Networking Basics Lesson 008: Networking Tools Part 1

What are the common types of networking tools?

Snips and cutters, cable strippers, crimpers, testers, punchdown tools, toner probes, loopback plugs, network taps, Wi-Fi analyzers, punchdown tools.

Snips and Cutters

Used to cut cables from spools or bundles.

Cable Strippers

Used to remove the outer jacket of a cable to expose its inner wires.

When is a cable stripper used?

Usually after the cable has been cut by snips and cutters.

In networking, what do cable strippers allow?

The ability to access the individual wires in a cable for connection of a cable connector, usually an RJ45 connector.

What kind of cable requires a specialized type of cable strippers?

Coaxial cable, in order to cut through the metal braiding and outer jacket to access the center core.

Cable Crimpers

Used to attach connectors to the end of the cable.

What kind of cable requires a specialized type of cable crimpers?

A coaxial cable, in order to attach the end of the cable to a F-type connector.

What does cable crimpers ensure?

That a secure and reliable connection is being made.

Cable Tester

A tool that is used to test the continuity and integrity of a cable.

When is a cable tester used?

After cutting, stripping, and attaching a connector to a cable.

What does a cable tester ensure and how?

Ensures that the cable is properly wired by testing the continuity of the individual wires of the cable.

What are the three types of cable testers?

Multi-testers, wire mapping tools, and cable certifiers.

Multi-Tester

Supports the testing of various cable connectors like RJ45, RJ11, coaxial, fiber, and more.

Which cable tester is versatile for different types of networks?

Multi-tester.

Wire Mapping Tool

Cable tester that is used for diagnosing issues.

What diagnostic issues does a wire mapping tool detect?

Open pairs, shorts pairs, reverse pairs, cross pairs, and split pairs, in twisted wire cables.

Open Pair

A cable issue that occurs when one or more conductors in the pair are not connected on one of the pins at either end of the cable.

Short Pair

A cable issue that occurs when conductors of a wire pair are connected to each other at any location ithin the cable.

Reverse Pair

Occurs when two wires in a single pair are connected to the opposite pins on the other end of the cable.

Cross Pair

Occurs when both wires of one colored pair are connected to the pins of a different colored pair on the opposite end.

Split Pair

Occurs if a wire from one pair is split away from the other and crosses over the wire into an adjacent pair.