Apparatus and method for testing

A test application for network simulator-based testing of equipment comprising computer program code adapted to run on a computer, the computer code being operable, when run on a computer, to cause the computer to:

• establish a first network simulator state using network parameters to be used according to a non-determinative test regime;
• monitor a period of unscripted communication between the network simulator and the equipment while the network simulator is in said first state;
• cause the network simulator to transition to a second network simulator state based upon a second set of network parameters according to the test regime, monitor a period of unscripted communication between the network simulator and the equipment while the network simulator is in said second state;
• and
• cause log data relating to each network simulator state and associated communications between the network simulator and the equipment to be recorded in a log file.

A network simulator configured for testing of equipment, the network simulator comprising:

• a protocol stack module;
• transmission circuitry for communications with the equipment;
• and
• a controller having an interface to a test application, wherein the controller is operable to receive parameters from the test application, including protocol stack parameters, and to cause the network simulator to successively transition between a plurality of programmed network simulator states based on said parameters, and wherein the controller is operable to monitor periods of unscripted wireless communication between the equipment under test and the network simulator during each network state.