Lab 4.5.
5 Testing UTP Cables
Objectives
Explore the wire mapping features of the Fluke 620 LAN CableMeter or equivalent.
Explore the Cable Test feature—Pass/Fail features of the Fluke 620 LAN CableMeter
or equivalent.
Explore the Cable Length feature of the Fluke 620 LAN CableMeter or equivalent.
Use a cable tester to check for the proper installation of unshielded twisted-pair
(UTP) Category 5/5e according to TIA/EIA-568 cabling standards in an Ethernet
network
Background / Preparation
Wire maps can be very helpful in troubleshooting cabling problems with UTP cable. A
wire map allows the network technician to verify which pins on one end of the cable are
connected to which pins on the other end.
Basic cable tests can be very helpful in troubleshooting cabling problems with UTP. The
cabling infrastructure or cable plant in a building is expected to last at least ten years.
Cable-related problems are one of the most common causes of network failure. The
quality of cabling components used, the routing and installation of the cable, and quality
of the connector terminations will be the main factors in determining how trouble-free the
cabling will be.
Prior to starting the lab, the teacher or lab assistant should have several correctly-wired
Category 5 cables to test. The cables should include both straight-through and
crossover. There should also be several Category 5 cables created with problems such
as poor connections and split pairs to be used in testing. Cables should be numbered to
simplify the testing process and to maintain consistency. A cable tester should be
available that can test at least continuity, cable length, and wire map. This lab can be
performed individually, in pairs, or in groups.
The following resources are required:
Good Category 5 straight-through cables of different colors
Good Category 5 crossover cables (T568A on one end and T568B on the other
end)
Category 5 straight-through cables of different colors and different lengths with
open connections in the middle, or one or more conductors shorted at one end.
Category 5 straight-through cable with a split pair mis-wire
Fluke 620 LAN CableMeter or similar instrument to test cable length, continuity,
and wire map
Step 1: Set up the Fluke 620 LAN CableMeter
a. On the Fluke 620 meter, turn the rotary switch selector on the tester to the WIRE
MAP position.
b. Press the SETUP button to enter the setup mode and observe the LCD screen on
the tester. Press the UP or DOWN arrow buttons until the desired cable type of UTP
is selected. Press ENTER to accept that setting and go to the next one. Continue
pressing the UP/DOWN arrows and pressing ENTER until the tester is set to the
following cabling characteristics.
Tester Option Desired Setting - UTP
CABLE : UTP
WIRING : 10BASE-T OR EIA/TIA 4PR
CATEGORY : CATEGORY 5
WIRE SIZE : AWG 24
CAL TO CABLE ? NO
BEEPING : ON or OFF
LCD CONTRAST : From 1 through 10 (brightest)
c. Once the meter is set up, press the SETUP button to exit setup mode.
Step 2: Test Cabling Procedure
a. For each cable to be tested use the following procedure. Place one end of the cable
into the RJ-45 jack labeled UTP/FTP on the tester. Place the other end of the cable
into the RJ-45 female coupler, and then insert the cable identifier into the other side
of the coupler. The coupler and the cable identifier are accessories that come with
the Fluke 620 LAN CableMeter.
Step 3: Use the Wire Map meter function
a. The Wire Map function and a Cable ID Unit can be used to determine the wiring of
both the near and far end of the cable. The top set of numbers displayed on the LCD
screen is the near end, and the bottom set is the far end. Perform a Wire Map test on
each of the cables provided. Fill in the following table based on the testing results for
each Category 5 cable. For each cable, write down the identifying number of the
cable and the cable color. Also write down whether the cable is straightthrough or
crossover, the tester screen test results, and a description of the problem.
