How to Test Network Cables

An Ethernet cable is used for personal and local area networking.

Like any hardware device, Ethernet cables are also faulty, can have performance issues and their ability to function can decrease over time. A network cable tester is a device that's used to verify whether an Ethernet computer network cable is working properly. If you are troubleshooting networking issues, testing your Ethernet cable is a good place to start.

Things You'll Need

• Ethernet cable
• Network cable tester

Instructions

1. Reboot your modem/router. Unplug the power cord or hold down the reset button on your modem or router. Wait for 30 to 60 seconds then turn your modem/router back on.

2. Wait for your modem/router to re-establish a connection. Depending on your network hardware, it might take two to three minutes. If the problem persists, then try the network cable tester.

3. Turn on your network cable tester and plug one end of the cable into the "IN" Ethernet input on the network cable tester and the other end into the "OUT" input on the network cable tester.

4. Press the "Test" button on the network cable tester. The tester will send a signal across the Ethernet cable. If the signal gets from one end of the cable to the other, the tester will let you know if the test was successful, by displaying a green light, or unsuccessful, by displaying a red light.

5. Replace the Ethernet cable. If the test was unsuccessful, replace the bad Ethernet cable with a good one.

References

• "Computer Networking : A Top Down Approach"; James Kurose: 2007