Anyone familiar with tone generators?

[DaiShan]

Recently we've deployed a VOIP solution here at work, which includes moving one department to PoE to solve a ground loop problem on the phones. The previous net admins here did not label wires correctly, so finding and switching the right cable in the NOC is almost impossible.

We have a tone generator, however it only sends a tone on the wire when it is not terminated into an ethernet switch (PoE or not does not matter) as soon as we unplug the cable from the switch, we get a tone on the wire.

I spoke with the manufacturer who claims "It must be some type of grounding issue some where, resolve the grounding issue" They offered to send us a new unit, but I don't want to waste my time if this is a common issue.

Any of you NOC guys have a solution to this problem/ know if a tone generator that will not shut off when it is terminated into a switch?

 

[spidey07]

I'd contact Fluke, they make some decent network testing tools.

 

[JRock]

Originally posted by: spidey07
I'd contact Fluke, they make some decent network testing tools.

Yea I would agree... Fluke or Black Box.

 

[PC Freak]

Are you looking for a tone on a cable that already plugged into your switch?

 

[cmetz]

DaiShan, as far as I know you can't really tone live cables, and that's a pretty fundamental thing.

 

[PC Freak]

Originally posted by: cmetz
DaiShan, as far as I know you can't really tone live cables, and that's a pretty fundamental thing.

He's right. and that was what i was getting to with my question.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: PC_Freak
Are you looking for a tone on a cable that already plugged into your switch?

That's why you get a fluke.

There are other means of locating a cable other than toning.

 

[bgroff]

If you have a managed switch, you can always compare the mac address forwarding table to the PCs on the other side. Find the PC's mac address, look for the mac in the switch and wa-la. You now know which PC is in which port.