I mean, the simplest answer is to lay a new cable, and that is definitely what I am going to do - that’s not my question.
But this is a long run, and it would be neat if I could salvage some of that cable. How can I discover where the cable is damaged?
One stupid solution would be to halve the cable and crimp each end, and then test each new cable. Repeat iteratively. I would end up with a few broken cables and a bunch of tested cables, but they might be short.
How do the pro’s do this? (Short of throwing the whole thing away!)
Higher end cable testers can show you where the break is, but it will be far more expensive that a new cable.
My TP link switch can detect faults and cable length. I’m not sure it can do both together but it’s possible. Worth checking if you have a switch with those features
Hmm, interesting! I have a Synology switch, gotta read up on its capabilities.
you can rent a time domain reflectometer for this purpose… it sends out a signal and then listens for the echos back and calculates the distance. problem is they arent accurate the first like 500 feet so you have to add a reel of 500 ft of matching cable to the end first. electrorent.com rents them.
You can only do 100M runs max anyways, just replace the whole thing? 100M of CAT6 is pretty cheap if you already have a box for it.
Or is this an academic question?
Actual, not academic. And I agree that a new cable is cheap, which is what I will do. My question is about avoiding throwing a mostly good cable in the trash.
Pull it, cut into quarters. Add jacks to each end and test the lines.
Nvm, I see you suggested this…
The easiest thing to do would just be to pull it out and look at it. The break might be obvious.
Yeah, that’s not that easy, unfortunately, because each end of the network cable passes through an insulated wall, through a hole equal to the cable width = smaller than the plug. Even if I find the break, it is likely in the outdoors part of the cable where I would want an unbroken cable without a field repair.
Sure, but you’re going to be pulling it out either way. When you do, inspect it.
You only need 2 pairs for 100base-t, try forcing a lower negotiation, see if the pairs you need work? Maybe unbundle the other set of pairs and try them?
Wire tracker maybe? You might want a higher quality version than that particular one if the cable run is long, one of the reviews suggest that the distance is limited.
