DataShark Network Cable Tester - Cable Mapper, Check Continuity - Test Patch Cords or Installed Cable Runs

This is a relatively simple tool, but can save you a lot of time and frustration, particularly if you put on your own cable ends. I did some cabling a while back. It is really easy to screw up on a couple wires, get wires crossed, etc. This helps you figured out beforehand if you need to redo the connections. Quite honestly, without this, you should probably just use premade cables.

The DataShark RJ45 Network Tester (70025) is an incredibly simple but essential tool. You can quickly and easily test everything from short patch cables to long through-the-wall data runs. This tester continuously pulses each of the 8 wires in succession and successively illuminates each of the 8 LEDs one at a time on both the sender end and the remote units. If there is a bad connection, the LED will not illuminate on the remote unit identifying the bad wire. If there is a cross wiring problem, the LEDs on the remote unit will illuminate out of succession so you can tell which wires are crossed. This makes it very easy to identify and fix any wiring problems.

Just what I needed!

Handy little gaget

Seems to be a simple cable tester. I have not used it yet. But the product looks to be well made.

Resolved network problem by identifying bad cable

Make running ethernet a lot easier when you are a novice and working by yourself.

Very helpful in the job and have a great value

Works great. Allowed me to check each run of CAT6 in new construction to make sure they were correctly connected. More importantly, it allowed me to find a cross connect error and fix it. The device only tells you what type of error you have. You still need a VOM to identify the location on the cable run.

Tool is as described (continuity checker only, no performance testing), and quickly confirmed some good cables in a new installation, as well as one bad one which had been wired as 568A on one end and 568B on the other. The cable worked fine, though, since the switch was autosensing. Was a little disappointed to see the same unit at Home Depot for less money, even taking tax into account, but its still a lot easier to walk to the mailbox than it is to drive to HD.