Lan Scout Jr. Cable Tester

The LAN Scout Jr 2 from Klein tools is a lightweight and compact basic continuity tester that can also function as a toner, if you have the VDV-500-705P probe. The tool automatically shows you the pinout of the ethernet cable in question, whether straight through or crossover, as well as if the cable passes a basic connectivity test. If not, it shows exactly which wires are shorted. If you need to have more impactful testing for things like PoE, or want the option of testing phone cables then this isn't the device for you. But if you're looking for a basic continuity tester to make sure you built your ethernet cables correctly, or to troubleshoot that pesky wireless AP that keeps flaking out this is a wonderful tool for the job.

The Klein Tools Lan Scout Jr. Cable tester is a no brainer when you are making your own Ethernet cable’s or even if you are just trouble shooting internet problems. It is nice being able to rule out bad cable’s as being a potential issue. This tool is easy to use, compact in size, and comes with batteries. The instructions are hidden in the packaging so be careful not to toss those like I almost did. Now that I found my bad cable my family is happily browsing the internet and online gaming again and I’m the hero. This tool Is a win in my book.

I've always used other testers that were cheaper, but where they couldn't test something I had to swap them with others and practically I paid twice over the price of this tester. The display is large enough so even I can see without my glasses and there is a backlit function at a press of a button for when working in darker places. The testing functions are sequentially selectable and not only display the fault, but also provides the information needed to correct it. The tester is to be used on Cat7, Cat6/6A, Cat5/5e, Cat3 shielded or unshielded 8-wire 8P8C cables with RJ-45 terminations. Usage is very intuitive with a very simple interface of only 3 buttons, extremely fast response time with absolutely no error in fault diagnosing. You can test high or low tone, or both high and low for leg to leg or by pair. It can identify and troubleshoot test responses for Pass on TIA-568A/B UTP and crossover/uplink, Open Fault, Short Fault, Miswire or Split-Pair faults, Cross-over and Shield faults. Tone for testing can be set on a single wire, wire pair or all 8 conductor wires. By default setting, the tool is in continuous loop mode of testing where test occurs every 2 seconds without the need to press the test button. This is the best feature to troubleshoot intermittent problems. Loop mode can be turned off by long press of the test button if you need to use a single test signal. The self-storing remote is replaceable and is sold as VDV999-200 Replacement Remote for LAN Scout Jr. 2 Continuity Tester. It is a signle-tone remote. Multiple tone generator, solid or warble, requires a different probe Cat. No. VDV500-123, which is very inexpensive and is sold separately. Technically, you can use two remotes, switching between them, but it takes a few seconds to initialize the tool so it switches from one to the other remote. The tool uses 2xAAA batteries (included) with low-battery indicator on the display. Its Auto Power-off feature can't be turned off and is set to 10-minutes in test mode and 60 minutes in tone mode. The battery life on the tester is 80 hours cumulative when active, and up to 3 years on Standby. The tool is made with ABS + what seems like 20-25% fiber reinforcement and polybutadiene rubber overmold on all corners, which seems like a little overkill, but it certainly gives off the feel of a sturdy and well protected, durable tool. The tool is rated for drop protection of 6 feet. This tool can be integrated into a more advanced diagnostic and wiremapping system, by adding VDV501-21# up to 9 separate test location ID probes, and/or VDV500-123 Probe-PRO Tracing Probe for a more precise tracing of wires and faults along them together with VDV500-063. The tool is a good size (5" x 1'' x 2.5'') and weight 4.3 oz, comes in a clamshell packaging and in a well insulated box safe for online ordering.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I've been using for a while the Klein Tools VDV526-200 Cable Tester, LAN Scout Jr. 2 Ethernet Cable Tester for CAT 5e, CAT 6/6A Cables with RJ45 Connections and I was impressed by the precision and that not only it shows you the fault, but also give you information that you need in order to fix that. This tool can be used standalone or as part of a larger system for diagnosing and mapping different branches of your network, or pair it with VDV500-123 Cable Tracer Probe-Pro Tracing Probe to find faults. You can tone high and low, and both high and low, each leg individually, or by pair. I think this is indispensable tool when working on LAN systems. In terms of pricing it is absolutely affordable and pays for itself with the time savings from troubleshooting a few faults. Display is large enough so I don't have to wear my glasses and backlit by pressing a button when working in darker areas.

Like many other families both my wife and I now work permanently from home. That means two separate offices in the house, two uninterruptable power supplies, two sets of data cables, etc. When a fault occurs it is so easy to get the Lan Scout Jr. Cable Tester and quickly identify where it is. Then I can repair and retest cables as necessary. What's more I can quickly identify which wall outlet and cable is which at the switch. The unit is capable of far more but these functions are all I need at present.

I found this Lan cable tester to be both accurate and with wide usage options for multiple applications. My observations: • The most basic usage is to test your CAT 5e, CAT6/6A cables to ensure they are wired correctly at the connectors. • Getting deeper, this unit will also test for opens, faults, shorts, splits, fails, and shielding. Finding hardware issues in a network can be tricky but this unit will simplify the task. • The unit is easy to use, especially for a pro and the instructions are clear if you’ve never used a tester like this. • Batteries are included. • The unit has a soft grip to use with or without gloves. • The backlight is extremely helpful when needed. • The font is large and clear. • I like how the remote fits into the unit for safe storage. Overall, I’m pleased with the unit and based on Klein quality I expect many years of accurate usage. I recommend.