I have been wanting to review a network cable tester and a tone generator for quite sometime. They are the most useful tools that you can have in the information technology or networking field. If you work in information technology, you know the struggle in finding which network cables go where. Tracing network cables can be a pain with out network tone generators. It is also true for network cable testers, you can’t live without them if you make tons of patch cables. So what is the best network cable tester and tone generator that you can find without spending so much?
Best Network Cable Tester & Network Tone Generator
From personal experience and in my line of work I recommend the Fluke Networks cable tester MT-8200-49A and the MonoPrice MCT-470 tone generator. Both of these tools are very easy to use and very reliable as well. I mostly use the Fluke networks cable tester for testing patch cables that I have made to make sure there are no shorts in it. You can also use it to test reversed pairs, split pairs and crossed pairs. It has a builtin toner as well but you will need to buy a probe separately. I like to use a standalone toner and probe kit for that purpose which is why I use the MonoPrice MCT-470. This toner has saved me many times tracing wires from the most horrendous networking closets.
There is a few tips you will want to know about the MonoPrice MCT-470 toner to better your experience with the tool. The MCT-470 toner probe will have an off setting with in the volume dial, you will want to turn it all the way down to shut it off. I’ve witnessed many people forgetting this and letting the battery drain. I found the network toner probe to work best when using its tip to point at individual wires head-on to get a tone. If you position it sideways you will not be able to point out where the tone is coming from a bunch of wires or it makes the job extra difficult to do so.
I hope I was able to provide you with some great tips on your shopping for the best network cable tester or a tone generator. Here are two affiliate links which you can purchase the products from. Be sure to also buy a network cable coupler while you are at it; it allows you to plug the RJ-11 end of the toner generator to a network coupler and then to the Ethernet cable.
Here I wish to share some pictures taken while working with these tools in the real tech world.
Here is another update to this post with one of the latest tone generators that you can purchase. The Pro3000 Tone & Probe Kit from Fluke Networks is another great tone generator. This device comes with different tones for identifying the exact pair of cables so it does give you a little more accuracy. This model comes with a louder speaker which allows you to hear the tone even through a dry wall. You can also use it to trace a coaxial cable pretty easily, no need to strip the coaxial cable – simply attach red cable to the conductor and black to the sheath. I love the fact that it comes with a nice carrying pouch which keeps it separate from the rest of my network tools. The Pro3000 feels great in your hands and doesn’t feel flimsy like some others on the market.
I hope this helped anyone who is looking for the best tone generators available for purchase. If you liked this article, don’t forget to share it on social media and be sure to comment below with any questions or suggestions that you may have.
