[Tfug] Network cabling was: Re: tfug Digest, Vol 43, Issue 5

[George Cohn]

john galt wrote:
> How can one tell the
> installers have installed certified cabling? (as opposed to
> cabling tested with a continuity tester) Do they give you a
> test report? If so, what should it say on it?
> 
> What do you mean console cable? Like a RS-232 cable between
> my laptop and the router /switch when configuring them for
> the first time?
>

If they are using a real TDR type tester, it can print out the results 
of the test and you can ask them to give you a copy.  Or it can be 
downloaded and stored on a disk for future reference.

It will give you things like the tested bandwidth, crosstalk, cable 
length, and pinning information.

Here's a link to a pdf 2 page sheet showing how the good ones work:

<http://site.gridconnect.com/docs/testum/nt955_brochure_110505-GC.pdf>

Keep in mind we are talking about a $1,200 tester here, not one of the 
$84 or $8 dollar testers which generally only do continuity.  At this 
price, you get real time domain reflection testing to measure cable 
length and bandwidth.

Here's the home page for that particular tester:

<http://www.gridconnect.com/nt950.html>

Here's the typical $84 tester that only does continuity and pin out:

<http://www.lanshack.com/LANTEST-PRO-Cable-Tester--P32C67.aspx>

And yes, a console cable is a rollover (flipped) cable that usually goes 
between a serial port on a pc and the router you are configuring, 
usually using hyperterm or some other communications program.

George Cohn