Spent $250 on a 'pro' cable tester and it was useless junk

I needed a proper cable tester for running network drops in new builds, so I grabbed this fancy one from a big online retailer. Looked legit, had all these features, but the first time I used it on a run of Cat6 it kept showing crossed pairs when I knew the cable was fine. Three hours of re-terminating before I finally tested it with a basic $30 unit and everything was perfect. Has anyone else fallen for overpriced gear that just doesn't work?

3 comments

3 Comments

brooke7677d ago

Did you try contacting the seller or checking if there was a firmware update for it? Wondering if that model is just known for false readings on Cat6.

the_faith7d ago

Yeah I used to think those testers were pretty solid across the board but after messing with one that kept flagging my own cables... it definitely changed my mind on that model.

felix_hayes647d ago

Got a tester off some random forum years back that swore it could detect "crossed pairs" on any cable. Turned out it just had a loose battery connection and buzzed whenever I shook it. Could be your unit just has a glitch that makes it act up on certain cable types.