The short version
Most cabling quotes say the work will be “tested”. That word covers everything from a five-second check with a cheap wiremap tester to a full certification of every link against the published limits for its category. Only the second tells you the cabling will run at the speed it was sold to you at, and only the second supports a manufacturer warranty.
Ask for certification testing of the permanent link on every copper run, a light-loss test on every fibre, and the results handed over with labels and drawings that match them. Put it in the quote, because it is hard to add once the cabler has left.
Three kinds of cable tester
| Tester | What it tells you | When it is enough |
|---|---|---|
| Continuity or wiremap tester | Each wire connects to the right pin, with no shorts or opens | Fault-finding, or a quick check on a single patch lead |
| Qualification tester | Whether a link can carry a given network speed, such as 1 or 10 Gbps | Troubleshooting an existing link |
| Certification tester | Whether the link meets every performance limit for its category, with saved results | New installations, and anything that needs a warranty |
A continuity pass means the cable is connected. It does not mean the cable is good. Poor terminations, too much untwisting at the outlet, kinks, crushed cable or tight bends can all pass continuity and still fail performance limits. Those faults show up later as slow links, dropouts or access points that will not negotiate full speed.
Permanent link or channel?
There are two ways to define the link being tested.
- Permanent link is the fixed cabling: from the patch panel in the comms room to the outlet at the desk or ceiling. It can be up to 90 metres.
- Channel is the permanent link plus the patch leads at both ends. The whole channel can be up to 100 metres.
For a new installation, test the permanent link. Fluke Networks gives two reasons. Patch leads get moved, so a channel result stops meaning anything once the leads change. And because the standards allow the channel more headroom, a channel test with good patch leads can pass even when the fixed cabling underneath fails. A passing permanent link becomes a passing channel when you add good-quality compliant patch leads.
Cameras and access points are sometimes cabled with a plug on the ceiling end rather than an outlet. That is a modular plug terminated link, and it needs the matching test adapter so the field-fitted plug is included in the test. AS/CA S009 limits where plug-terminated cabling may be used, so it should be a deliberate design choice, not a shortcut.
Cat6 and Cat6A test results in plain English
A certification tester measures each pair across the full frequency range of the category: up to 250 MHz for Cat6 and 500 MHz for Cat6A. The report will list these measurements.
| Measurement | What it means | What usually causes a fail |
|---|---|---|
| Wiremap | Each wire lands on the correct pin at both ends | Wrong termination, split pairs |
| Length | Cable length against the 90 metre limit | A run that was too long to begin with |
| Insertion loss | How much signal is lost along the cable | Excess length, poor-quality cable |
| NEXT and PS NEXT | Crosstalk between pairs at the near end | Pairs untwisted too far at the termination |
| Return loss | Signal reflected back towards the sender | Kinks, crushed cable, poor terminations |
| ACR-F and PS ACR-F | Crosstalk measured at the far end | Termination and cable quality |
| Propagation delay and delay skew | Signal timing, and the difference between pairs | Mixed or poor-quality cable |
| DC resistance | Resistance of the conductors and its balance between them | Poor connections, which matters for PoE |
Cat6A adds alien crosstalk, which is interference between neighbouring cables in a bundle. It is normally tested on a sample of links, and Fluke Networks notes most cabling manufacturers will not grant a system warranty without it.
Two things to agree before the job starts. First, which test limit applies, such as the TIA Cat 6A or ISO Class EA permanent link limit, and any extra parameters the cable manufacturer requires. Second, how marginal passes are treated. Testers flag results that pass by less than the tester’s accuracy. Fluke Networks says a marginal pass is still a pass under the standards, so if you want them reworked, say so in the contract.
Fibre tests: light loss and OTDR
Fibre is tested differently from copper.
Inspect and clean first. Dirty connector end-faces are the most common cause of fibre problems, according to Fluke Networks. Each connector should be inspected with a fibre scope and cleaned if needed before it is tested or connected.
Tier 1: light loss. A light source and power meter, or an optical loss test set, measures the total loss on each fibre, along with its length and polarity. The result is compared with a loss budget. The budget allows for the fibre’s length plus each connector pair and splice. The TIA standard allows up to 0.75 dB per mated connector pair and 0.3 dB per splice. A good installation usually comes in well under that.
Tier 2: OTDR. An OTDR sends pulses down the fibre and plots what comes back. The trace shows each connector and splice, the loss at each, and the distance to any fault. Fluke Networks points out that a link can pass Tier 1 and still contain a poor joint that only an OTDR shows. Tier 2 testing is done in both directions.
Tier 1 is the minimum for every fibre. Tier 2 is worth asking for on risers, campus links and anything spliced. Fibre-optic cabling inside and between buildings covers the fibre choices behind those tests.
What the test report should look like
A useful report is one you can match to the building. For every link it should show:
- the link ID, matching the label on the outlet and the patch panel port
- the test limit and the cable type selected on the tester
- pass or fail, with the margin on the worst measurement
- the date, the tester model and serial number, and the adapters used
- plot data, which shows each measurement across the frequency range
Ask for a summary listing every link and its result, a PDF of the full reports, and the tester’s native files. The native files can be reopened in the tester software if someone needs to check a result later, and they are what a manufacturer will want for a warranty.
Watch for gaps. If the building has 120 outlets and the report has 104 results, ask where the other 16 are.
Labelling and as-built drawings
Test results are only useful if the labels match them. At handover, expect:
- Labels at both ends of every link, outlet and patch panel port, using one consistent scheme
- An as-built floor plan showing every outlet and its ID, plus fibre routes between racks
- A rack layout showing patch panels, switches and cable management
- Fibre safety labels, which the Wiring Rules require on fibre panels and enclosures
Comms room cleanup and network documentation covers how to keep this pack useful after the network changes.
Manufacturer warranties
Several cabling manufacturers offer system warranties of 15, 20 or 25 years. Panduit’s Certification Plus program is a published example. It is only available when the system is installed by an accredited partner, and the system has to be registered with and validated by Panduit before the warranty certificate is issued. It also excludes problems caused by improper installation.
The pattern across the industry is similar. The warranty covers the components and the performance of the installed links. In return, the manufacturer usually requires its own matched system of cable, connectors and patch panels, an accredited installer, and certification results submitted for every link. If a long warranty matters to you, ask about it before the quote, because it decides which products the cabler uses.
Compliance statement and test results are different documents
The registered cabler must give you a signed statement that the work complies with the Wiring Rules, AS/CA S009. That covers safety and network protection. It does not say the links perform to Cat6 or Cat6A. The test reports do that.
You should receive both. Who can install data cabling explains the compliance statement and the TCA1 form.
What to ask for in a quote
Put these in the brief, so every quote prices the same thing:
- Certification testing of every copper link as a permanent link, with the test limit named
- Alien crosstalk sampling on Cat6A, if a manufacturer warranty is wanted
- Tier 1 light-loss testing of every fibre, and Tier 2 OTDR testing on backbones and spliced links
- Fibre end-face inspection before testing and connection
- Test results as a summary, full PDF reports and native tester files
- Labels at both ends matching the report IDs
- As-built floor plan and rack layout
- The signed compliance statement
- Any manufacturer system warranty, with the warranty certificate at handover
- What happens if a link fails: retermination or replacement at the cabler’s cost, then retest
A quote that says only “all outlets tested” or “tested on completion” does not commit to any of this.
Helpful starting points
Kookaburra Comms tests, labels and documents every link we install, and hands over the results with the as-built drawings. See data and fibre cabling for the work we do across Melbourne and Victoria. If you are planning a new fit-out, send us the floor plan and your testing requirements and we will quote against them.