Cable Test on Cisco Catalyst Switches
Sometimes an ethernet cable attached to a Cisco Catalyst switch might need to have simple testing done, but there is no technician on site and no testing hardware close by. In these instances, it is possible to run a simple TDR test from the switchport the cable is connected to. The process is simple, but first, a few things to note: FastEthernet switch ports can only test the 2 pairs used for FastEthernet; if it is a PoE port and you are attempting to troubleshoot issues with the power pairs, the cable may need to be relocated temporarily to an available GigabitEthernet port so that all 4 pairs may be tested. If there is a clean break in the cable (all 4 pairs) and the initial length of the cable is unknown, the test may not indicate that something is wrong but it could point to the location of the break. Nothing can be connected to the other end of the cable for the test to work. A brief overview of the process: Determine the switchport the cable is connected to. En...