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Just rented a house fully wired with CAT-5 but the ends have all been cut off inside the basement ceiling (14 cables). I'm not permitted to cut any drywall and I'm unable to pull the bundle through the furnace room open ceiling, but at least I can access the bundle from there.

Is there any way (short of cutting each cable, crossing wires and testing) to identify the rooms at which each cable terminates? I only have an ethernet tracker/tester and a handheld oscilliscope.

kuperson
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  • I do not know of any simple way (I am not familiar with the most modern testers). At the basement end, select a cable, short the main transmit wires ( cable end diagram) and then look for the cable upstairs. Mark (label) as you go. – John Dec 07 '21 at 20:57
  • Thanks. It seems that's the only plan. I was trying to avoid it because the access space to the bundle is small and cramped for two hands. I was hoping for a device that transmitted signals treating the cable like an antenna or something - where only one end of the wire is needed ; -) – kuperson Dec 07 '21 at 21:24
  • I have installed Ethernet in my own home and done some testing and I have provided how I have done things. – John Dec 07 '21 at 21:31
  • This might work: take a router, plug it to the port being tested, and then use a multimeter on the cut ends to poke around until a voltage is found. Same principal as a loopback, but not sure if random poking would make the correct connection(s). Easy enough to test. If you are worried about the router, find an old one. – Yorik Dec 07 '21 at 22:34
  • The problem is that I can't get to the cut ends - looks like I'll just have to cut the cables myself (which I was trying to avoid because of the small access space). Thanks! – kuperson Dec 07 '21 at 23:17
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    You should be able to buy a signal probe (more associated with phones, but should work fone). You clip a signal generator in to 1 end and then use the proble to detect the signal without having to cut wires. Something like https://www.amazon.com/Network-Multi-Function-Earphone-Collation-Telephone/dp/B08GYB5K1T (not a recommendation for this particular unit) – davidgo Dec 08 '21 at 00:07
  • Thx -- that seems to be what I'm looking for; something that works on open circuits – kuperson Dec 09 '21 at 17:27

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The one cutting off those cables should be whacked with a wet trout.

If the other end is intact, you can plug in a loopback adapter and see which cable is shorted. A loopback connects the 1-2 pair to 3-6, so 1&3 (white/green & white/orange) and 2&6 (solid green & solid orange) should be shorted.

Zac67
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