[russ9898]

Hi guys,

I live in a newish build house. When the house was built it was prewired with coax, power supply and some cat5e cables above the fireplace for a plasma install (aswell is the loft and kitchen)

The builders however havent labled the cables in the patch panel (nor have they made the ends of for the cables) So i have 20+ cables unterminated in the patch panel and i need to find 2 of them to allow me to pipe skyhd over them.

Can anyone tell me the easiest way to find out which cables at the patch panel end are the ones above the fireplace without making of 20 cat5e ends lol.

Thanks, Russ

[geothermalcat]

hi russ, you need to get an rj45 cable tester...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LAN-Ethernet-N...ayphotohosting

above is one off ebay, you can pick one up for a few quid. all you do is put one half of the tester on each end of the cable. you will have to terminate the cable ends in order to do this as the testers usually tend to have either coaxial or rj45 connectors, but you can grab a bag of 50 for pennies and a crimper tool (or a punch tool for your patch panel) for a few quid too.

hope this helps
-jon

[MarkTaylor]

Can you borrow a continuity tester from someone?

You just need a little voltage on one end and a meter on the other really.

[russ9898]

Originally Posted by geothermalcat

hi russ, you need to get an rj45 cable tester...

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/LAN-Ethernet-N...ayphotohosting

above is one off ebay, you can pick one up for a few quid. all you do is put one half of the tester on each end of the cable. you will have to terminate the cable ends in order to do this as the testers usually tend to have either coaxial or rj45 connectors, but you can grab a bag of 50 for pennies and a crimper tool (or a punch tool for your patch panel) for a few quid too.

hope this helps
-jon

Funnily enough i ordered one of the rj45 testers only last night of ebay lol.

Originally Posted by MarkTaylor

Can you borrow a continuity tester from someone?

You just need a little voltage on one end and a meter on the other really.

I never thought of that, poor of me really as im an electrician by trade although rarely deal with cat5e cable.

Sounds like a cracking idea though, 9v battery accross one pair of the cat 5 and just keep testing the corrisponding pairs at the other end until i find 9v there or there abouts on one of the cables.

Thanks for your help lads,
I'm really interested in all aspects of media distribution, once ive learnt a little more about it i may branch out into it a little bit more work wise.

[Joe Fernand]

Hello russ9898

Once you get busy you may want something with bit more flexibility - see http://www.lsdinc.com/content/product_details/71

Joe

[scotty38]

If you have a meter I'd just twist all the ends together (bared obviously) of the two cables you need and then just check resistances at the other end. Any two cores of each cable will do - 2 minute job....

[russ9898]

Originally Posted by scotty38

If you have a meter I'd just twist all the ends together (bared obviously) of the two cables you need and then just check resistances at the other end. Any two cores of each cable will do - 2 minute job....

yup. thats the plan now. shouldnt take too long tbh.

I cant believe i asked in all honesty, ive been installing a big alarm system today in the stores at work and had to bell several cables out. Same principle really only difference being the alarm cable is 6core/3pair opp