expired
Klein Tools VDV526-100 Network LAN Cable Tester
$21
$33
36% off
Amazon
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AmazonDeal Details
Amazon has Klein Tools VDV526-100 Network LAN Cable Tester for $21. Shipping is free for Prime Members or on $35+.
Thanks to Community Member tunabreath for sharing this deal.
Features:
Thanks to Community Member tunabreath for sharing this deal.
Features:
- Cable tester with single button testing of RJ11, RJ12 and RJ45 terminated voice and data cables
- Tests CAT3, CAT5e and CAT6/6A cables
- Fast LED responses indicate cable status (Pass, Miswire, Open-Fault, Short-Fault, and Shield)
- Test remote stores securely in tester body
- Compact tester easily fits in your pocket
- Auto Power-off feature to conserve battery life (9V included)
- Low battery indicator
Editor's Notes
Written by powerfuldoppler | Staff- About this deal:
- Our research indicates that this offer is $8 lower (27% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $29
- About this store:
- Don't have Amazon Prime? Students can get a free 6-Month Amazon Prime trial with free 2-day shipping, unlimited video streaming & more.
- If you're not a student, there's also a free 1-Month Amazon Prime trial available.
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Amazon has Klein Tools VDV526-100 Network LAN Cable Tester for $21. Shipping is free for Prime Members or on $35+.
Thanks to Community Member tunabreath for sharing this deal.
Features:
Thanks to Community Member tunabreath for sharing this deal.
Features:
- Cable tester with single button testing of RJ11, RJ12 and RJ45 terminated voice and data cables
- Tests CAT3, CAT5e and CAT6/6A cables
- Fast LED responses indicate cable status (Pass, Miswire, Open-Fault, Short-Fault, and Shield)
- Test remote stores securely in tester body
- Compact tester easily fits in your pocket
- Auto Power-off feature to conserve battery life (9V included)
- Low battery indicator
Editor's Notes
Written by powerfuldoppler | Staff- About this deal:
- Our research indicates that this offer is $8 lower (27% savings) than the next best available price from a reputable merchant with prices starting from $29
- About this store:
- Don't have Amazon Prime? Students can get a free 6-Month Amazon Prime trial with free 2-day shipping, unlimited video streaming & more.
- If you're not a student, there's also a free 1-Month Amazon Prime trial available.
Community Voting
Deal
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+105
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Top Comments
Some cheap CAT wire that was apparently run in the early 2000s was only 2 pair inside the jacket. This will quickly sniff those out of your network.
About this product:
Not a bad tool but IMHO most home owners and DIY'ers that won't be doing this for a living would likely be better served by something cheaper like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RNDBQRX. It also shows a breakdown of EACH wire, so more feature for less $. I have about a 1/2 dozen of this type I've been using for 10+ years, pretty sure I got them on clearance from monoprice for under $5 each.
On the flip side, if you're an up and coming IT person or you're that guy/gal that everyone calls for IT problems you should consider a tool that will do more. Something like: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084LKVBM5 will cost you a little more but adds several more useful features such as tone generating. Nothing worse than showing up to someone's office that has 20 unlabeled network connections and you need to figure out the one that's bad.
On the subject of 2 pair ethernet? There was a standard WAY back in the early 90s (is anyone old enough to remember that long ago?) called CAT3. It was 2 pair, just like phone cable, but shielded and twisted, i think, i forget the exact details, feel free to google it, but I think it was designed for 10mbps, but often capable of 100mbps. As for homes running it or even CAT5, sure some may have. It's very doubtful that any rando home would do it though. Home builders use the CHEAPEST everything to pad their bottom line and the expense of swapping super cheap phone line up to CAT3 or 5 or in today's world 5e or 6 would probably be at least a couple thousand $ difference. Though, I did work for a family in a ~2million $ custom built 3500sq foot home once and the owner told me the builder used CAT5 for all the phone lines so he would have "network" when he wanted it. I took a look and the builder ran the CAT5 cables just like phone lines, all went to the box outside all twisted together in standard phone line box. Also there wasn't enough slack in the lines to pull them out and terminate them into network keystones. Probably could have been done, but sure as heck wasn't "ready".
The real tester I'd want/actually get use from are the super expensive ones that can show the twisted pairs out of order (or specific conductors which are at fault) between ends. I have had one defective run of cat5e which had a break in the length of the cable that it would have detected.
Community Reviews
This Klein LAN tester is a handy step up from basic sequential cable checkers, especially for home Ethernet troubleshooting. It quickly flags miswired or crossover runs, shorts, and hidden problems like only two pairs inside a jacket, which helps explain slow 10, 100, or even missing gigabit links. The master unit is more convenient because it reports the fault directly instead of forcing a trip to the remote end. The main caveat is that cheaper testers can be enough for simple reterminations, and some buyers prefer AA powered models over 9 volt batteries. A solid fit when you want faster, clearer cable diagnosis.
Common Questions (5)
Yes. It can quickly expose cables that only have 2 pairs inside the jacket, which is a common reason a drop stays stuck at 10/100 instead of gigabit or 2.5/5Gb speeds. It is useful for checking both patch cords and in-wall home runs.
It is faster because it gives one clear indicator instead of cycling through each line, and it can detect shorts that basic testers may miss. It is also described as more reliable than some cheap sequential testers, which can fail or give false failures.
For simple home use, a cheaper tester that shows each wire may be enough, especially if you only need basic continuity checks. This Klein is more useful if you want quicker troubleshooting, miswire/crossover reporting, or you handle more complex network work.
Yes. The master unit can report a crossover or miswire directly, so you do not have to walk back to the remote end just to read the LED pattern. That makes it faster for checking terminated drops and finding wiring mistakes.
The comments do not mention this Klein model's battery type, but battery choice matters because 9V cells are harder to find in a pinch. Several shoppers prefer AA or AAA-powered testers for easier replacement.
AI-generated summary based on comments from the community. Updated ago
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30 Comments
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Half of the rj45s were not doing even Gig speeds. When I looked inside at the back of the keystones, they wired with "Colman CAT communication cable" but there were only 2 pair of wires inside the jacket. At first I thought this was the work of Comcast, but all the bundles in the basement were too clean. Other rj45 keystones did have all 4 pairs connected.
Someone must have discovered that 2 pair will indeed work for 10/100 and saved $5 on a spool on wire.
What would you do with that info if it did ?
Buy this over the random brand $10 sequential testers. I've had those go bad and give false failures, which results in you trying to fix a cable that's not broken.
Buy this over the random brand $10 sequential testers. I've had those go bad and give false failures, which results in you trying to fix a cable that's not broken.
About this product:
Not a bad tool but IMHO most home owners and DIY'ers that won't be doing this for a living would likely be better served by something cheaper like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08RNDBQRX. It also shows a breakdown of EACH wire, so more feature for less $. I have about a 1/2 dozen of this type I've been using for 10+ years, pretty sure I got them on clearance from monoprice for under $5 each.
On the flip side, if you're an up and coming IT person or you're that guy/gal that everyone calls for IT problems you should consider a tool that will do more. Something like: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084LKVBM5 will cost you a little more but adds several more useful features such as tone generating. Nothing worse than showing up to someone's office that has 20 unlabeled network connections and you need to figure out the one that's bad.
On the subject of 2 pair ethernet? There was a standard WAY back in the early 90s (is anyone old enough to remember that long ago?) called CAT3. It was 2 pair, just like phone cable, but shielded and twisted, i think, i forget the exact details, feel free to google it, but I think it was designed for 10mbps, but often capable of 100mbps. As for homes running it or even CAT5, sure some may have. It's very doubtful that any rando home would do it though. Home builders use the CHEAPEST everything to pad their bottom line and the expense of swapping super cheap phone line up to CAT3 or 5 or in today's world 5e or 6 would probably be at least a couple thousand $ difference. Though, I did work for a family in a ~2million $ custom built 3500sq foot home once and the owner told me the builder used CAT5 for all the phone lines so he would have "network" when he wanted it. I took a look and the builder ran the CAT5 cables just like phone lines, all went to the box outside all twisted together in standard phone line box. Also there wasn't enough slack in the lines to pull them out and terminate them into network keystones. Probably could have been done, but sure as heck wasn't "ready".
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I had two of the cheapie ones. One was bought long time ago and worked for a long time. It died and I bought the exact same looking one again, only for it to have bad connectors from the start. IT's very cheap junk. Buy the 50 dollar klein tool and you're happy for a long time.
I had two of the cheapie ones. One was bought long time ago and worked for a long time. It died and I bought the exact same looking one again, only for it to have bad connectors from the start. IT's very cheap junk. Buy the 50 dollar klein tool and you're happy for a long time.
- the Klein will report on the master device if the wire is crossover ("miswire")
- the generic tester requires going back to the remote device and watching the led pattern to see if it's 1-8, or not
so ie it's more convenient using the Klein, not to have to go back to the other end of the wire to see if it's miswired/crossover.Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
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