a way to use PC as an ethernet tester?

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venm11

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I don't want to shell out for an expensive tester. It occurred to me that some proprietary diagnostic tools have cable testers build in (Intel ProSet?), and there should be a way to use this to some extent to test connectivity - continuity, transposed wires and speeds (10/100/1000, if not exact mhz).

Does anyone know which vendors' tools do this? Or better yet, is there a cheap/shareware tool that can do this with a number of different chipsets?

I'm trying to troubleshoot why certain pulls don't work at gigabit speeds.
 
Maybe... it's not clear that this tester would tell me anything. I'd like it to be able to test actual bandwidth (max mhz at interference tolerances), but it would be acceptable to test interference at the desired speed, but it doesn't mention whether it tests at gigabit (whatever speed that is - 250mhz?).

I've already checked for correct wiring and continuity. It's just that for some runs the devices I have tried only want to run at 100mbits. The devices do work with some runs/cables but not others. This is all cat 5e riser with unshielded plugs.

My basic question in this thread is whether I can run some diagnostic tool on PCs and NICs that I already have, that may have 80% of the functionality of this tester. I'd rather utilize PCs/NICs I already have for basic tests or sanity checks than invest money in a tester, especially if I don't know that it will solve my problem.
 
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venm11 said:
Maybe... it's not clear that this tester would tell me anything. I'd like it to be able to test actual bandwidth (max mhz at interference tolerances), but it would be acceptable to test interference at the desired speed, but it doesn't mention whether it tests at gigabit (whatever speed that is - 250mhz?).

I've already checked for correct wiring and continuity. It's just that for some runs the devices I have tried only want to run at 100mbits. The devices do work with some runs/cables but not others. This is all cat 5e riser with unshielded plugs.

My basic question in this thread is whether I can run some diagnostic tool on PCs and NICs that I already have, that may have 80% of the functionality of this tester. I'd rather utilize PCs/NICs I already have for basic tests or sanity checks than invest money in a tester, especially if I don't know that it will solve my problem.
Click to expand...

I think i mentioned this, if your cable has a kink or bend or stretch in it, it won't run fast, it will run slow, if you have tied them down with zip ties, it will also ruin the cable.

Cat5 cable is delicate, most people think they can skip rope with it and its fine, Have you looked at the network cards that this cable is plugged into ? is it sset to full duplex or auto or is it set to a certain speed ?

I ask these questions because i used to be, behind a phone when people called into our 10,000 room hotel and asked why the internet didn't work or is so slow etc etc.

j'
 
It's brand new CMX riser cable which would be difficult to skip rope with. This particular one I'm looking is not inside the walls except running between adjacent closets - two sheets of drywall. No kinks, bends, ties, etc, just some cat5 wall tacks.

My basic question is whether there is suitable tool to use PC nics to do all the basic wire tests.
 
Well, do you happen to know how long some of the non-working gigabit runs are? It could just be due to length.
 
venm11 said:
My basic question is whether there is suitable tool to use PC nics to do all the basic wire tests.
Click to expand...

none that I know of. Pretty much all good testers require a remote unit plus the actual testing unit.
 
You could have a PC with like 2 or 3 striped drives and drop a large (few GB) file on it, then share the folder and pull it across your network. Use a file transfer utility that shows MB/s.
 
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