5
5-in-1 Cable Tester
User Manual
CABLE CONDITION
Damage
When a cable test results in a negative reading, the wire, the connectors or both may be at fault. If the
cable has been installed and has been shown to work, it’s likely that the wire or connectors have been
abused in some way. While this tester can identify a “bad” cable, it cannot determine if the wire or the
connectors are at fault. Examine the different parts of the cable to determine the cause of failure and take
the appropriate steps to correct the problem.
Pinpointing a fail location
Like many others, this tester cannot find the exact location of a fault or even determine which connector
is “bad.” It simply indicates that a fault exists. It is the user’s responsibility to locate the fault and take
appropriate action.
Molded-on ends
The ends of many cables are molded on and thus cannot be opened up for repair. If the cable reads as
“bad,” either the entire cable must be replaced or the molded-on end(s) must be removed and replaced
with user-serviceable connectors. An “Open” or “Short” reading is a common type of failure for this cable
type.
Cables with crimped-on RJ connectors
Connectors that are crimped on to cables cannot be reused or repaired; new connectors must be installed.
If the cable was recently installed and it tests as either open or crossed, the RJ connectors have likely been
installed incorrectly. Shorts very seldom occur as the result of a badly crimped RJ connector, so it’s likely
there’s a problem with the wire.
Conflicting readings/results
At times, the test results may conflict with the cable performance. For example, it may test “bad” but work
fine or vice versa. The following are specific situational explanations.
• The tester indicates the cable is bad but works fine on the network
: Installed LAN cables with RJ45
connectors that have been in service may test as open, shorted or crossed because the EIA/TIA 568
standard for LAN cables only uses four of the wires in an eight-wire cable. This tester checks all of the
wires in a LAN cable and identifies any faults, even on wires that aren’t being used.
• The tester indicates the cable is good but it doesn’t work on my LAN
: This tester only performs continuity-
style tests (open, short, crossed, etc.). Because the pairings and connections may be incorrect, excessive
cross talk in the cable can prevent it from working even though it tests okay.
Note: Cross talk increases with cable length. A cable that’s less than 10 feet long may work fine if it’s
incorrectly paired, but a longer cable paired the same way won’t work.
