Keep in mind that many network switches are POE, meaning that power is provided over the full (shorted together) white/blue and white/brown pairs. Even non-POE switches have these pairs shorted, hence the reason why traditional telephone type toners go dead. You'll be driving yourself crazy trying to tone split pairs as you mentioned since you tone will be 'wild', or bleeding through all over the place.

The white/orange and white/green pairs are still isolated from all others, so your best bet is to use a 'banjo' and send your tone over the white/green pair. Your biggest obstacle is that getting a tone to be traceable via ANY pair through CAT5 and above is a challenge. That's the reason that they made these cables; so that signals DON'T leak out of the cable. Still, the second or third pairs are your best shot at picking up anything with a tone tracer.

The first and fourth pairs being shorted isn't always a bad thing. At least that tells you that it's plugged into a port on the switch, but that's of little importance to you right now.

Dean's method of having someone to watch the status LEDs on the switch is the most fail-safe way to do it, but having a second set of eyes is a luxury these days. Still, the other method of running back and forth will be the second-most reliable method. It sounds as if this is what you're trying to avoid.

Ed Vaughn, MBSWWYPBX