CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1201)NetworkingMedium
A technician is running new drops from a wiring closet to several offices and terminates the cables into keystone jacks using a punch-down tool. Before connecting the jacks to end-user devices, the technician wants to verify continuity, correct pinout, and check for shorts or split pairs on each cable run. Which tool provides the most comprehensive test for this purpose?
- ACable tester/certifier
- BWire stripper
- CTone generator and probe
- DMultimeter
Show answer & explanationAnswer & explanation
Correct answer: A. Cable tester/certifier
A cable tester (or certifier) is designed to verify continuity, correct pin mapping, and detect wiring faults such as shorts, opens, and split pairs across all conductors in a network cable, providing the most complete verification for a new installation.
Why the other options are wrong
- B. A wire stripper is used to prepare cable ends, not test connections.
- C. A tone generator and probe are used to trace and identify a specific cable, not verify pinout or faults.
- D. A multimeter can check basic continuity but isn't practical for verifying all 8 conductors and pin mapping efficiently.
Cable Tester/Certifier
A cable tester (or certifier) verifies network cable installations by checking continuity, correct wire mapping/pinout, and identifying faults like shorts, opens, and split pairs.
- Certifiers can also measure performance metrics like attenuation and crosstalk
- Basic testers check wiremap and continuity only
- Different from tone/probe, which locates cables rather than verifying wiring quality
Memory trick: Certifier checks it ALL: continuity, pinout, and faults.