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A cable tester is a vital part of any cable installation company's arsenal. Most customers today require
you to send certified test results after the job is complete. There are many reasons to invest in a cable
tester for your company. We will visit those later in the article. All of your men should be trained in
testing and troubleshooting using which ever tester you decide to purchase. A good quality cable tester
will improve your productivity and lead to very satisfied, happy customers. Isn't that one of your most
important goals as a business?
Customers today are keen to saving a buck here and there and will be more involved in projects that they
are spending money on. The biggest reason the customer wants cable test results is because this is a
requirement for the warranty from the cable manufacturer. The test results can be neatly gathered into a
PDF file and emailed directly to the customer. This also gives them proof that the cable was tested in case
they have an issue down the road on cables that have not been patched in during initial cable installation.
Why A Cable Tester is Worth It's Weight In Gold
Investing in a cable tester will be one of the best decisions you make as an owner of a cabling installation
business. The top tier cable testers are not cheap. They can run up to $15,000 for basic models but will be
well worth the investment in the long run. Troubleshooting cable problems is very time consuming. The
source of the problem can be many things. You first need to determine if it is the horizontal cable run. A
cable tester can perform this task in seconds. This will eliminate many, many hours of chasing what you
think are cabling issues when it is really an equipment problem. If it is a cabling problem you will save
even more time. There are literally hundreds of scenarios you can encounter when dealing with cabling
problems.
Here are a few common issues:
Swapped pairs, reversals, shorts,
Broken pins in either the jack or patch panel
Return Loss
Crosstalk
Insertion Loss
EMI Interference
Cut Cables
Poor termination
Troubleshooting Can Be Frustrating
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Troubleshooting without a cable tester can be an infuriating task. You will find yourself running from
workstation to telecommunications room, trying a fix and reconnect a cable. That doesn't work. Now you
need to try another fix and reconnect and then run around like a headless chicken again. Not only is this
very frustrating but if the customer is around (which they usually are at the end of the project), this will
make you look like you don't know what you are doing and very unprofessional. On another note all your
field techs should carry a network cable meter in their tool bag. The Fluke Linkrunner is probably the best
on the market today.
The cable tester is actually more important for your company than it is for the customer. You can prove
all your work was installed properly and prevent the customer from picking up the phone immediately
when something is not working to bring you in. Most times it is something the network team has not
patched or not patched correctly. It's easy to just pick up the phone and call you in. This is usually a
wasted trip and costs you money time and again. The bottom line here is you must own a decent cable
tester if you are in the cable installation business. Do your homework, check reviews and customer
feedback and then pull the trigger. It is an investment that will pay you back many times over the years to
come.