Help with Network Cables, Jack, etc Test Tools

Miscellaneous Topics
#1

I’ve been wanting to buy a cable tester and toner. The probe I want keeps getting pushed back by the manufacturer. I’ve done lan cable installs in houses before and am confident in my skills, but having some test tools would make things easier.

I want to do the following -

  • Verify crimped cables (RJ11, RJ45, Coax w/F Connector)
  • Be able to find a cable’s terminus by putting a tone signal on it.
  • Verify a jack install is correct back to the data closet

Here is what I’d like to get from Test-UM:
Cable Tester w/tone generator
Tone Generator
Tracer

They have various kits as well. The idea behind the seperate tone generator (TG400) is it can power up phone lines as well, which is nice, but I guess I don’t have to have that.

Can someone please advise me as to what they use? Do the tools I picked out seem like they’ll do or am I getting more than I really need. :slight_smile:

Thanks,
Dr. A>

#2

[quote]Can someone please advise me as to what they use?
[/quote]
Wi-Fi. All the way.

I was pondering our wiring situation one day - we had three telephone lines coming into the house, running through different rooms and up and down the stairs - and I decided that enough was enough. My first home computer networks were 10Mb 802.3, I moved from there into peer-to-peer via crossover Cat-5 cables, but after we decided to go ADSL and put all the computers through a single connection everything went wireless.

Fine, so it cost a bit more - but I didn’t lay a single wire, the wireless ADSL gateway gave me a solid firewall, and I can sit in the back garden with my laptop and a long drink. Marvellous.