No self-respecting geek would try to debug a home network without a handheld LAN tester. How else would you find out that the cable to the kids' room is hooked to the wrong side of the firewall? Top testers include a time-domain reflectometer (TDR) for spotting wire issues and checks if packets are moving.
SPLURGE
Fluke Networks NetTool Pro
Much more than a cable tester, the NetTool - thanks to its TDR - can locate, within inches, a wire's trouble spots. When it comes to IP testing, the crucial Ping function sniffs out servers and routers, then displays any services in use. The only thing this half-pounder doesn't do is capture packets. Like all Flukes, it's a joy to hold and operate. Its most amazing feature: an auto-troubleshooter that IDs common problems.
$1,995, www.flukenetworks.com.
BEST BUY
Psiber Pinger (pictured)
At a great low price and weight (half a pound), the Pinger covers all the basics: simple cable tests and identification, DHCP requests, and a Ping function. The interface is so simple you won't need the manual, and standard-size buttons speed the entry of all those IP addresses. Watching its tracking displays, you'll be reminded that wired hubs still rule — Wi-Fi is handy, but it's nothing like 100-Mbps full-duplex Ethernet.
$349, www.psiber.com.
OVERRATED
Ideal Industries LT8600T
The LT8600T is a nice idea taken to a ridiculous extreme. It'll test your cable. It'll test your fiber. It'll even offer a TDR and print out frequency-response diagrams like the ones stereo salesmen use to confuse you. Heck, this 2.3-pound debugger — unlike the other two — will absolutely certify that a cable is compliant to a particular spec. Nevertheless, for more than five grand, it should do more — like track down a wire.
$5,195, www.idealindustries.com.
PLAY
Blonde Ambition
Maxed Out
Geek vs. Geek
Boy Toy
Ben Kenney, The Roots
Life Imitates Star Trek
Read Me
The Republic of AI
Talking Fashion
Containment Strategy
The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
Gusgus
Elvis Presley
Sonic Youth
SOCOM: U.S. Navy Seals
UFC Throwdown
Toxic Grind
All About Lily Chou-Chou
One Hour Photo
fetish
Free-Range Sound
Digital Filmmakers
Debug It Yourself
Plug-and-Play Camp
Hi-Fi, Lo-Effort
One Suite Fits All
