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network cable testing product 1

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techalum

IS-IT--Management
Oct 11, 2006
38
US
I saw some cabling techs using some RJ-45 plugs with lights on them. They would place these on the patch panel and another tech would put a tester on the jack in the offices. The light would illuminate the connector that was placed on the patch panel. From that point, the techs could docuemnt the location of the jack. I would like to purchase this but never found out the name. Does anyone know what I am talking about?
 
Sounds like toner and tracker. Also refered to as a "fox and hound".
 
I know the product you are thinking about but I can't google it. They were called something like port light or patch light. Kind of expensive for what they were.

You could build them by crimping LEDs into RJ45 connectors which would plug into the patch panel. The other end would be a RJ45 connected to a battery and current limiting resistor.

If you wanted to be really fancy you could put 2 LEDs in each RJ45. One on pins 1&2 and the other on pins 3&6. Use two separate batteries and resistors on the other end and you could verify pairing for the most used ethernet pairs. Two pin bicolor LEDs would still light even if polarity was reversed on a pair.

 
Try this link: I have used this before and it is very handy. It will not find one cable in a bunch of 1000 very easily, you need a toner for that, but if you know the cable or at least have a pretty good idea which is the one, this will give indications of continuity, reversed pairs ect very quickly and effectively. There is also a tempo 468 modular cable tester, but I have never used them and they run about $90-100. Hope this helps
 
DataLite" made by Ideal

Here's the first Google hit

I don't know it they are still manufactured, but you might find old stock.

Work of caution - on the kits we have, the modular plugs only had contacts in 3 and 6. On the newer design patch panels, not having a contact in 1 and 8 would cause the pins in the jack to get caught and bent when removing the plug. Our solution was to pull the LED out and crimp into a regular 8-pin plug with all 8 contacts in place.

You could make your own with Bi-Color LEDS crimped into the plugs, and a 3-volt battery source connected to pins 3 and 6. Reverse the polarity and give the 2nd power source to the 2nd tech.
 
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