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Paladin Tools 70025 RJ45 Network Cable Tester Kit by Paladin Tools
Product DetailsManufacturer: Paladin Tools Model: 70025 Product features: - Kit includes: tester set, patch cords, battery and nylon storage case
- Verifies proper cable configuration and good connections
- LED clearly lights for each pin as the unit goes through the test cycle
- Choice of slow or fast display speeds
- Connection type: RJ45 UTP modular plug. Will test RJ11 cables with an adapter, purchased separately
Accessories:
Tools and Hardware Reviews of Paladin Tools 70025 RJ45 Network Cable Tester KitCustomer Review: Could Be Just Enough Summary: 4 Stars
This simple tool was just what I needed to slap my diagnostic process back on track when a router went belly-up and a portion of the home network seemed to remain dark after replacing it. All I needed was a reminder that when I last thought hard about the topic, I figured I wanted CROSSOVER cables connecting house to office and router to router. More than enough time had passed for me to forget all about the distinction. (That put me back on the trail of reconfiguring the Apple AirPort using the Windows version of the administrative software, and overcoming -4 and -6375 errors; but I digress. If that's part of what you're up against, know that it can be done.) When I plugged the tester in to a wall plug at one end, and the dongle in at the other, and saw the dongle's lights displaying in a scrambled sequence, it was a forehead-smacking reminder.
While I was at it, I double-checked every store-bought and homemade Ethernet cable within reach, just to reduce the risk of other nuisances and surprises in the near future. Holding the tool in my lap and tugging at a suspect homemade patch cable where it entered the RJ45 connector, I was able to see how different stresses caused intermittent connectivity failures.
A note for the unwary: When I first turned the tool on, I got nothing. It felt so light that at first my suspicion fell on whether or not the 9V battery had been included. The designer apparently worked in environments where lost and stolen 9V batteries are a real problem, because he elected to secure the battery compartment with a Phillips head screwdriver. After rummaging through my toolbox for that screwdriver, I was able to open the compartment and establish that the battery was in fact there. Was it so cheap it had already gone dead while the box sat on a shelf? No; it had been stuffed into the battery compartment still wrapped in cellophane. Probably a good idea, but an even better idea would have been to tell me what to expect. I had to debug the tool before I could debug my network.
The tool needs few instructions, but comes with none. You won't find any more on the manufacturer's website. The blurb on the box and these reviews are the most documentation you'll find.
It looks and feels cheap. I'd much rather have a tool with some heft and a dozen or so neatly labeled ports, buttons, and LCDs, along with the manual required to understand them; something with winking and blinking lights, to impress my friends and confound my enemies. For several times the price, I could get one. To use every five years or so? Once a year, if I tell everyone I know that I have such a thing? I couldn't convince myself that would be a good investment. This saved me more than what it cost, in heartburn and wasted time. I'm just lucky the electrician who helped me before retired, or I would have gotten him to come over and tell me what this tool told me, for several times as much. If the tool works the next time I need it, so much the better.
Description of Paladin Tools 70025 RJ45 Network Cable Tester KitDataShark RJ45 Network Tester Kit The DataShark RJ45 Network Tester Kit will take the guesswork out of networking and cable installation. This handy tool is small enough to fit in a pocket, laptop bag, or tool kit. The DataShark RJ45 Network Tester Kit reliably identifies Good connections, Opens and shorts in the network signal, and cross-connections. Quickly and easily test your computer patch cords or installed cable runs to verify good connections or to troubleshoot problems. DataShark is part of the connectool family of brands.
Electrical Tools
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