Re: Bigger problems here?
"Lets face it, your development lab should be pretty much fire-walled off (or even air-gapped) from the rest of the world "
One of the big selling points of having a scope able to be networked is to allow it to connect to your normal workstation. The big guys tout the ability to monitor long-running tests remotely (as in sit in your cushy chair at your desk, coffee in hand, instead of out on the noisy lab or factory floor with necessary safety and ESD restrictions). Even if its as simple as doing a screen grab of a waveform, that's much easier over Ethernet than the archaic alternatives most scopes provide. I'm not saying it belongs on a globally-routable IP, but there are decent reasons for not air-gapping from the production network.
The other plus to an Ethernet port is that it can be easier to work with on automated tests. GPIB cables are bulky, inconvenient, and expensive when compared to an Ethernet cord.
Biting the hand that feeds IT
