atcomsystems.ca/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring Cable Certifier

I know from the earlier search results and some posts from not too long ago, but I still would like more info on this one.

I came across Byte Brothers RWC1000K Real World Certifier Model for about $515

I do recall seeing some opinions that indicated that it is more of a qualifier than a certifier.

The description and its name suggest that it is a certifier indeed. It provides, stores and lets you print the results, however some say it is a misleading info.

I would like to have this one completely clarified and explained in detail as much as possible.

If this product does not live up to its name, than what is a good certifier in a price range of say about $500 if there are any.


Thanks

While I've never used one personally, I've read many positive comments about the RWC from other members on this board who's opinions I trust. By all accounts, this is a very good tool. The fact that the RWC is not a certification meter (and that is fact, not opinion) should not detract from it's usefulness as a troubleshooting tool. That said, the name is VERY misleading.

Fluke has an article about this topic. It really isn't just my opinion.

You absolutely cannot buy a certification meter for anywhere close to $500. Anything in that price range is going to be, at best, a qualification tester. A qualification tester may be exactly what you need! Don't buy a certification meter if you don't absolutely need one.

If you take on cabling contracts where you are contractually obligated to certify the installation, then you need to either shell out the big bucks on a certification meter or find one to rent. Using the RWC and telling a client that you've certified anything would be dishonest.

I've posted on this topic several times, so I'm not sure if there's anything else I can add. My previous posts are easy enough to find, just search for "Certification Meter".

What Is A "Certified" Cable?

Certification is one of the most overused and least understood words in our industry! Did the cable pass an exam and get a certificate? Well, sort of. This term has been used by vendors of testers to mean that the cable was tested and passed by one of the Cat 5e/6/6A "certification" testers which test all the standard's specified performance parameters. It means that the cabling meets the minimum specifications of EIA/TIA standards and should work with any network designed to operate on a Cat 5e/6A link.

What is "Verification"?

Alternatively, cable may be tested to determine if it will carry the network signals intended for use on the cabling systems. These testers run bit error rate tests (BERT) over the cable as well as checking wiremaps and length. A Verifier will guarnatee the cabling will support Ethernet, but does not test to the cabling standards, only a problem if some other usage, such as analog video, may be used. (Thank you Uncle Ted)

The Fluke Cable IQ is a great "verifier or qualifier" that will also store and print results. The basic tool is around 900 dollars. The wire mapping kit kicks it up to about 1500.

The JDSU Validator claims to be a Certifier as well but will not test for analog video signals (who uses that anyway?) It too will store and print results. It is about 1700 dollars for the pro version

The RWC 1000 will certainly tell you if any cable run including cat6 is capable of running at gig speed. You need a small gig switch to run all of the tests. The latest model will store and print using an Excel macro that eats a lot of paper. Great tool for 650 bucks though. I have the first model. It doesn't print but it is quite the trouble shooter.

Thank you for the info, I take it that, it still would be a good investment to make in that price range.

Are there other similar tools from competitors in that price range?

How does quality of the product varies by the manufacturers, durability, accuracy, reliability?

Seems that Fluke tends to be top notch, I just do not have the opportunity to be able to afford their prices.

The ones posted above are the only ones that I know about that will store tests to be printed later. Fluke makes a bunch of testers that are so specific that you need more than one to do all you want to do. Network tools that ping, and ones that don't. So you can end up spending a lot.

I have three testers that I use. The JDSU Testifier...a simple wire mapper that also uses 20 remotes for the sole purpose of identifing cables not testing them. It costs just over 100 bucks plus 35 for the remotes. There are two kits, rj11 and rj45 for voice and data. It will also use the remotes from the Lancaster tools.

I use the JDSU Lancaster. It is a wire mapper and tester with 8 remotes that checks all four pairs, provides cable length. It will also ping and validate using DHCP any network connection up to 100m. It cost around 300 bucks.

The Pro version cost about 450 and will validate up to 1gig. It does not store or print results.

The JDSU Tri-Porter is a combo of the above tools, will test network connections up to 1 gig as well as being an analog voice test set. Really cool device but it cost around 650 dollars. It is on my list to puchase as an upgrade to my Lancaster.

I also have an older version of the RWC.

i,ve used an rwc1000 for several years now.i like the fact that you can monitor & scan live drops,and testing a few cables.but i still use my fluke dtx for large installs.it's a handy tool.for what it's worth