LAN Testers

Know More About Triplett LAN Testers

What are Copper Cable Certifiers?

Copper cable certifiers are testers used to check the functioning of copper cable used to transfer data. The tester generates a wire map, tests the cable speed, length, and if it matches the current industry standards.

Types of Network Cable Testing

Testing of cables plays an important role during the installation process. Also, upgrading a network is essential to meet the growing demands of businesses in terms of high speed data transfer. Cables need to evolve to support the upgraded infrastructure and technological advancements. Additionally, cables need to meet the evolving or new network standards. So, various types of network cable testers are used to check copper as well as fiber cables from these perspectives.

• Network Cable Certification Testing: These are typically to certify a network in terms of meeting certain industry standards such as TIA, ISO, and so on. So, these standards are not for a particular technology. Certification testing tools assess if the cables would meet the upcoming technologies and infrastructure. Cable manufacturers often opt for this cable certification.
• Network Cable Qualification Testing: This category of cable testing determines if the existing cable is fit to support advanced technologies and upgrades such as Gigabit Ethernet, VoIP, advanced network switches, and so on. Qualification tester tools check the cable in terms of current operational status, bandwidth, high-speed data transfer capability, PoE, and so on.
• Network Cable Verification Testing: This category of testers checks for the basic functionalities of the cable. This tester tool also helps troubleshoot cabling issues such as locating a link and determine the cable length and break points.

Selection Criteria for LAN Testers

When selecting a LAN tester, one may consider the following pointers.

• Check the types of cables you have in your network such as Ethernet shielded, UTP, fiber optic cables, coaxial, and so on.
• The intent of testing must be clear, such as for certification, verification, and so on.
• Opt for a tester that at least suffices testing LAN devices and cabling to the 10, 100 and 1000 Base-T standard, depending on the application.
• Check the features a tester offers, and opt for the one with maximum features such as length, bandwidth, detection of open circuits and breaks, wire mapping, and more.
• The tester must comply with the industry standards.
• Look for a LAN tester that can generate reports.

Ethernet Cable Tester Applications

Here are some application areas of Ethernet cable testers.

• Cable length testing
• Bandwidth testing
• Continuity testing
• Report generation based on faults found
• Cable certification
• Wire mapping
• Fault detection
• Connectivity testing

How to Check if an Ethernet Cable is Faulty?

Most faulty cables may just stop functioning. So, it is essential to find the type of fault. Here are some useful pointers.

• The connectivity of cables may be an issue, in which case, you can try plugging either ends of the cable into some other connector port or device and check if you get the signal. If the cable is working fine, the adapter LED light will flash.
• The cable may be physically damaged, cracked, or dented. While a bent cable can be simply straightened, a damaged cable needs to be replaced with a new one. Before replacing the cable, check the connector too.
• Test for continuity issues pertaining to the cable. This can occur in case or electromagnetic interference or cut or sliced cable at one or more points.
• If none of the above tests work, the network administrator must check all the network devices and the operating system.

Can a LAN tester be used to test the performance or speed of a network connection?

No, a LAN tester cannot be used to test the speed or performance of a network connection. These testers are designed to test the integrity or connectivity of cables in a network. These testers can be used to verify the termination of cables or detect the wiring shorts or faults. The network speed can be measured using a network analyzer.

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