Testing cable lines – why is it so important?

There used to be a time when things were simple. There were only six channels to choose from on television (and all signals came through an antenna), telephone lines were simply wired and there was no such thing as the internet. Maybe I am exaggerating, but the truth is, people - more specifically technicians - just didn’t need to know as much as they do now and certainly didn’t need very specialized training or tools to do their jobs.

Enter into the 21st century and things are VASTLY different than they once were. Today, digital technology is used to provide telephone services and systems around the globe. There are things like IP-hosted products, high-speed internet, triple play from the phone company provided over fiber, video, wireless and Ethernet. These things are offered with higher bandwidth ADSL2 and VDSL services.

All this jargon can make your head spin. And the truth is, services like these cannot be installed or maintained using old technology. Let’s face it, whether installing cable or testing/troubleshooting an already existing system, the importance of cable testing and that of copper wires is paramount. If the cable doesn’t work, then you have no phone, internet or television. Basically, you have no connection.

Thorough cable testing ensures that cable is installed properly and that there are no faults in the systems, verifies that the cable is connected correctly as well as qualifies if an existing cable pair can support certain network speed and technologies. Testing can also guarantee that cable systems are in compliance with industry standards.

Megger’s HT1000/2V is an excellent choice when having to test cable lines. The hand-held instrument is designed to provide copper-wire provisioning and maintenance technicians with the most critical tests at the touch of a button. Moral of the story is, if you want to remain connected to the outside world cable testing and how it is performed is really important!