Klein tools Ethernet cable tester for setting up home or professional networks. Having used this for a fairly big home job I can say I'm glad I spent the extra over the cheap jobs. Started with one of them and it was hopeless. This is a good price as they normally go for well over $100.
CamelCamelCamel.
I'm not a professional but did try the basic cable testers first and found them to be a pain. I imagine if you're a pro this is the type of device you would use rather than a shonky analogue one, although it may get you by. You definitely need a tester though if you're doing your own cable crimping, don't even try go without. Note there is a pro 3 as well, so check the additional features to see if they're needed for you.
You definitely need a tester though if you're doing your own cable crimping, don't even try go without.
This is only really applicable if you're a beginner, or you're troubleshooting. Once you have good equipment, (RJ45 jacks, keystones, good CAT6(a) cabling (4cabling ftw) etc), and a bit of practice, you won't definitely need one.
I haven't needed a tester in the last 15 years. The only time I needed one recently was when a patch panel was pulled forward, pulling one of the twisted pairs out of the back of a keystone. I couldn't quite work out why the device was getting POE, but no data.
That said though, this is one of those "nice to have" items.
Any recommendation on which cat6 from 4cabling? Plan to get a roll of 305m I guess. Solid, 23awg, is cat 6 enough or should get cat 6a? I’ve just got 1000/50 nbn so will use some of this for wired backhaul to mesh APs, don’t really transfer super big files around local network etc. cat 6 305m is about $220 and cat 6a is about $330 so it’s quite a difference.
I struggled finding a good deal on keystones that people actually recommend too if you have any suggestion!
@dammit: Most of their cabling is very good. Take note of the pricing that changes with colour. When I did a most recent job, grey was the cheapest with purple and blue being the most expensive at the time. If you don't care about the colour, go for the cheapest. The one you linked to ($195) will be fine, it's a good price too for 100% copper CAT6.
If you're not doing longer runs of 10GbE, then CAT6 is fine for most use cases. Go for solid cabling for in-wall or ceiling runs, not stranded.
As for keystones, they are usually expensive by default. I used to get the ones from 4cabling, but, recently I've decided to try the Cable Matters ones from Amazon. These are compatible with most keystone wallplates and the TrendNet Patch Panel that's also available on Amazon.
The only other thing to be mindful of, is 305m enough? I cabled up my house recently and only have 80m left, and that's only a single story house.
The only other thing to be mindful of, is 305m enough? I cabled up my house recently and only have 80m left, and that's only a single story house.
Also, is one point per room enough? I cabled my whole house with two in each room. Get two boxes and run together, then at least its there if you need it. With the right balun can be used for pretty much anything, not just LAN. (Also single story, and have one box with 67m left. The other 67m went into extra runs for a ceiling access point and PoE cameras, probably a few cables here and there. As much as you plan, it's never enough :D)
@bamzero: Yep, very good points.
I pulled eight runs to one room designated to be an office, with one pull box, wishing I had bought two. But, ya know how budgets are.
It's never enough.
@Goldfire: Thanks for the advice, sounds like 305m definitely won’t get me very far!! A lot of the cabling will be under the house in subfloor area too which is very moist so from my research I probably should consider conduit (bit of a pain) or outdoor rated cable…
Do you only use keystones for the patch panel and hard wire to rj45 wall plates for individual rooms or do you get like a 2 gang wall plate (or how ever many blank slots) and put a keystone and click it into the wall plate in each room too? Edit to add- I think I mostly have Clipsal/hpm gpos/ light switches (1990s house) but probably will upgrade them at some stage too especially the light switches once I get home assistant going and some relays etc.
@dammit: No worries. Yea, I had to map out my place and make sure that 305m would cover it.
Keystones are basically what you've described, they click into wall plates that are compatible with them or patch panels. Make sure you check compatibility though, there are adaptors that can convert between keystone and the standard Australian HPM outlets that it sounds like you have. Otherwise, grab a 2 (or more) gang plate that supports them.
You claim that cable testers are for beginners. Given your comments, it's quite clear you're a novice. It doesn't sound like the job you undertook was particularly complex, although congrats for completing it. Claiming you don't need a cable tester for any other reason than a lack of experience is utterly absurd.
@Budju: Sorry, but no, your assumptions aren't very accurate at all. I have more than 20 years of network experience alone. I used network testers early on to ensure correct terminations as I was learning for the first handful of years. As I said, I haven't needed a tester for the last 15 years, other than diagnosing the fault I had at a patch panel recently - the tester remains in my toolbox collecting dust otherwise.
The most recent job I did was just at home for replacing some aging CAT5e, so yes, that wasn't complex at all. Other than that, over the course of those 15 years or so, I've easily terminated tens of thousands of keystones, jacks, etc without any faults.
I'm sorry that you feel that network testers are absolutely necessary, and that people that don't use them are a masochist though.
I don't have that issue as I have confidence in my workmanship and accuracy. Maybe you'll get there one day as well considering you mentioned you aren't a professional.
Enjoy your tester! :)
@Budju: only joke here is you tbh. you saying that you definitely need a tester and don't even try to go without is also another good joke. you've already shown your level of competence here
it's like offering some masking tape to a professional painter. they don't need it, it's just a "nice to have", even though they they can do the job just fine without it.
it's outlandish to think that people at the top of their game would even need these sorts of tools to do their job correctly. and that people are a masochist without them
they're only really needed for troubleshooting most the time.
Mate you'll be fine without a tester, I've done dozens without a tester. I did get a krone tool for free, that will definitely help. Leave plenty of spare on the cables before cutting to terminate and plug it in, if it doesn't work cut it back and try again
It depends how much you value your time especially when routing multiple connector points and making your own wall outlets. I would never attempt that without a tester, are you a masochist?
I wish that I could give you more upvotes on this :-)
If you are doing the cabling, I'd say get a cable tester. Either this, the pro one line OP, or even a cheapie from ebay worst case. If you either punched them down improperly or in wrong order, these will save you a lot of time in diagnosis.
It’s a nice to have, not a game changer.
I find the analog ones fine so long as your battery in it is branded and fresh. Also understand if the cable your testing exceeds 50-100m your going to need to make sure the battery has enough power to send that teat signal through.
Invest your money in a quality crimper, decent RJ45 clips and dont cheap out on the CAT6 cable you use. I personally wont use anything less than CAT6 or CAT6A from 4cabling.
I have one of these for a few years work fine. https://www.bunnings.com.au/antsig-antenna-accessory-network…
I always ask my self Is this Klein version that much better?
I'm not certain on the Klein version but there are certainly much better testers out there with more capabilities. I had a few testers like that one - they're very cheap on AliExpress but will work the same.
One problem with these cheap testers is that if you're only looking at the lights on the powered end, you won't know if you've transposed a couple wires at one of the ends - had an issue once where I was pulling my hair out trying to work out why a camera wasn't working when the tester said it was fine - took me a while to check the other tester end and go "Doh!"
That's a great point.
I've done 30-50 cables with the basic cable tester but if you were going to invest in a more expensive unit I'd get this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbJHU7kIHDA
These Noyfa ones seem interesting.
For the money, this doesn't seem very capable. I've got a few Noyafa testers that have a lot more capabilities than this - e.g.
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B0CW2MB7FV
You can get it quite a bit cheaper on AliExpress - I actually picked up a 2nd one for about AU$63 with a special 50% off with coins deal - you probably won't get it that cheap, but there at least coupons on AliExpress that will be active this afternoon to bring it down a bit from the normal price.
I've also got one of these:
https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B08334F1TD
It's cheaper on Amazon than the posted deal and still more capable. Cheaper again on AliExpress.
These days when I run a cable, I'll terminate one end first, then put the tester on it to check continuity - that will tell me whether there are any shorts within the cable itself or maybe within the end that I just did. I'll then do a length test to make sure that there are no breaks in the cable itself and that all wires are connected in the new end. If that all passes, I then crimp the other end and do a continuity test. If you crimp both ends first and then test and you've got a short, you won't know which end the fault is at, so you could end up chopping off and redoing an end that was actually fine.
I hadn't heard of these they look pretty cool. I guess it isn't a surprise that China has a knock off that has more features for cheaper than an American company like Klein Tools.
Yeh the klein seems pretty much like your standard 8 LED tester, just a fancier screen.
The NF-8506 looks pretty good. I see there is also the NF-8508 that adds optical but loses the ping test..
Don't need optical now, but who knows in future.. Don't know if I'd use the ping test either, you ever use it?
I have tried the ping test a couple of times, but to be honest, it's easier to just plug a laptop in for that type of test most of the time.
I do feel like these perspectives are from people who have tested one or two cable links, and not 15 or 20 in a single sitting.
Ended up ordering an NF-8508. With store and Aliexpress coupons came in at just under AU$85. See how it goes in a week or two.
(After having a flick through the manual, the 8508 is also missing the IP scan and Switch test (showing switch speed and duplex mode). Again features that I probably wont miss. It does add a crimp quality test. Not quite sure how that works any different to a continuity test.)
Cat 6 is unshielded easier to install cat 6a is shielded harder to work with. You will need cat 6a rj45 jacks quite more expensive and they will need to be grounded. So buy a cheap cable tester with G under $15 on amazon
If you not confident i reccommend running the cable and intalling the sockets yourself to save money. Then just a hiring a registered cabler with the S endorsement to terminate and test them.
Im going to wire my home with cat6, about 20 outlets all up… is something like this a huge game changer ? I was thinking I’ll just plug in and if it doesn’t work I’ll know there’s a problem, or am I missing something ? I probably should get a decent punch down tool too I imagine, I actually did 2 outlets using a very flexible credit card to save having to buy that as a one-off…well, this is ozbargain :D