Top Reasons You Need a Network Cable Tracer

Network cable tracers and testers are essential tools for network technicians and professionals. Without this testing tool, network technicians are likely to struggle. It’s quite a ground-breaking device developed exclusively for testing network cable connections. Every network technician must keep this testing device. However, in some cases, you may struggle with setting up a network cable connection during the installation of a cable network. If something like this happens, the result of the work isn’t going to be satisfactory. A network cable tester works like a lifesaver in this type of situation.

At present, various types of network cable tracers are available. Every network cable tester has unique features which make it different from others. At the same time, every tester has some limitations also. Picking a suitable cable tracer or tester according to someone’s needs isn’t very simple. For buying a network cable tracer, some of the important considerations are cable compatibility, on-tester LCD/LED display, usability, testing method, warranty period, testing capability, price, etc. Some of the best network cable tracer or tester brands are Fluke, Noyafa, ELEGANT, iMBAPrice, Zoostliss, Klein Tools, TRENDnet, etc. However, Noyafa is a very popular brand at present. Among the Noyafa branded cable tracers and testers, NF-8209 has been extremely popular in the market.

1. Reasons to Use Network Cable Tracers

There are many reasons to use network cable tracers. For network cabling systems, testing tools are very useful.

1.1 Detecting Cable Faults and Save Unnecessary Expenditures

A good network cable tracer can troubleshoot and help you in detecting connection problems and faulty network cables. The network cable tracers are usually simple to use; you don’t need to be an expert to use these. By using these cable tracers or testers, you can easily detect broken connections in any panel without having any professional assistance. Due to identifying faults in network cable connections, a network cable tester helps to prevent unnecessary expenditures.

1.2 Essential for Network Maintenance

A network cable tester can handle tasks varying from the basic ones to the most complex ones. Some of the tasks are determining correct cable connections, determining the data transmission rate of the cable, etc. Some testers fully cover the network maintenance tasks. Therefore, if you are running an extensive network system, you always need a sophisticated network cable tester. For network maintenance, there’s no alternative for a network cable tester.

1.3 Covering Various Types of Network Cable Tests

You can have various types of network cable tests using a network cable tracer. All of these network cable tests are essential for the proper maintenance of a network system.

Cable Length Measurement

Manual cable length measurement can sometimes be difficult as cables may have lengths in the range of 100km (as an example, in airplanes). Network cable tracers become useful in these cases. You just connect one end of the network cable with the tester, and you will get the length information.

Power over Ethernet (PoE) Test

The PoE tester, having a connection to an RJ-45 outlet, checks the cabling system for the existence of power, either IEEE802.3 or 802.3af at standard compliance. You can detect the type and presence of power sourcing equipment (Midspan or Endspan) through PoE testing.

Continuity Test

The continuity test is for checking the current flow’s continuous path in a closed circuit. Through the continuity test, you can also check if electrical currents are flowing between two points.

Port Flash and Switch Details Testing

Port flash can help for locating network cables by creating flashes on a switch. In addition, cable tracers can inform you of details of the connected switch. The details include its speed (10M to 1000M), transmission modes (half duplex and full duplex), Protocol (such as Auto-Nego or Non-AutoNego)

2.Noyafa NF-8209

NF-8209 is one of the most popular network cable tracers under the brand Noyafa.

2.1 Product Overview

NF-8209 is an advanced cable tester. It’s a tracker, toner, and also probe with PoE. The tester has so many functions like detecting PoE voltage, power, current, power supply modes (PoE standards), verifying RJ45 cables, etc. Tracking types are PoE and RJ45 cable. Other functions include lighting and non-contact voltage. It has a warranty of 1 year.

Figure 1: Noyafa NF-8209

2.2 Key Features

• Digital cable scanning: For tracking cables, there are three scan modes: AC filter mode, PoE mode, and Analog mode.
• Multi-function: Cable faults testing, cable length measurement, PoE testing, NCV function, hub blink function, detecting power supply modes (PSE standards).
• 100% affordable: The tester is manufactured in China. It’s cheaper than many competitor products having similar features.
• LCD: The results on display are very direct, visual, and clear.
• Certification: It has passed FCC, CE, and RoHS compliance testing. Also, Noyafa has certification of the ISO 9001 standard.
• PoE testing: It can identify which pins provide power, detect the amount of voltage, and identify the PSE (at/af standard) type.
• Continuity test and NCV: It can check the physical status of UTP and STP LAN cables. Also, it can detect the presence of AC voltage (50V to 1000V).
• Cable testing: It can test UTP telephone and coaxial cable. It can also detect pins out of the network cables.
• Fault distance location: It can measure the length of the cable and locate the distance of fault accurately (with a 200m range) for LAN cable.
• Hub blink: It can locate the network port using the flashing port on the switch or hub. It’s only for 10m to 1000M switches or hubs.

Figure 2: Ports of the NF-8209

Network cable testing is very important for installing new cables and troubleshooting the existing ones. Cable tracers and testers are important diagnostic tools that test the performance and reliability of a system by analyzing and detecting cable network faults and glitches. So, it’s important to know about the importance of network cable tracers and the top network cable tracer brands. We hope this article has been very useful for you to know more about network cable tracers.