A cable tester is a tool that is used to test the connectivity and the strength of a specific network cable or other similar wired assembly. There are various cable testers, designed to test a specific wire or cable. However, they are all used for the same purpose – to test whether a wire or a cable is set up right, connected to the right source and whether the connection between two or more sources is strong enough. For computers, the cable testers are used for testing the network cables. Because various data can be transmitted over a cable, it is important for the cable to connect the server and computer properly. The signal strength needs to be adequate and there shouldn’t be interference from outside sources. A cable tester can test all these factors and can help you set up proper connections.
A LAN cable tester is a tool that is used for testing LAN cables. It has the capability to find certain problems associated with the cable. Any defect can easily be detected with this small but very useful instrument. Generally, a LAN cable tester consists of a source of electric current, a voltmeter and switching matrix that is used to connect the source and the voltmeter to the contact points. A LAN cable tester may also come with a micro-controller and a display monitor to automate the process and to display the results.
A LAN cable tester is used to verify that all connections are properly set up and that there aren’t other connections that are unintended in the cable that is being tested. When expected connection is missing, it is said to be ‘Open’ (as in Open circuit). But, when not planned connection exists, it is said to be a ‘Short’ (as in Short circuit). A network connection is said to be ‘mis-wired’ if it has two errors: it is open to the right contact and short to a wrong contact.
Usually, the testing process is done in two stages. The first stage is called the open test, and this stage makes sure that every planned connections is properly set. The second, called the short test, helps find unintended connections. The LAN cable testers are not only used for testing LAN cables, but for telecommunication and data communication cables as well. In short, a LAN cable tester is a tool that offers a lot and is a must-have network testing tool.
