IDEAL 62-200 LinkMaster RJ45 CAT5E/6 Ethernet Wiremapper Tester

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out of 5, based on 21 reviews

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This tester is a must if you are building and installing your own cable runs in your home or business.If you are running Ethernet cable and then crimping the connectors on later – you need this tester to make sure your didn’t mistakenly cross any wires. You would want to know if a conductor is open or if you have the pairs swapped or if the pair itself has swapped leads.The weird thing is that the one I ordered had 4 button cell batteries (LR44) stacked in series rather than the single A28 (544) battery that it said it had according to the manual. When replacing the batteries, none of the LR44 or A28 batteries would properly fit. I tried multiple brands, from Energizer to Rayovac and other compatible button sizes A76/357/303 and nothing. The problem is that the replacements don’t have a wide curvature on the positive side, and are simply flat, so they cannot reach the terminals when snapped into the battery cradle. I called Ideal, and they were stumped, and figured the OEM messed up.I figured out a work around to replacing the battery. I purchased a Duracell 28L from a local Batteries Plus store, which is simply the Lithium variant of the A544 alkaline battery listed in the manual which will last much longer, and then carefully peeled back and removed the battery casing. This revealed two large button cell lithium batteries that stack and fit PERFECTLY inside the battery cradle. This provides the proper fit and 6V of power required by the device, and has a much long life with no corrosion because it is lithium. I hope this can help others that are frustrated with the battery replacement problem.

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Tried to save some money and ordered a cheaper alternative, waste of time and money. Never really understood if it was telling me the cable was bad or nice. Not the case with this, easy to read and understand. Don’t have to waste time guessing if the cable you wired is bad or not. If you do any type of networking or cabling, this is a must have. I’ve had this for months and have not had a problem with this.

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This tester is a must if you are building and installing your own cable runs in your home or business.If you are running ethernet cable and then crimping the connectors on later – you need this tester to make sure your didn’t bung something up. You would want to know if a conductor is open or if you have the pairs swapped or if the pair itself has swapped leads.The weird thing is that the one I ordered had 4 button cell batteries (LR44) stacked in series rather than the single A28 (544) battery that it said it had.

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Gets the job done reliably until it doesn’t. Had two of these for a year, they have both taken the occasional drop without issue. The other day one fell off the top of an ethernet box, about 16″ or so. Dead. This is a $10 product being sold for $75. I expected more.

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Really useful tool to help with home networking. I had a bad connection and these helped me track it down quickly.

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Have used this one before that my company provided , this one the batteries I bought at any place were smaller.

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Great tester for many applications. Make a cable, test a cable cross connections, shorts and opens. Very nice battery life.

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Very useful for maaking sure link is functioning correctly or if their is an error in the cabling or connectors, I would definately purchase again.

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So far I really like the device. It allows me to remove a tool from my bag by being both toner and tester. Both seem sturdy, like professional equipment should. I would prefer a little more recess on the buttons, to prevent the unit powering on while packed. Also know that after toning the line, the unit must he turned OFF before being connected to the cables for testing. For some reason, directly switching from toning to mapping causes inaccurate results. This small inconvenience is, for me, over ridden by the fact that it comes with all the cables and, works for cat, coax, and phone. Also, the fact that it comes with alligator clips and a bag is a nice bonus.

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Works alight to tone out and test all sorts of low voltage wire. I wish there was an off button on the tester, but you can just press a different function button to turn it off, so that’s okay. Best price for a medium grade kit that includes everything you’ll need for a typical DIY project. I traced and tested all the low voltage wire while finishing my basement and it worked well. It’s not a Fluke, but it also won’t break the bank.

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I have saved so much time using this incredible kit from Ideal that I can not begin to explain all of the ways it has saved me hours of frustrating cable identification and pinout verification.The meter is extremely accurate and I love the ability to place tone easily on a cable which allows me to quickly identify the other end of the cable at another place in the house. I highly recommend this if you do this type of work on a regular basis. Well worth the money.

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Worked perfectly for my needs. My house had CAT5 and coax run throughout and to a central patch panel when it was built but the cables were never labeled properly so it was impossible to tell in the panel what was what. Didn’t take long with this tool to label everything and verify that all the CAT5 cables were punched down correctly – they weren’t. Very handy to have around and comes with everything that you would conceivably need for home wiring of any kind.

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At first the price difference between this and the cheaper ‘LED indicator’ versions was a concern. Having used the cheaper ones at work because we have a ‘cheap’ boss, I knew they worked but am I glad I didn’t cheap out. This Ideal Vdv ‘digital’ Multimedia Voice, Data and Video Tester makes testing your new work before installation or troubleshooting your work or someone else’s a breeze. No more double guessing or trying to make heads or tales of the blinking LED lights. It’s CLEARLY displayed on the LCD panel. Saved me major time and this one NEVER gets loaned out. One of my TOP 10 tools in my kit.Would I recommend this to others. 110% YES!!!

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I just used the unit for the first time and when I power it on the screen flashes and doesn’t stop flashing, is this normal it says nothing in the instructions, maybe a low battery?

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Pros:- One of the most cost effective network testers you can get!- Comes with all the cables necessary to perform all sorts of tests- Withstands drops and abuse fairly well (Mine hasn’t broken yet!)Cons:- Only has one “dummy” unit marker- Toner tends to not work to well on shielded network cables

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I purchased this item based on the extremely nice reviews. Tested a number of network cables (Cat 5 and 6) I had including some purchased from reliable sources which were known to work. I was surprised that many failed the continuity test so tested with another inexpensive device and they all checked fine. When I called the manufacturer they indicated that this was related to the length of the cables as the unit does not like cables less than 12 inches. I do not remember reading about this limitation anywhere and suggested they may want to point this out so folks don’t assume the testing is accurate or the cable is bad. I noted that toning network cables around my house was also challenging as well. Overall, disappointed and looking for an alternate product.

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Worked like it should! I’ve used one of these VDV testers for years and love it.

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I love that it all comes in a carry bag. Now I have all my extra pieces, toner and tester all in one place. extremely nice quality too. All the other techs are jealous of my kit.

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The device is one of the cheapest you can get and it works just great. Even some pros use it as a quick cable tester. I’ve done IT work for over 23 years and never had a issue with this device.

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Suits my needs perfectly. Mostly my own and families residential work. I was able to tone a wire through the wall with relatively little effort, just as long as the background noise was quiet enough. The coax and cable tester in itself will same you your mind tracking down issues.

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I work for the phone company, as well as do networking troubleshooting and this tool is a lofesa er. It has saved me countless hours of searching for faults.