568 cable tester/continuity/wire-mapper etc.

[ike5547]

I just gave away my cable tester (i've had it for 15 years) to a co-worker at the request of my boss under the understanding that he will personally finance a new one for me. Whatever the latest and greatest happens to be.

Do you guys have any recommendations for a new cable tester?

 

[JFletcher]

If your boss is footing the bill, then a Fluke DTX 1800.

there are a ton of products on the market that will do basic wiremapping for <$100. I dont know that any are really better than another.

 

[dfmischler]

I have a Klein VDV Scout Pro, because it was on the wall in Home Depot when I needed one. It works OK. One of the things I like about it, aside from the basic wire map and identify functions, is that it will allow you to put tone on any individual pair. Of course it doesn't test POE, or certify installed cable characteristics, or do LLDP. But what do you expect for $80?

If you can get the boss to buy a "real world certifier" (aka qualifier) like the Byte Bros RWC1000K that might give you a little more capability, but It still won't really certify cables. And that level of tester costs about 4 times what a simple wire mapper costs. A real cable certifier costs from a couple to many thousands.