Network Tools - What and Where To Buy In Canada

DanTheMuffinMan · November 17, 2014

Hello Guys,

So I'm a 3rd year Computer Networking Technology student in Canada, and we do plenty of theory and router/switch/server configuration in class, but we do very little other practical things. Such as cutting cable, creating RJ45 connections, patch-panels, punch-down blocks, wiring wall plates, testing cables, measuring cable length and other things like that.

I was wondering what tools and supplies you would recommend for someone looking to learn these skills and to possibly take with me to a future job and for personal use. Obviously I'm not going to be getting any $1000 pieces of equipment, but throw out any recommendations you got.

Brands, model numbers and Canadian retailers would be most appreciated.

Thanks for looking.

omniomi · November 17, 2014

I own, in no particular order:

- Punch-Down Impact Tool

- RJ-11/ RJ-45 Crimp/Cut/Strip Tool

- Single-Purpose RJ-45 Crimper (bought it when I couldn't find the one above one day.)

- Wire Stripper

- UTP Round Cable Jacket Stripper

- Cable Tester

- Standard Side Cutters

- Needle Nose Pliers

All in... maybe $75-100 CAD total.. Purchased from a combination of hardware stores and electrical supply stores. I buy my bulk cable, RJ45 plugs/jacks, blocks, and wall plates from a local computer parts store.

The "cabling kit" we have in our server room at work contains basically the same things but has a better quality cable tester than the one I own personally.

Needle nose/side cutters not pictured ;D

DanTheMuffinMan · November 21, 2014

I own, in no particular order:

- Punch-Down Impact Tool

- RJ-11/ RJ-45 Crimp/Cut/Strip Tool

- Single-Purpose RJ-45 Crimper (bought it when I couldn't find the one above one day.)

- Wire Stripper

- UTP Round Cable Jacket Stripper

- Cable Tester

- Standard Side Cutters

- Needle Nose Pliers

All in... maybe $75-100 CAD total.. Purchased from a combination of hardware stores and electrical supply stores. I buy my bulk cable, RJ45 plugs/jacks, blocks, and wall plates from a local computer parts store.

The "cabling kit" we have in our server room at work contains basically the same things but has a better quality cable tester than the one I own personally.

Needle nose/side cutters not pictured ;D

Thank you sir, I've assembled an Amazon Wish List to track what I need to get.

Had one more question, have you ever needed/used a Time Domain Reflectometer to measure the distance of a cable? That one's probably too expensive for a personal purchase though, eh?

Thanks again.

omniomi · November 21, 2014

Thank you sir, I've assembled an Amazon Wish List to track what I need to get.

Had one more question, have you ever needed/used a Time Domain Reflectometer to measure the distance of a cable? That one's probably too expensive for a personal purchase though, eh?

Thanks again.

Personally, no. The cabling I do is almost exclusively from one server rack to another or from patch panel to switch. In the one instance where I pulled cable for a bar's point-of-sale system the runs were still <150-200ft each.

Our office recently moved to a new construction and all of the wall plate drops were pulled by 3rd party electricians who did use a TDR though. It was super fancy too, it had a log of all the cable tests so when I was setting up all of the telecom and was having issues with one of the VOIP phones the electricians were able to pull up the tests run on that port and confirm it tested properly.

I wouldn't bother with one unless you plan to be doing a heck of a lot of cable pulling through. The people who I see use them regularly are installers/technicians for cable based internet service providers to test coax, in that case they're provided by the employer. Beyond that I don't see them often and have never even used one myself.