TOOLS FOR TESTING CABLES.\ Voltmeters and ammeters provide readings of voltage and current, or amperage by tapping into the circuit and recording the electrical activity as it occurs. These recorded values may or may not provide the details about what is happening along the lines of the network.

Scanners are much more sophisticated testing tools. Some of the capabilities of scanners include the following:

l Check for faults in a cable.

l Test a cable's compliance with network architectures.

l Monitor performance and electrical activity, given the type of cable and architecture involved.

l Test the cable's wiring sequence.

l Generate and print a summary of the information obtained from the tests.

A powerful scanner can test for cable quality, for the quality of the connections between cable segments, or between cable and device. A less poweful scanner will be able to test for noise, crosstalk, signal attenuation, resistance, cable length, and so on.

Software Testing

Diagnostic software can be used to help anticipate or catch problems early and to help deal with the problems once they have arisen. Network versions of diagnostic software may be expensive, but they can save the system under some circumstances. For example, virus detection software can save hours of reconstruction and reloading the system. Using software to test the hard disk can identify bad disk sectors before data can be written to them and move any data from bad sectors to a safe location.

Another use of diagnostic software is performance monitoring and analysis, which involves tracking the networks behavior. This will help to identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks, so they can be elimated. While monitoring the system's performance, keep careful track of the following:

l Operating costs

l Threats to security

l User satisfaction

l User productivity

Track these areas especially during the first few weeks after the network is installed. Do not be surprised if some of these measured indicators change drastically during this period. For example, costs may drop drastically after the startup period, while user satisfaction and productivity may rise after the initial problems are resolved.

NETWORK PHYSICAL CONNECTIONS

A network connection is a linkage between network elements. Physical connections concern the cables and connectors used to create the physical layout of the network. When building a network, you must first establish the physical connections.