Any alternative to Fluke Networks testers?

Soldato
Joined
22 Dec 2002
Posts
10,165
Location
Minehead
Hey all,

Looking at my next big purchase, and having always used fluke kit for electrical work I've looked there first. Are there any alternatives I should/could consider?

Thanks
 
That's very little context. What do you need to check? Are you validating copper structured cabling runs? Are you an IT contractor who has to diagnose faults?
 
I'm looking to expand on what I'm able to do, would like to certify wiring in buildings, also would find it useful as I'm due to rewire two separate places and both have absolutely no network documentation whatsoever.
 
Well there's loads in the range so you probably want to decide more on what it is that you're planning to do. If you're pulling Cat6, terminating it and certifying it then you don't need a tool that can sniff DHCP negotiations etc.

For unpicking existing installations then one of the Fluke toners is a great choice. If the stuff is already terminated at each end and you need to label up ports then the Peak Electronics Atlas IT is a great tester when combined with the numbered terminators.
 
Last edited:
The peak electronics one looks perfect for the job! Thank you very much for your help.

You seem to know your stuff here, what sort of certification could I take which would further my abilities in network certification?
 
Honestly I have no idea about certifications for the physical layer. If you wanted to work for yourself and be able to install the Excel product range and pass on the system warranty to clients then you could do the Excel Cabling Partner stuff. There are similar courses for other brands of product.

Most of the time when it comes to physical layer stuff the ability to present a good set of case studies with photos of completed work matters more than the qualifications. If you're already a spark then there might be some data-specific stuff you can do through NIC EIC. Just be aware that electricians have a bad rep for doing networking / RF because they see the stuff in Screwfix and think "how hard can it be", so don't be one of those guys.
 
Again thanks for the reply! Its funny you mention electricians - we have one on site at work who asks me for a lot of advice RE access points and wiring lately. He also recently informed me that he was going to run a 300m length of cat5e as it would obviously be fine or they wouldn't sell it in a 305m roll :/

The office I need to sort out has switches of various brands, wires all over the place and is currently all on 10/100. My intention is to sort the wiring, and change all switches to gigabit. It's looking like an overnight job as the office is occupied 7 days a week.
 
Back
Top Bottom