Cable Tester

[PhoneDoctorLV]

when i complete my data cat 5 and 6 runs is there a compavt testing device i can use to confirm each run?

 

[mforrence]

There are hundreds of such devices. If you're installing cables professionally, you should already have one... Chat with your materials supplier, they'll almost certainly have something.
Mike

 

[jamie77]

A tester that will confirm that you have stamped everything in the right order will cost you around £80

To test to full Cat 5/6 standards, you really need a Fluke tester

Jamie Green

ACA:Implement - IP Office
ACS:Implement - IP Office

Football is not a matter of life and death-It is far more important!!!!

 

[macphoneguy]

I have used a fluke Cable IQ in a number of instances good for testing just about anything ethernet related

 

[Dexman]

When choosing a test set, one question that needs to be asked is “Do I want a set that qualifies or certifies the work?”

Certification units (Fluke's DTX series) perform more rigorous testing than qualifying units (Fluke's CableIQ).

For cabling (typically CAT 3) used with a traditional telephone system install, certification testing isn't worth it. Even a qualifier would be overkill. If you do lots of data cabling and frequently work with CAT 6 or higher, a certifier is well worth the investment.

If it ain't broke, I haven't fixed it yet.

 

[PhoneDoctorLV]

I am looking more for a device that will confirm that I have a valid data signal of some sort and not really what speed or that it needs to be certified.

I can not get this from a regular butt set.

 

[jamie77]

Plug a laptop in and see if it syncs to the network.

If you want to rule out cabling as potential issues it should be tested properly after install.

Bad cabling can cause wierd things to happen on a network.

Jamie Green

ACA:Implement - IP Office
ACS:Implement - IP Office

Football is not a matter of life and death-It is far more important!!!!

 

[LkEErie]

For not a whole lot of money, you can get a Fluke or Ideal or *cough cough* a Testum cable tester that will tell you that it's wired properly and the distance. I have the Microtest variant that I think I paid less than $300 for.

LkEErie

 

[SYQUEST]

I use the LANSCAPER NT700. It works very well for what it is. It will do the network link tests and DHCP requests. I like the back lighting on the display for dark areas.

JDSU/Testum's tech support is very good. (you actually talk to humans on the phone!). I had a modular jack problem with one of the remotes, and they sent me a replacement jack and a jack saver no charge.

Do some Google searches for good pricing.

....JIM....

 

[RikRodgers]

If you're looking to get a good certification tool, ebay Fluke DSP 4300's. Since the DTX's came out, people are shedding their older stuff, and the 4300 will certify anything up to Cat6.

 

[Cyberprog]

I currently use a Fluke 620. Not gone down the Cat6 route with any customers, so not seen the point in buying a certification device.

Alex Threlfall
Cyberprog New Media

http://www.cyberprog.net

Telecoms, Networks, Hosting, Alarms, CCTV etc.

 

[jdawgzx11]

I have seen people wire up cat 6 and it barley passes for cat three. There is a fine art to doing it, you have to ensure that you are not untwisting the pairs more than 1/4 inch to maintian the cat 6 rating. I have seen RJ45's that have holes in the end for pulling the wire all the way up to the butt to ensure that it is still twisted. They are well worth the money. Made a ton of cat 6 cables in my day, never really had any problems..

Justin "T-Bone" Horodeck
Custom Airbrushing

http://www.tbonecustomz.com

 

[RikRodgers]

Just to press the issue here, having a certification record for cable runs you've installed is a good insurance policy. In my experience, when a customer has trouble with a device connected to a run you've installed, the cable run often receives the blame, and customers don't want to pay for runs that don't work.

A wiremap doesn't prove a run is good. That is what certification is for. If installing networks is your trade, certify your runs.