Cable Qualifiers for Video Surveillance
Determining the capabilities of a network cable can be frustrating and time-consuming, but handheld testers, commonly called Qualifiers, can determine speed, PoE availability, switch location, and many more details that will help save labor during an installation or while troubleshooting.
Inside this report, we examine:
- Cable Qualifier Overview
- Qualifier vs Certifier
- Qualifier vs Verifier
- Qualifiers Test Cable Services, Not Categories
- Discover Switch Information
- Locating Cabling
- Physical Overview
- Project Documentation on LinkIQ 100
- Country of Origin
For background and to learn more about the differences between various cable testing tools please read our report, Cable Testing Guide (Certifiers, Qualifiers, Verifiers, Wiremappers).
To perform the testing and demonstrations for this report we rented a Fluke LinkIQ Cable+Network tester (LinkIQ-100). We chose to use this product because Fluke recently released the LinkIQ with new features like LLDP/CDP, PoE, and more which we wanted to test and demonstrate. We will continue reporting on cabling test tools manufactured by a variety of companies including Fluke, Trend Networks, and more.
Cable ********* ********
***** ********** *** ******** ** **** technicians ********* *** ****** ************* ** the ******* *** ******* *********. **** may **** ****** ** ****** "***** and ******* *******", ********* ** *** manufacturer.
***** **** ***** ******** ** ** determine **** ***** * ***** *** support (** ** ***** ***** *****'* LinkIQ ***) ***** *********-***** ******* ********* * *********, ** **** ** ****** *******. However, **** **** ******* ***** *********** (wiremap *** ******), *** ********* *** load *******, *** *** ****** *** connected ******'* ****, **** ******, *** VLAN ** **** ********.
*** ***** ***** ******** ** ******** and ***** **** ** ***** ****** functions:
When ** *** * *********
*** **** ***********, **********' **** *** may ** *******, ***** **** ******* with ********* ******** ** **** **** expensive ***** ********** (**** *** ******** cable *******) *** *****-****** ********* (***** generally ******* **** ****** *** *******). However, ********** ******* ******** *** ***** in ****** ** ***** ***** ******* which *** ** ****** ** ******** cases.
***** *** *** *** **** *** qualifiers:
- ** ***********: ** *********** *** ******* the **** *** *** **********, ** they *** **** *** ************** *** reporting ******** ****** *** ******** *************, as **** ** ***** *** *** troubleshooting. ********** *** *********** ** ***-**-*** tool *** ******** ** ***, ********* multiple ***** (*.*., ********, ***** *****/*****, PoE ******, ***.).
- ******* ***********: ******** ******* *********** *** likely ** **** *** ***** **************, speed *******, *** *** *************** ******** useful, ** **** ******* **** *********** than ***** *******/****** ***** ***** ******** problems ** * ***** *****/****** ****. Additionally, **** ******* ** ******' *******, identification ******** *** ** ****** ** locating ******* ******/*****.
When *** ** *** * *********
*** *********** *** ********* ******* ****** for ********/************, ********** *** ****** *** worth *** ********** ****, ** *** wiremap *** ****** ***** ** ********* are ****** ** ********* ** * cable ** "****" *** ****** *** or ***. ************, ********** ******** *** unlikely ** ** ********* *** ********** installs ***** ****** *** **** ****** to ** ******* *******.
*** ******* ***********, *** ********* **** certify ***** *************, *** ********* ***** not ** ** ******** ****. *******, it ***** ** **** *** ***** troubleshooting ****** **** * ******** *** provide, *** ********* ****** **** ***** compared ** ********* ** ******** **********, which *** ********* *-** *** ****.
* ********* **** *** ******* *********-***** details **** ****, ****, ***** ****, Insertion ****, *** ***** ******* **** in ***** *************. * ********* ** required *** ***** ***** ***** *** commonly ******** ** ****** ***** **********. If * ******** **** *** ******* certification *** ***** **** **** **** the *********'* **** ** **** ******* results * ********* *** ** * good ***.
Qualifiers **** ***** ********, *** **********
********** **** *** ****** ******* ** the ***** ***** ******** ***** (*.*., can ** ******* *** **** ********, 1GbE, *****), ******* ** ******* ** specific ********** **** ** ********* *** cable **********, *.*. *** **, ****, Cat6A (**** ** **********).
**** *** ** ****** *** ** engineer ******* ** ******** ************** *** needs ** ********* ** * ***** is ******* ** ********** ** **** speed *** *** ** **** *** backhaul ** ** ** ************ (*.*., the *** **** ***** *****).
** *** **** ** ****** *** determining ** ******** ****** *** ******* to **** ********** ***** *** ****** be ********. *** *******, * ***** connecting ** *** ** *** ******* network *** ** ****** **** ****** to **** ** ******* **** * Mb/s ******* ******* ** ** ********* its *** **/* *********.
Discover ****** ***********
********** ***** ************ ********* ** ** existing ******* *** ** ***********, ** cables *** *** ** ******* ******* (or ******* ** ***). ************, ****** to ********* ***** ****** *** **** a ****** ** ********* ** *** be ***********.
********** *** **** **** **** ** gathering ****** *** ****** **** *******. Some ** *** *****-****** *********** **** can ** ******** ******** *** **** of *** ****** *********, *** ****** port, ****, *** *******, *** ****. These ******* *** ***** **** ***** of ******** ********* *** *************** ****.
*** ***** ***** ***** *** ****** of * ****** **** **** ******* including ****, ****** ****, ********** ******, speed, *** ******:
Locating *******
** ******** ** *** ******/**** ************** above, *** ********* ******** *** ******** to **** ** ******** ******.
*****, ** ******** * *****-** **** generator *** ***** ***** *** ** used ** ********** ****** ****** ** a ******, **** ****** **** *** cable ** *** ********* ** * switch.
************, *** ********* *** ***** *** switchport ** *** ********* ****** ** make ** ****** ** ******. **** works *** **** ** ********, *** on ***** ******* **** **** ********* NVRs, *******, ***.
Project ************* ** ****** ***
***** *** ****** **** ******* ***** on *** ********* ******* *** *********** gathered **** **** **** ***** **** including *********** ******** ** *** ******** such ** *** **** ****, ******* name, *** ******** ****. ** *** device, *** ******* ** *** ***** saved *** *********, *** ** **** also **** ** **** ******* **** been ********. ************, ***** *** ** deleted, ****** ***** ** ** *** to ***** *** **** **, ******* ID, ** ******** **** **** *****.
** *** ***** *****, ** **** what *** ****** ****** **** ***** like ** *** ******, *** ** through *** ******* ** ********** *** saving * *** ****** **** ******.
***** *****'* ******** ** ********, ***** can ****** *** ****** ****** **** results. **** ******* *** **** ** saved ** ********* ** *** ********/*******, and **** ******** ** *** ** XML *******. ** *** ***** *****, we *********** **** *******, ****** *** results ** * *** *****, *** show *** ** ****** ***** *** PDF.
*********** ******** ******* ******* ********* ********** with *** ******* ** *** * mobile ***, ****** ****, **** ** a ***** *****, *** ****.
Physical ******** ** ***** ****** ***
********** *** ********* ******* **** ********** and ****** **** ********* *** *** come **** ******* ***********, **** ***** and ****** *******.
*******
*** ***** ****** *** ****** ** ~$2,000 *** ******, ***** ******** *** qualifier, ****** ******, *** ******. ***** kits **** *** ~$*,***-*,*** *** ******* additional ****** *******, *** **** *****, and/or ********** *** ******** ******.
***** **** ***** ** ***** ********** qualifier, **********, ***** ******** **** ** *** same ********, *** **** *** ******* a ***** ****** *** ***** **** to * ***. ******* **** ***** at ~$*,*** ***.
***** *** * *** *********** ********* models **** ******* *************, ** ******* prices, *********:
- ***** ******** ********* **: ~$*,*** ***
- ***** ******** ********* **: ~$**** ***
- ******* ****-****: ~$*,*** ***
Features, *********, *** ****** **** ** "**********"
** *** *** ********** * *********, ensure **** *** ***** *** *** considering *** *** ******** *** ****. Manufacturers ***** ** ********** ** * few ********* *****, *.*. **********, ***** and ******* *******, ************ *******.
** ** ********* ** **** **** not *** ******* **** ** ** the **** *****. **** **** **** 10 / *** / **** **** others ******* *.* / * / 10 ****. **** ******* ** *** test ***, ****** **** **** ***.*** and **, ***** **** ********* (***++)*******.
County ** ******
*** ***** ****** *** ** **** in *** ***.
Firmware ******** ****
*** ********* ******** ******** **** **** for *******:
- ****** *** *********: *.*
- ******** **: ******* **.* (***** *)
**** ** **** ** * ******* review **** ** ********. * ********** of ********* ******** ***** **** **** more ******. *** **** **** *** example, ** *** *********** *** **** apples-to-apples ******* **** **** **** *** the ******* ********** ******** ********* **** more ******-******** ************* **** ** ******** and ***********--** ******* **** ***. **** is ******** * **** **** ***** and **** ** * ****** (****** decent) **** ** * ****** *******.