5.2 - Hardware Tools Flashcards
Hardware Tools
- Cable crimper
- Cable tester
- Punch-down Tool
- TDR / OTDR
- Light meter
- Toner Probe
- Loopback plug
- Multimeter
- Spectrum analyzer
Cable crimper
- ”Pinch” the connector onto the wire
- The final step of a cable installation
- Metal prongs push through insulation
Cable tester
Continuity testing
Identify missing pins, crossed wires
Not used for advanced testing
Punch-down Tool
Forces wire into a wiring block
Trims the wires and breaks the insulation
TDR / OTDR
(Optical) Time Domain Reflectometer• Estimate fiber lengths, measure signal loss, determine light reflection, create wire maps• May require additional training
Light meter
Send a light from one side• Measure the light power on the othe
Toner Probe
Puts an analog sound on the wire• Inductive probe doesn’t need to touch the copper
Loopback plug
• Useful for testing physical ports• Serial, Ethernet, T1, fiber• These are not crossover cables
Multimeter
AC/DC voltages• Continuity, wire mapping
Spectrum analyzer
View the frequency spectrum• Identify frequency conflicts
Software Tools
Protocol analyzer
Network / port scanner
Wireless packet analysis
Speed test sites
Protocol analyzer
Capture and display network traffic• Use a physical tap or redirect on the switch
Network / port scanner
• Scan for open ports and IP addresses• Visually map the network• Rogue system detection
Wireless packet analysis
View wireless information• Signal-to-noise ratio, channel information, etc.
Speed test sites
Bandwidth testing• Pre- and post-change analysis• Not all sites are the same