oliverhernandez•14d agoProlific Poster

Still using a multimeter for cable testing or did you switch to a toner tool kit?

I used to spend forever checking every network drop with just a multimeter. Got tired of guessing which wire was which in a bundle. About 6 months ago I bought a $40 toner and probe kit from Amazon. Now I can trace a single line through a whole wall in under 2 minutes. Anyone else made the switch or do you still stick with the old method?

3 comments

3 Comments

the_wesley14d agoMost Upvoted

Picked up a toner kit for the same reason. Multimeter only gets you so far when you're dealing with 20 cables stuffed in a ceiling. The probe lets me hear exactly which port in the patch panel it's going to. Saves me from pulling the wrong cable out and having to re-terminate the whole thing.

the_thea14d ago

I keep a multimeter in the bag for quick continuity checks, but I grab the toner for anything beyond that. No contest.

quinna8914d agoTop Commenter

You're not wrong @the_thea, but a toner won't help you if the cable's actually broken somewhere in the middle. You gotta have both in the bag. A multimeter tells you if the wire's got a short or open, but the toner finds exactly where the break is hiding. I've been burned thinking a cable was good just because it toned out, only to find out later the pair had a partial short.