Customer Reviews

TRENDnet Cable Tester 10/100 COAX and TP ( TC-NT2 )

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

TRENDware CABLE TESTER 10/100 COAX & TP ( TC-NT2 )

I used this tester to verify coax and Cat5e wiring as a structured wiring system was installed. Three Cat5e and two RG6 (coax) cables went to each room from a centrally located panel. Cat5e cable is somewhat fragile, so the time to verify it works is when it's installed. With dry-wall up, you're screwed if a concealed cable fails.

Verifies that:
...1) wiring is correct end to end; i.e., it has connectivity, the right wire on each pin, no shorts, and no wrong cross-overs,
...2) the cable isn't damaged,
...3) the connector isn't defective.

Install terminators on each end; plug one end of the cable into the sending unit and the other end into the receiving (remote) unit. If either end of the cable has a jack (versus a plug), plug one end of a straight-through patch cable into that jack and the other end into the tester. Choose testing one wire (pin or path) at a time, or, auto cycle through 8 wires + ground. Testing is simplest with the remote unit in sight. Otherwise, use the auto setting and go to that other end to see what's happening, or have a helper yell back (or walkie talkie) which lights come on.

The sending unit tests wires in sequence (1 to 8, ground) and then repeats until you turn it off. For each wire tested, a corresponding red LED on the sender lights. A low-voltage current is sent on that wire to an LED on the remote. If there is continuity, a numbered red light on the remote comes on. If you're testing wire 1 and it's received on wire 1 on the remote, the number 1 LED lights. If it's received on another wire (e.g., wire 2), that LED comes on. If it's received on multiple wires, they'll all light. If it's not received at all, no LED's light up. On auto mode, LED's 1 through 8 should light at the remote at one second intervals.

Even though all 29 of my RG6 cables check out OK, some of the 45 Cat5e connections didn't; which I then fixed. The Trendware tester found one defective Keystone jack, a plug where I had crossed wires, and a jack where a wire didn't make contact with the internal crimper.

To test RG6 coax, you'll need two F Type Female to BNC Male adapters. You can also purchase USB and Firewire adapters to test those cable types (see customer photos).

You can also test multiple cables to/from the same location using a jumper. E.g., at a bedroom wall plate location, attach the ends of two coax cables together using a double female jack, then concurrently test the two cables from the Structured Panel end.

Comes in a zipper case, with room for the optional adapters. I tested an entire house, and didn't need to change the unit's 9 volt battery.

Excellent product.

The good - This is quite a nice low to mid priced unit. It tests and indicates each wire separately and can be used to detect both crossed, open and shorted wires. It can test one wire at once or sequence though the set which can make faults easier to spot. It also claims to produce a "Tone" in the 600Hz to 800Hz range. This is not what you might assume - a tone that sounds when the connection is good - but a test signal send along the wire for use in conjunction with a "compatible Tone probe" which can be used to find the location of the break in a wire. Sounds like a very useful feature only the Tone Probe is a separate tool and the manual is a vague on what tool might be compatible. A good guess might be the TrendNet TC-TP1 Amplified Induc.and Tone Probe
also currently available from Amazon. Strangely neither product refers to the other even though they are from the same company. I have asked TrendNet if they work together so we shall see.

The not so good - There are a number of low priced cable testers available and this one is a bit more expensive although still quire reasonable compared to "professional" models. I decided on this tool since it seemed to offer the broadest range of cable interfaces for the price. It does this but rather less conveniently than I had hoped. Mea culpa but I was disappointed to discover on receipt that the USB and Firewire connectors are extra, around $15, and are not currently available from Amazon. Don't assume as I did, that they are included just because there is a customer photo of them. Also the Coaxial test connectors are BNC rather than the more common F type used for CATV/Cable. TrendNet does not seem to make an F-Type adapter for the unit so it is necessary to find a BNC to F-Type adapter elsewhere. It would be so much more convenient if all this was just included in the kit even if it was a few dollars more. Most households these day will have F-type coaxial, RJ11 telephone, RJ45 ethernet, and various types of USB and Firewire. If you are buying a tool like this it would be convenient if it was comprehensive out of the box.

I haven't used the tool in anger yet but some cursorary tests with various Telephone (RJ11) and Network (Cat5 RJ45) cables I had lying around seemed to indicate general goodness. The RJ11 telephone cables were a bit difficult to insert and remove from the RJ45 sockets so you need to be careful you don't strain them.

You could just connect it to a computer and see if it works, but this helps build some confidence. This was my first attempt to crimp CAT5/6 ethernet cables and wire my home. I bought a spool of CAT5 and ends from Home Depot, bought the Trendware crimp tool & this tester tool online. I just wanted some confidence that the connections were okay.

I assume the tool did something complex, but it doesn't. It just tells you that all the connections are solid. I had absolutely no problem with this tool. It worked perfectly. It just doesn't really test out the line other than make sure connections from one end reach the other end. It does *not* catch twisted pair issues.

By the way, don't forget to look up color diagrams and make sure you use the correct twisted pairs together. It isn't enough to just have the right stright-through connections from one end to another. You must match the correct pairs. Although color doesn't matter, you have to pair the expected two at the other end. That's how it does error correction, by assuming the same interference is seen on each twisted pair and cancels out the same signal on both. If you don't pair them correctly, it cannot error correct. I needed a 50 foot run under the house, and it didn't work until I paired the correct twisted pair. Do some internet research on this and print some colored guides. This tool doesn't test for that.

In the end, I still recommend this to build confidence. If you did mess up a connection, it isn't worth my time to mess with it another 1/2 hour or to find out later that it doesn't work at all. So for that confidence and saving you time, I recommend it.

This is a great cable tester for the money if you will mostly be testing UTP/STP cable. If you are looking to test coax with F-type connectors, you will need to purchase a BNC-to-F-type adapter separately; the adapter pictured in one of the customer-submitted images here is not included. The 9-volt battery is also not included.

Even with the right adapter, testing F-type-terminated coax is rather cumbersome with this tester. Since it only has an RJ45 port, you will have an RJ45-to-BNC adapter (included) plugged into the tester, a BNC-to-F-type adapter (not included) plugged into the RJ45-to-BNC adapter, and finally the cable you want to test at the end of the chain.

I returned this tester to Amazon and purchased a Paladin Tools LAN ProNavigator instead, which has both RJ45 and BNC ports and includes a BNC-to-F-type adapter, a BNC-to-RCA adapter, a patch cord, and a battery. This allowed me to test all the wiring in my new house quickly, with only one adapter hanging off the side of the tester, and without having to go buy batteries or missing parts.

The company I work for is getting new VOIP phones in the near future, and as part of this project I needed to tone our ethernet lines. I read a few reviews, and ended up buying this tester along with the Trendnet TC-TP1 Probe. It worked beautifully for about twenty minutes, but then died on me. Even though there is only two-and-a-half volts passing down cat5 cable, apparently that is enough to fry it. I have only myself to blame though, as it states all over the tester that it is "not for live circuits". I had assumed that this message was merely a safety warning, and not something I needed really to concern myself with. Newbie mistake.

I will be buying another one, and this one I will test only on dead lines. And I predict it will work great for me. So a word of warning to other newbs, really do only use it on dead lines!

This unit will do basic continuity checks and generate tones on a CAT-5 cable, installed or standalone. The functionality and interface are both very good. However the supplied accessories include two useless BNC adapters and only one 5-inch CAT-5 cable. You need TWO short cables to check an installed CAT-5 run terminated with RJ-45 wall jacks.

What it won't tell you, however, is whether or not any of the four twisted pairs have been incorrectly assigned, or split. This is important because a signal's path should always run across two wires that are twisted together. If a signal runs across two wires from two different twisted pairs, you lose the benefit of the twisting (interference rejection), especially with long cable runs.

So, Amazon was very cooperative in permitting this unit's return, and I bought the Test-Um Lan Roamer Pro instead to get the missing feature. Unfortunately, this unit was triple the price of the TrendNet.

I was empoyed in the private sector for over 35 years supporting IT services including network distribution. I had available network cable testers 3, 4, or 5 times the cost factor of this unit. I now have a private IT services business in semi-retirement and cannot afford the same type of units that the big companies made available. However, this unit provides all the basic and necessary features to verify the proper termination and continuity of network cables at a much more affordable price.

I'm mindful of the positive reviews posted here, but as an experienced cable installer this tester is missing a critical feature required for getting the job done without wasting time and cable ends; amateur or pro. This product does NOT do single end testing. Unlike other testers I have used (like the Test-UM TP 500 and 600)you cannot test your first crimp to be sure it's good before crimping the opposite end. You must crimp both ends and then test. But guess what? If the test fails you cannot be sure which end needs to be re-terminated. The tester does not divulge such information. It's a guessing game as to which end needs to be redone.

With a tester that allows for "pre-testing" you can terminate one end, plug the end into the tester, and get a "pass"... or not. Then when you terminate the other end and use the remote to test the entire cable, if the test fails you know it is the newly terminated end that is likely the culprit. If I am missing something I hope someone who knows better (really knows) will flail me. But I can tell you this for sure; As a test I first crimped one and tested just the one end. I then cut off the connector and scrambled the wires, re-crimped, and retested. The crimper gave the exact same results.

I suspect most of the positive reviews are from folks who had good luck with their crimps... and this tester told them so. Cool. But if you are a lamo like me, and screw up your terminations once in a while, you really appreciate a tester capable of single end (pre-test)testing.

BTW - I am a big fan of TrendNet switches. Never a bad one!

This network cable tester appears to be very generic but is actually much better than most similar testers. It can scan through each pinout and test each individual wire, whereas some testers only test pairs. It also has a loopback jack on the main unit so you can test local cables easily. It comes with BNC adapters, which many others do not, and also a short 8p8c cable for connecting to a patch panel. As simple as this sounds, one of the best features is the power slider switch, which is much better design than other testers with push power buttons that accidentally get pressed in a bag and kill the 9v battery.

This particular unit is a must have any IT personnel. It works great, and includes a nice case for storage. I can't justify spending more money for this type of tester, as there really isn't much to these units.

Gregg Kulback