Tech QOTD – Topic: Network Cabling (A+)

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Tech Question of the Day (A+): You are installing a workstation to a new location. There is no network connectivity and the network adapter doesn’t have a link light. Examine the figure. Which tool should you use to test the connection?

(See the answer and video response below.)
cabling-tools


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Answer

You should use C. This is a cable tester (also known as a cable certifier). This can check the connection between the RJ45 jack (at the workstation) and the patch panel (in the server room or wiring closet). It is the right answer because it can test all pairs. A tone generator could also be used but that only tests the middle pair (white/blue, blue) of the connection. However, the only tone generator shown in the figure is actually built-in to the cable tester. The best bet is to use the complete cable testing function, testing every wire of the cable. See the video solution for more.

Video Solution