The founders of Apposite Technologies recognized the need for a better solution. Linktropy and Netropy WAN Emulators are the culmination of a mission to offer a professional-quality WAN emulator designed for the needs of enterprise networking. The products had to have the precision and performance of the high-end products, at a price suitable for IT departments and application developers with limited budgets and many priorities, and quick and intuitive to install and operate without training.