PSA: Don't waste $150 on a cable toner like I did

Bought a fancy signal tracer and toner kit from that online supplier and it couldn't even find a live coax line in a new build. Anyone else had luck with a basic $30 model instead?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_thomas22d ago

Are you really that upset over a $150 toner? I mean it sucks when a tool doesnt work but this isnt exactly life changing money. The basic $30 ones from the hardware store work fine for 90% of what people need them for. You probably just got a dud or you were using it wrong honestly. Ive had a cheap model for years and it finds coax just fine even in new construction. Seems like youre making a bigger deal out of this than it really is.

rileyp4921d ago

So did your cheap one ever actually label the pairs right in a bundle of like 30 cat6 cables? I had a buddy @the_thomas who grabbed a $25 toner from the bargain bin and spent three hours chasing a signal that kept jumping between three different lines in a patch panel. Turned out the thing just couldn't filter out crosstalk worth a damn, ended up borrowing an old Fluke from his boss and found the right cable in five minutes flat. Sometimes cheap works until it really doesn't, you know?