# Recommendation needed: Cat5e Network cable tester? **URL:** \ **Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\ **Created:** [January 26, 2006, 12:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346 "2006-01-26T12:03:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![SilencingMachine](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/silencingmachine/32/7593_2.png) [@SilencingMachine](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SilencingMachine)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/1 "2006-01-26T12:03:25Z")
[font=Verdana][size=2][font=Verdana][size=2]I see a whole lot of different makes/models available on ebay/newegg/etc and I have to say I don’t recognize a single brand name. I really only need one to test cat5e cable wiring so, I could care less if it checks USBs, phone lines, etc – but **the cheaper the better.** I see some shipping directly from hong kong for like $10 on ebay… should i buy one of those? :gotme: Can someone recommend one?.. or better yet let me borrow theirs for a weekend or something. 🙂 😃 [/size][/font] [/size][/font] ---
**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:08pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/2 "2006-01-26T12:08:38Z")
FLUKE \> nuff said ---
**Author:** ![RuBiCaNT](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/rubicant/32/7622_2.png) [@RuBiCaNT](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RuBiCaNT)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:10pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/3 "2006-01-26T12:10:28Z")
> [@BuickGN](#): > > FLUKE \> > > nuff said :word: ---
**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:25pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/4 "2006-01-26T12:25:44Z")
but the one i use is def not 10 bucks, lol ---
**Author:** ![SilencingMachine](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/silencingmachine/32/7593_2.png) [@SilencingMachine](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SilencingMachine)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:26pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/5 "2006-01-26T12:26:24Z")
:meh: those _ **do** _ look \> any other ones i’ve seen… i’m not really looking for something that has to last me forever… i’ll probably only use it once or twice in my life lol. ---
**Author:** ![RobHimself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e480ec/32.png) [@RobHimself](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RobHimself)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:30pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/6 "2006-01-26T12:30:44Z")
Fluke +1 but those are muy expensivo looking at $800 for a good one. If you just want to test that all 8 pins are connecting any one will do. Fluke will tell you just about everything you need to know about your lines and how well data is getting through them. When i was in college we used a lancat but those are way up there in price, more than the fluke… ---
**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:42pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/7 "2006-01-26T12:42:16Z")
well if your just doing it to test a specific cable, just bring to with ya and whatever one doesnt work, thats the bad one 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SilencingMachine](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/silencingmachine/32/7593_2.png) [@SilencingMachine](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SilencingMachine)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:48pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/8 "2006-01-26T12:48:01Z")
i wish. i basically have to rewire the office (from the wall jacks to the switches), it’s really not that many connections but they are all non-standard wiring at this point. :roll: ---
**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:49pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/9 "2006-01-26T12:49:48Z")
hmm well you might want to pick up something that tests the drops also, since those can be bad too, ive seen alot coming from the patch panel go bad and thought it was a cable, needless to say that took about 5 hours longer than it should of troubleshooting that mess. ---
**Author:** ![SilencingMachine](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/silencingmachine/32/7593_2.png) [@SilencingMachine](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SilencingMachine)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:52pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/10 "2006-01-26T12:52:43Z")
this one? [http://cgi.ebay.com/Cable-Tester-LAN-Network-RJ-45-Cat-5-RJ-11-RJ-12-USB-1\_W0QQitemZ5858401279QQcategoryZ58300QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem](http://cgi.ebay.com/Cable-Tester-LAN-Network-RJ-45-Cat-5-RJ-11-RJ-12-USB-1_W0QQitemZ5858401279QQcategoryZ58300QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) this one? [http://cgi.ebay.com/CABLE-TESTER-for-RJ45-RJ11-RJ12-Network-Cables-NEW-05\_W0QQitemZ5856792199QQcategoryZ58300QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem](http://cgi.ebay.com/CABLE-TESTER-for-RJ45-RJ11-RJ12-Network-Cables-NEW-05_W0QQitemZ5856792199QQcategoryZ58300QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) neither? :gotme: \<\<\<\ **Author:** ![RobHimself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e480ec/32.png) [@RobHimself](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RobHimself)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/11 "2006-01-26T12:54:50Z") Well if your goal is to just make sure there is a straight connection to all 8 wires then that will do just fine, you dont need much to test that. The fluke and lancat are very advanced, can tell noise in the lines, legnth of the line, data rates, and all sorts of fun stuff. ---
**Author:** ![SilencingMachine](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/silencingmachine/32/7593_2.png) [@SilencingMachine](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SilencingMachine)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:55pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/12 "2006-01-26T12:55:45Z")
:tspry: cheap = good. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:56pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/13 "2006-01-26T12:56:50Z")
[http://cgi.ebay.com/FLUKE-DSP-4300-CABLE-ANALYZER-CAT5e-Cat6-Certifier\_W0QQitemZ7584214154QQcategoryZ97139QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem](http://cgi.ebay.com/FLUKE-DSP-4300-CABLE-ANALYZER-CAT5e-Cat6-Certifier_W0QQitemZ7584214154QQcategoryZ97139QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) i use this one, of course i didnt pay for it, but im not sure if those cheap ones would give you the same hardon as a fluke 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![SilencingMachine](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/silencingmachine/32/7593_2.png) [@SilencingMachine](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/SilencingMachine)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 12:59pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/14 "2006-01-26T12:59:42Z")
> [@BuickGN](#): > > [http://cgi.ebay.com/FLUKE-DSP-4300-CABLE-ANALYZER-CAT5e-Cat6-Certifier\_W0QQitemZ7584214154QQcategoryZ97139QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem](http://cgi.ebay.com/FLUKE-DSP-4300-CABLE-ANALYZER-CAT5e-Cat6-Certifier_W0QQitemZ7584214154QQcategoryZ97139QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem) > > i use this one, of course i didnt pay for it, but im not sure if those cheap ones would give you the same hardon as a fluke 🙂 :jawdrop: soooooooooo can i borrow that one? lol yeah right. :gtfo: ---
**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:03pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/15 "2006-01-26T13:03:58Z")
yeah if i could get it out of here, which would probably be a problem…lol ---
**Author:** ![RobHimself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e480ec/32.png) [@RobHimself](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/RobHimself)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/16 "2006-01-26T13:07:31Z")
[http://cgi.ebay.com/Fluke-Networks-Nettool-Inline-Network-Tester-NEW\_W0QQitemZ5859517905QQcategoryZ28026QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting](http://cgi.ebay.com/Fluke-Networks-Nettool-Inline-Network-Tester-NEW_W0QQitemZ5859517905QQcategoryZ28026QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem#ebayphotohosting) This is the one we use, ALOT smaller than GN’s the one he posted is fawking big! but that one is the bomb diggity pro version. But you really dont need one of these to do what you are trying to. ---
**Author:** ![95AccordVtec](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/95accordvtec/32/7239_2.png) [@95AccordVtec](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/95AccordVtec)\ **Post date:** [January 26, 2006, 1:29pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/recommendation-needed-cat5e-network-cable-tester/7346/17 "2006-01-26T13:29:28Z")
SilencingMachine: the links that you posted for testers on ebay should be just fine. i actually used a tool like that about a week ago when i was setting up the network in my home. basically it just tells you if the cable is good …