Troubleshooting Tools

BY: MITCHELL PHAN, FRANKIE SPERANZA, AMANDA PORTIE

• Cable Performance Testers• Voltage Event Recorders• Butt Set• Crossover Cable• Tone Generator & Locator• Multimeter

• Cable Continuity Tester• Network Monitor• Protocol Analyzer• Wireless Network Tester

Cable Performance Testers• Cost: $4,000 - $30,000• Distance• Attenuation• Cross talk• Termination resistance• Rate standards

Voltage Event Recorders• Cost: $5000• Voltage standards

• Cost: $85 - $450• Quality test

Butt Set

Crossover Cable• Direct connection of nodes• Reversed wire pairs• Cost: up to $20

Tone Generator & Tone Locator

• Determine where wires terminate• Sold in a “Toner Probe Kit”• How to use them• Cost: $20 - $500

Multimeter• Isolates network cable

problems• Measures characteristics of

electric currents (voltage, resistance, impedance)

• Cost: $30 - $4000

Cable Continuity Testers• Checks if cable is carrying a signal to

its destination• Copper cable – voltage• Fiber-Optic cable – light pulses• Also used on wires in a UTP or STP

cable

Wireless Network Testers

Network Monitors

Protocol Analyzers

Conclusion