Dream list of tools to attain advantage in IT world (if can afford)

Cerulean

Cerulean

[H]F Junkie
Joined
Jul 27, 2006
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Greetings,

So lately I bought a 210 USD Fluke Networks MT-8200-60A IntelliTone Pro 200 Kit for myself and used it to tone out drops in a building. I like it! Having bought that and done some looking around at other tools, I realized that if this year I spend my money on similar tools it could give me an advantage in the IT world (since few people have / can afford such tools) and open up future possibility of becoming a consultant myself:


What else am I forgetting, or do you have recommendations for different products? :) I think my money would be better spent on attaining these than glass and photography camera equipment (at least for year 2014). If I had all this ... I think most people in IT don't have such equipment / maybe can't afford it / maybe don't care ... and would give me some advantage that other people can't perform or do / give me the potential option of becoming a consultant.

EDIT: Also, for wifi site survey / mapping -- what would be a good high-end GPS device to use? I once tried to use my personal 290 USD Garmin Oregon 450t in a large standard sheet metal manufacturing facility (walls and roof made of metal sheets, core framework of steel leggings and beams) with very little success (and also to mention it wasn't user friendly to get working with software on a computer for data collection or with wifi mapping software :( ).

Another question: even if attaining a high-end GPS for use with wifi site survey / mapping software, when encountering a scenario where building blue prints are not available + facility walls and roofing made of metal, what/how do you perform survey mapping for accurate/precise results? :?
 
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Interested in seeing people's answers, but to me, unless you already have your own business and can write this stuff off, there are many ways to troubleshoot issues and/or install new solutions without $10,000+ worth of fancy looking tools.

I understand networking stuff is expensive (I'm more on the sysadmin/desktop support side myself), but WTF at some of these prices! Do you really need a full color LCD when a laptop and software can offer the same results whilst being more flexible? Again, I work with networking guys but am not one myself, so I'm being honest with my dumbfoundness.
 
Most of that stuff even companies wont be willing to buy, so if you can say that you own the tools and willing to use them for work that is probably a plus, though some companies may have some weird policies against it due to liability if it breaks on the job etc.

If anything getting used to using them and knowing how is a plus too.

Another thing I would recommend is setting up a VM/network lab so you can keep up with the latest version of Windows and stuff like that.
 
Xinmosni said:
I understand networking stuff is expensive (I'm more on the sysadmin/desktop support side myself), but WTF at some of these prices! Do you really need a full color LCD when a laptop and software can offer the same results whilst being more flexible? Again, I work with networking guys but am not one myself, so I'm being honest with my dumbfoundness.
Click to expand...


Hell NO! You could get buy with some good quality hardware tools for a few hundred. Fluke is just the best of the best when it comes to certain things. Those prices are pretty ridiculous (as would buying all those tools unless you're making six figures and its a hobby), but they are actually very modest if that is how you earn your livelihood. I wouldn't really classify a the electrician aspect of networking as remotely the same as Networking Administration. The same way I would say System Admins and Network Admins are not the same despite some crossover.
 
I have most of the hand tools mentioned, all fluke/klein, but I do it for a living. spending a few thousand on tools really isn't much. I wouldn't mind getting setup to do fiber, but we usually sub out on any large structured data cabling jobs. a good splice kit and OTDR is very pricey.

add one of these to your list, I picked one up a little while ago, love it:

http://www.dymo.com/en-US/rhino-industrial-6000-label-maker
 
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Berg0 said:
I have most of the hand tools mentioned, all fluke/klein, but I do it for a living. spending a few thousand on tools really isn't much. I wouldn't mind getting setup to do fiber, but we usually sub out on any large structured data cabling jobs. a good splice kit and OTDR is very pricey.

add one of these to your list, I picked one up a little while ago, love it:

http://www.dymo.com/en-US/rhino-industrial-6000-label-maker
Click to expand...
Updated OTDR link.

Question: do you have insurance on any of your equipment? :?
 
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Yes, we do. I can't recall exactly how the policy breaks down, but I think we've got about $50,000 in coverage for tools/etc, and between 5-10 million in liability insurance.
 
The tone generator you have listed there is really nice, I have 3 of them on my truck. Handy little buggers. Nice to have more than one too, it eliminates back and forth. I use the OFPQI-MFP too.

If you ever deal with unterminated copper check out the Fluke Pro3000. It has the leads with a bed of nails and changes tone when shorted.

Something else I enjoy is my JDSU SmartClass Home V3 and my HST-3000. Very handy tools. Anyone that deals with copper 1000+ copper pairs (especially between buildings) really should have a HST-3000.
 
Just to put it on record the SmartClass home V3 also does copper pair testing, (limited) wifi site survey, coax mapping, ethernet testing, butt-set, coax ingress testing, ethernet ping testing, port flash, tone, multiple simultaneous twisted pair and coax identification, multiple xDSL testing (ADSL, ADSL2 (ATM), ADSL2+ (ATM/PTM), VDSL, VDSL2 (12a, 17a and 30a profiles) all single or bonded pair) and much more.

It really is a very comprehensive tool.
 
Berg0 said:
I have most of the hand tools mentioned, all fluke/klein, but I do it for a living. spending a few thousand on tools really isn't much. I wouldn't mind getting setup to do fiber, but we usually sub out on any large structured data cabling jobs. a good splice kit and OTDR is very pricey.

add one of these to your list, I picked one up a little while ago, love it:

http://www.dymo.com/en-US/rhino-industrial-6000-label-maker
Click to expand...

Woah I knew fibre stuff was pricy but I did not realize it was THAT pricy. You can buy a car for that price. :p Mind you the car will be worth half it's value off the lot, the tool, not so much. :D
 
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Red Squirrel said:
Woah I knew fibre stuff was pricy but I did not realize it was THAT pricy. You can buy a car for that price. :p Mind you the car will be worth half it's value off the lot, the tool, not so much. :D
Click to expand...

I have one of the dtx-1800, its not just an OTDR. Its also a TDR for UTP testing/certifying cat5e, cat6, cat6a etc, a fiber light source / power meter, and has a fiber inspection camera.

One of the primary uses for these is to certify fiber or cable install jobs for warranty purposes.
 
If you want to add some data recovery skills to your repertoire, get HDD Regenerator.
This will recover hard drives that have accidentally acquired bad sectors/corrupt data due to bad handling, system instability or power problems.
It can also correct data from some bad sectors that are truly bad.
This only requires that the drive power up and be detected correctly during POST, it boots from CD.
It can take hours so is best left unattended on a spare machine.

No writing to the drive is performed (other than correcting data under bad sectors) so there is no additional risk to the data by being overwritten.
Sectors that are truly bad will be marked bad and have the data moved to a spare sector (pre-allocated spares by the drive mfr to cope with data from bad sectors). Its wise to replace a drive in this condition.
 
I work in a manufacturing company, it gets used both by the maintenance dept and for taking products apart for repair. I saw it one day and had to snap a picture!
 
The only guys I know who have that equipment are all union data/voice, the equipment is company owned, and these guys are all state certified for specific work. Even at 15 years in, the fiber guy does only fiber....voice guy only voice...etc. They bounce from company to company, depending on client needs in and around San Francisco.

The advantage has always been foremen and project managers that liked them....and therefore kept them working in the lean times.

Not everything is your gear or certs.
 
The Aircheck and the Linkrunner AT are both REALLY nice -- It isn't as new, but the slightly older linkrunner pro is very nearly as good for most purposes and much cheaper.

I just use the work ones, especially as I'd be worried about using personal ones on a job -- if it breaks at work, is it up to you to replace it? Yikes.

I'm not sure what the part number is, but there is/was a packaged version of the Linkrunner Pro (smaller than the AT) with the Aircheck (and an extra battery and a directional antenna, I think), in a REALLY nice case. It's some sort of frontline troubleshooting kit. Good stuff.
 
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