We’re often asked: what are the essential testing tools that my technicians absolutely need? After all, there are hundreds of products that analyze low-voltage signals, cables and connections. Some are feature rich, others target affordability. But what testers are essential? Which tools speed up installations and service calls, ensuring infrastructures meet specifications and signals perform flawlessly?
Future Ready Solutions offers a wide range of cable, network and audio-visual testing solutions that address specific applications:
Within each category there’s a range of solutions with often overlapping features and accessories. Some testers come in kits — others are standalone devices. Some target high-end calibration — others basic cable and connector integrity. And while every integrator and installation has a unique focus, there are essential tools that belong in every tool kit. This article explores some of the most popular ones.
Test Power over Ethernet and Power Supply Voltage
The Platinum Tools TPS200C is an easy-to-use, pocket-sized tester for DC power supplies and all varieties of PoE (including Type 3). It’s ideal for testing, monitoring and troubleshooting current to cameras, VOIP phones, access points and other PoE-based devices.
The TPS200C quickly detects PoE signal type and measures power consumption from both connected PoE devices and DC power supplies. It supports power signals up to 56 volts and 280 watts and is fully powered by the PoE circuit — no batteries required. It can be used inline to measure current without disrupting data flow or by itself in a Powered Device (PD) Simulation mode to determine the maximum power available from a PoE power source.
At a price under $100, the TPS200C is a vital and affordable tool that will save hours troubleshooting power draw and power supply related issues in the field.
Locate and Trace Hidden Cables
The Platinum Tools TDG310K1C is an easy-to-use digital tone and probe kit that locates, traces and tests individual and bundled low-voltage cables. Unlike analog tone and probe testers, the TDG310K1C is compatible with unpowered and active digital cables, including phone lines, twisted pair network cables and coaxial cables. It’s an essential tool for identifying and tracing modern cables within walls, plenum areas, racks and other restricted, closed off or hard to reach spaces.
In addition to cable identification and tracing, the TDG310K1C also features built-in RJ45 connection testing that verifies proper RJ45 termination, including continuity, pinout and short circuits. Other user-friendly features include audible and visual signal strength indicators, a built-in high-intensity flashlight, a built-in headphone jack and an included carrying case.
At a price under $200, the TDG310K1C saves hours troubleshooting installations and cable paths, including those behind walls or buried in bundles, without the need to unplug connections or disable network traffic.
Quickly Test Twisted Pair Cables
The Platinum Tools TP500C LANSeeker is an easy-to-use, pocket-sized cable tester and tone generator designed for twisted pair network cables. It’s ideal for quickly identifying shorts, opens, miswires, reverse pairs and split pairs.
The TP500C includes a main testing unit with a conveniently attached remote. When connected to a cable, easy-to-read LEDs identify cabling issues within 2 seconds. When disconnected from a cable, the main tester and remote automatically power-off within 5 seconds.
In addition to identifying common cabling issues, the TP500C also generates audio tones for use with tone tracers on all pairs and features a built-in debug mode that displays faults one pair at a time.
At a price under $100, the TP500C LANSeeker is a vital and affordable tool for identifying cable and connector issues on a pair-by-pair basis, ensuring network and AV installations are up-and-running quickly and properly.
Test and Map Twisted Pair and Coax Cables
The Platinum Tools VDV MapMaster 3.0 is a powerful, easy-to-use twisted pair network cable tester that combines continuity testing, mapping, tone generation and length measurement into a single system. It’s ideal for installing, troubleshooting and maintaining voice, data and video infrastructures.
The VDV MapMaster combines powerful features with essential performance. Features include an easy-to-read backlit display, a built-in flashlight, glow-in-the-dark buttons and built-in master remote storage. When deployed, industry-leading capacitive testing technology tests and maps cables and connections up to 1000 feet (305m).
In addition to testing and mapping, the VDV MapMaster also features advanced network discovery which detects and activates device ports and connections.
The VDV MapMaster testing system is available in two models: the basic kit with a compact roll-up soft-style carrying case (part number T130K1) and the deluxe kit with a larger over-the-shoulder bag and additional accessories (part number T130K3). All models feature the same testing and mapping capabilities, and most integrators opt for the basic kit priced around $230.
Certify Network Speeds and Test Twisted Pair and Fiber Optic Cables
The Platinum Tools PT-OTDR-100 is a powerful, easy-to-use multifunction tester for both twisted pair and fiber optic cables. It provides a variety of cable length, quality and mapping tests, including optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR), continuity, loss, event wiremap, IP and fault testing.
OTDR testing is particularly useful in fiber-based infrastructures because it measures overall cable length and length to fault through a short pulse of light. The PT-OTDR-100 allows these tests to be saved and exported, allowing a cable’s performance to be compared overtime. OTDR testing is supported for lengths from 3 meters up to 105 kilometers.
Additionally, the PT-OTDR-100 also features a built-in flashlight, 10mW visual fault locator (VFL), optical power meter (OPM) and optical light source (LS).
For added versatility, the PT-OTDR-100 also features RJ45 and twisted pair testing, including continuity verification and twisted pair TDR length measurement.
At a price around $750, the PT-OTDR-100 is an extremely affordable tool for identifying twisted pair and fiber optic cable and connector issues, as well as analyzing network signals. Its user-friendly touchscreen and rugged construction are perfect for field technicians and network engineers.
Locate Fiber Optic Breaks, Verify Connectors and Trace Cables
The LightSpeed Technologies® VFL-1 is a compact fiber optic visual fault locator (VFL) that’s ideal for locating breaks and out-of-spec bends in a fiber optic cable. It’s also a crucial tool for verifying mechanical fiber optic connectors are terminated properly and identifying strands during splicing and/or patching.
At a price under $50, the VFL-1 is very affordable and comes loaded with features including a transmission distance of 5km / 3.1 miles, rugged metal housing, built-in dust cap and multiple modes of operation.
The VFL-1 is compatible with both multimode and single mode fiber, and supports all common connector formats.
Test & Troubleshoot 4K & 8K HDMI
The Murideo MU-FXHD-KIT-8K Fox & Hound testing and troubleshooting kit addresses common 4K and 8K issues, including bandwidth, signal continuity, EDID irregularities, HDCP handshaking, metadata quirks with HDR and 2 – 8 channel audio confirmation. It’s an essential tool for rapidly detecting and resolving issues between HDMI cables, active optical cables and audio-visual electronics in the field.
Though the Fox & Hound costs more than the other solutions on this list (around $1,500), it justifies the expense with an extremely robust complement of features and signal format compatibility. It’s one of the few field-rated products that supports VESA, 720, 1080p, 4K or 8K signals with up to 40Gbps video bandwidth, including full HDR, HDR10+ and HLG support.
The Fox & Hound kit includes separate signal analyzers and generators designed for ergonomic use. Simply put: if you install or service HDMI cables and equipments, the Fox & Hound should be in your tool kit.
Purchased together, the total cost for all the testers on this list is around $2,775 — that’s a tremendous value considering the hours saved when installing, troubleshooting and servicing network, control and audio-visual systems. Of course, the cost will fluctuate when tools are added or subtracted from the list and, as mentioned earlier, it’s worth reviewing the broader Future Ready Solutions tool and tester offering.
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