Hardware Tools

snip or cutter - used to cut a pice of cable. looks like scisors but stronger, can cut cablr.

cable stripper - prepares cable for a end, can remove enough to attach rj45.

cable crimper - attach connectoer to cable.

cable tester - used to check each of the wires in a twisted pair cable. multi tester, can test multiple types of connectors.

wire mapping tool - for twisted pair you can diagnose any open pairs or shorts in pairs.

cable certifier - used to check data or thourhput,

multimeter -

punch down tool - terminates wire on punchdown block

tone generator - toner probe fox and hound

loopback adapter - lopback device

TDR -Time domain reflectomoter checks a break of a copper cable can find a break in an underground cable underground.

optical TDR - used for fiber. to see whre a break is.

fiber light meter , optical light meter - used to have a source light and stabalized to measure how effective it is. multimode uses LED singlemode uses lazer based.

fusion splicer. used to join two peices of fiber together. for long fiber runs. require training.

network tap - splits or copies packets to be aynalized by the cybersecurity toolkit.

spectrum aynalizer - frequency of range

Hardware Tools (Network+ N10-009)

Cable & Connector Tools

Snips / Cutters → Cut copper cabling (Cat5/6).
Cable Stripper → Strip insulation to expose wires for termination.
Cable Crimper → Attach connectors (e.g., RJ45) to cable ends.
Punch-Down Tool → Seat wires into patch panels / keystone jacks.

Testing & Verification Tools

Cable Tester → Verifies pinouts and wiring continuity.
Wire Mapping Tool → Diagnoses opens, shorts, miswires in twisted pair.
Cable Certifier → Validates throughput/performance to industry standards.
Multimeter → Tests voltage, resistance, continuity (copper cable/electrical).

Signal Tracing Tools

Tone Generator & Probe (Fox & Hound) → Send audible tone on one end, detect it on the other → trace cables.
Loopback Adapter → Plugs into NIC to test send/receive functions.

Advanced Testing Tools

TDR (Time Domain Reflectometer) → Detect breaks/shorts in copper cable, even underground.
OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) → Detect breaks/faults in fiber optic runs.
Optical Power Meter (Light Meter) → Tests strength of light signal; LED for multimode, laser for singlemode.
Fusion Splicer → Permanently joins two fiber strands with heat.

Monitoring & Analysis Tools

Network Tap → Copies network traffic for analysis (forensics, IDS/IPS).
Spectrum Analyzer → Examines frequency usage, detects interference (especially wireless).

✅ Exam Must-Knows

Punch-down tool = patch panels.
TDR/OTDR = cable break detection (copper vs fiber).
Cable certifier = proves throughput/performance.
Tone generator = trace cables.
Loopback adapter = test NIC.
Fusion splicer = joins fiber.
Spectrum analyzer = wireless interference.