Certification involves connecting a device to each end of the cable, performing the appropriate measurements, and comparing those measurements against the limits described by the applicable standard or the customer’s requirements. If all the measurements pass, the installed link passes. These results are documented in a report.
With the demand for higher data throughput on the network, certification is even more important to assure you have a solid network for years to come. Structured cabling is expensive to deploy and you want to make sure your investment is protected. Certification is much more advanced testing than what traditional cable testers provide. It is also a great tool for troubleshooting links that are failing or not performing as expected.
Collabsion can provide this service to data cabling firms that need extra help, or we can be brought in to certify your cabling vendor’s work if they were not able to provide the service. While many electricians can provide data cabling, they typically do not provide certification due to the cost of the equipment. A typical testing kit is going to run in the $17,000 range for all copper options, add another $10-12K for fiber testing. The two main options on the market come from Fluke or Trend Networks.
We use the Trend Networks LANtek IV-S cable certifier. It is capable of certifying copper Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a, Cat8. We can also certify fiber.