Black Box TS560A User Manual
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Black Box TS560A User Manual

Black Box TS560A User Manual

Lan solution network tester
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© Copyright 2003. Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved.
1000 Park Drive • Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 • 724-746-5500 • Fax 724-746-0746

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  • Page 1 © Copyright 2003. Black Box Corporation. All rights reserved. 1000 Park Drive • Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 • 724-746-5500 • Fax 724-746-0746...
  • Page 2 Order toll-free in the U.S.: Call 877-877-BBOX (outside U.S. call 724-746-5500) FREE technical support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week: Call 724-746-5500 or fax 724-746-0746 Mailing address: Black Box Corporation, 1000 Park Drive, Lawrence, PA 15055-1018 Web site: www.blackbox.com • E-mail: info@blackbox.com...
  • Page 4 TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL TRADEMARKS USED IN THIS MANUAL HP is a registered trademark of Hewlett-Packard. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds. Windows is either a registered trademark or a trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER Contents Chapter Page 1. Specifications......5 2. Introduction ......7 2.1 Description.

  • Page 6: Chapter Page

    CONTENTS Chapter Page 4. Functional Description ..... 22 4.1 Voltage Check ......24 4.2 Cable Test Modes.
  • Page 7 9. Troubleshooting ......63 9.1 Calling Black Box..... . 63...

  • Page 8: Specifications

    CHAPTER 1: Specifications 1. Specifications Cable Types: Shielded or unshielded, CAT5e, CAT5, CAT4, CAT3, and coax Minimum Cable Length for Testing for Split Pairs: 3 ft. (0.9 m) Minimum Cable Length for Single-Ended Cable Test: 4 ft. (1.2 m) Length Measurement Range (CAT5 or CAT6): Up to 1500 ft.
  • Page 9 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER Battery Life: 9V alkaline battery, typical; times are for the full capacity of the battery used continuously in one of the following modes: Standby: 2.5 years; Cable Testing: 50 hours, no backlight; 27 hours, 50% backlight; Network Testing: 15 hours, no backlight;...

  • Page 10: Introduction

    CHAPTER 2: Introduction 2. Introduction 2.1 Description The LAN Solution Network Tester is a jack identifier, cable tester, and PING tester all in one. When working as a jack identifier, it allows you to determine what equipment, if any is connected to the other end of the cable or jack you are testing.

  • Page 11: The Tester Illustrated

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 2.2 The Tester Illustrated RJ-45 Jack: Connect to the cable or jack to be tested. Link Indicator: On when the network link is established. Backlit LCD: 2 lines by 16 characters with icons. Cursor Keys: Used to scroll through options, set addresses, and adjust values.

  • Page 12: Warnings/Cautions

    CHAPTER 2: Introduction 2.3 Warnings/Cautions WARNING Do not attach the LAN Solution Network Tester to primary power lines. The tester may be damaged and cause a safety hazard. When connecting to an unknown jack or plug, the tester should be off. Once connected, press the CABLE button to ID the connection.

  • Page 13: What The Package Includes

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 2.4 What the Package Includes The TS560A comes with the following items: • (1) LAN Solution Network Tester main unit in a Cordura case • (1) 9-volt transistor battery • (1) Cable test remote • (2) 1-ft. (0.3-m) patch cables •...
  • Page 14 CHAPTER 2: Introduction The TS565A comes with the following items: • (1) LAN Solution Network Tester main unit • (2) 9-volt transistor batteries: (1) for the main unit and (1) for the tone tracer • (8) Cable test remotes • (1) Tone tracer •...

  • Page 15: Features

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 2.5 Features • Jack ID mode: Capable of identifying many of the possible conditions of an RJ-45 jack. Automatically runs cable test if no active devices are found. • Cable Test mode: Single-ended testing of cables for shorts, opens, and split pairs (no remote on the other end).

  • Page 16: Network Connectivity

    CHAPTER 2: Introduction • Auto-MDI/MDI-X-like protocol makes it possible to connect to a hub, switch, or NIC with any patch cable. • Two-line by 16-character full alphanumeric backlit LCD with icons displays clear test results. • Auto-off in any mode and low power consumption for long battery life.

  • Page 17: Operation

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 3. Operation To power on the tester, press any one of these three buttons: PWR, CABLE, or NTWRK. The tester will turn on in the last mode used if you press the PWR button. If you press the CABLE button, the tester immediately starts executing the Jack ID test.

  • Page 18: To Test Cables Only

    CHAPTER 3: Operation 2. Press the CABLE button. The tester will power on in Jack ID mode and determine what device is connected to the other end of the cable. It will test the cable if no connection is found. 3.2 To Test Cables Only NOTE This test skips the ID portion of the Jack ID test above.

  • Page 19: To Place Tone On A Cable

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER APPLICATION HINTS Any patch cables used to connect the tester and remote to a cable run must be “short” compared to the cable run for accurate open and split pair indication. “Short” patch cables must be no more than 10% of the total run length or 3 feet (0.9 m), whichever is less.

  • Page 20: To Locate An Ethernet Port

    CHAPTER 3: Operation 2. Press the CABLE button to turn on the tester. Press the CABLE button again until Cable Length is displayed, then press the SEL button. To change length units between feet and meters, press the SETUP button. 3.

  • Page 21: To Ping Devices On A Network

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 3. If an Ethernet link is active on the cable, the tester turns on its Link LED and begins flashing it in unison with the Link indicator on the hub, switch, or NIC at the other end. Tone is also generated on the cable in this condition, but at a different cadence to indicate having established a link.

  • Page 22: To Validate A Cable Link By Functional Testing

    CHAPTER 3: Operation 2. Press the NTWRK button repeatedly until the PING test is displayed on the screen (if the tester is turned off, press the NTWRK button twice). Press the SEL button to enter the test. Several status screens will be displayed while establishing a link and negotiating the DHCP configuration.
  • Page 23 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 2. Press the NTWRK button until Validate Link is displayed. Press the SEL button to activate the test. 3. To get to Setup mode, press the SETUP button. In Setup, set the PING Generator to DHCP Off (see Section 3.8).

  • Page 24: To Change Ping Addressing Mode

    CHAPTER 3: Operation 3.8 To Change PING Addressing Mode 1. Turn on the LAN Solution Network Tester by pressing the PWR button, then the SETUP button (in between the CABLE and NTWRK buttons). The Percent Battery Remaining screen will appear briefly.

  • Page 25: Functional Description

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 4. Functional Description The LAN Solution Network Tester is a jack identifier, cable tester, and PING tester in one. It has a backlit LCD display and eight buttons. The rubber end cap at the bottom is the battery compartment cover. To power on the tester, press any one of these three buttons: PWR, CABLE, or NTWRK.
  • Page 26 CHAPTER 4: Functional Description The tester has eight test modes and a Setup function. The test modes include Voltage Check, four Cable Test modes (Jack ID, Cable Test, Cable Length, and Tone Generator), and three Network Test modes (Flash Link LED, PING Test, and Validate Link).

  • Page 27: Voltage Check

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 4.1 Voltage Check All tests, except Jack ID, start with a check for voltages on the pins on the tester’s jack. If voltage is found, the message “Voltage Found—SEL Jack ID” is displayed. You must press the SEL key to start the Jack ID test; this will determine what type of interface or what voltages are present on the jack.

  • Page 28: Cable Test Modes

    CHAPTER 4: Functional Description 4.2 Cable Test Modes In most modes, the tester is constantly testing and reporting results. While we recommend that an unknown jack connection always be verified by connecting to the tester while it is powered off, you can attach a known dead network cable or jack to the tester while it is running.

  • Page 29: Cable Test

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER If no voltages are present, testing for Ethernet link pulses begins. If link pulses are found, the advertised capability, the pairs with link pulses, and the polarity of link pulses are displayed. The pairs with link pulses are indicated by reference to the device that would normally present pulses on those pairs (the hub, switch, or NIC, assuming straight-through cabling.
  • Page 30 CHAPTER 4: Functional Description pin numbers of the remote, which are normally the same as the top line for a normal data cable. If there is a miswire, the numbers of the second line will indicate the pin numbers detected. If no connection was detected for some of the pins, the second line will be blank in those pin locations.

  • Page 31: Cable Length

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 4.2.3 C ABLE ENGTH The length mode measures the length of a cable by measuring its capacitance and using the capacitance per unit length (length constant) to calculate the length. The length is displayed on the LCD along with the current value of the length constant.

  • Page 32: Tone Generator

    CHAPTER 4: Functional Description 4.2.4 T ENERATOR The tone mode generates audio tones for use with tone tracers on all pairs, a selected pair, or a selected pin. The signal generated on a pair has the signal on one pin and the complement of the signal on the other pin of the pair, yielding a nominal 10 volts peak-to-peak across the pair.

  • Page 33: Ping Test

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER rate as the link indicator on the device at the other end. The tester will automatically turn off in 30 minutes. While the tester is searching for incoming link pulses, it displays the message “Find Active Link.” Once it finds link pulses, the tester displays “Link Found,”...
  • Page 34 CHAPTER 4: Functional Description address must be known so that the PING can be sent to the router, which forwards it to the ultimate location. The PING Test operates in DHCP On or DHCP Off (Manual) IP address configuration modes. DHCP (Dynamic Host Configuration Protocol) is the protocol used when a new device is added to a LAN and it needs to get information about the IP addresses on that LAN.
  • Page 35 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER the target address is on the LAN segment, as determined by Netmask*, the target will be addressed directly on the Ethernet. If the target is not local, PINGs will be directed to the Router for forwarding on the WAN side of the Router.
  • Page 36 CHAPTER 4: Functional Description DHCP On Mode After detecting incoming link pulses, the tester requests IP address parameters using the DHCP protocol. The tester displays the message “DHCP Request” and a count of attempts to detect link pulses. This protocol requires a response from a DHCP server accessible on the LAN.
  • Page 37 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER its proposed MyIP address. A response to the ARP tells the tester that some other device on the LAN is already using that IP address. The DHCP protocol specification (RFC 1541) says that when a server offers an address already in use, the receiver of that address should reject it and request another.
  • Page 38 CHAPTER 4: Functional Description DHCP Off (Manual) Mode The tester uses the manually entered PING Setup information. To determine the IP parameter configuration of the LAN, the configuration of another device on that LAN must be checked. On a Windows ®...
  • Page 39 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER some other device on the LAN is already using that IP address, and it reports “My IP in use on this network.” The LAN Solution Network Tester will not continue the PING test because using another device’s IP address is not permissible on a LAN.
  • Page 40 CHAPTER 4: Functional Description Status. Pressing SEL three times (or after 10 seconds) will drop into a third page of Status (if available) or return to the main PING display. If the third page is displayed, pressing SEL once more (or another 10 seconds) will return to the main PING display.
  • Page 41 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER Once the router MAC address is found, the LAN Solution Network Tester begins sending ICMP echo request (PING) packets to the router. The status displayed under the Rtr acronym changes to N|N with the N symbol bouncing back and forth across the net (|).
  • Page 42 CHAPTER 4: Functional Description The target IP address can be either on the LAN segment or remote. If the target is on the LAN, the status of the LAN Solution Network Tester will be as described for the router above. In the off local segment case, where the PING packets need to be sent to the router to be forwarded, there is an additional step necessary and status displayed.

  • Page 43: Validate Link

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER The DNS server can be local or remote (like a target). The DNS conversation status is similar to a target conversation status. In most small LAN configurations, the DNS server will be a remote device, and successful PINGing to it will verify proper LAN operation and Internet connectivity.
  • Page 44 CHAPTER 4: Functional Description One tester is put into Validate Link mode (Validator), while the other one is put into PING test with DHCP Off (PING Generator). The Validator will be locked in NIC mode, generating link pulses that the PING Generator can receive to allow it to take on the hub cable configuration.

  • Page 45: Setup Mode

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER 5. Setup Mode Use the Setup mode to set user-selectable options and present information that’s helpful to the user. Enter Setup mode by pressing the center of the CABLE/NTWRK buttons (labeled “SETUP”), which activates both buttons simultaneously. The estimated battery life remaining is displayed briefly when entering Setup mode.
  • Page 46 CHAPTER 5: Setup Mode Target Setup is the sub-menu title screen used when selecting and configuring IP addresses for the four available target IP address storage locations. For the PING test mode, only one target can be active at a time. Pressing the SEL button moves the LAN Solution Network Tester into the target selection screen.

  • Page 47: Ping Setup Sub-Menu

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER Each of the four decimal numbers (values between 0–255) separated by periods represents one hexadecimal byte of the four-byte IP address. Each digit in the decimal number can only be set to a value valid for that position. Thus, the high-order (leftmost) digit in any of the decimal numbers can be set to 0, 1, or 2.
  • Page 48 CHAPTER 5: Setup Mode the same LAN segment as the LAN Solution Network Tester. A off-LAN router cannot be addressed by the tester, and therefore is not a useful setup option. Pressing the SEL button drops the tester into the manual IP configuration screens.

  • Page 49: Last Dhcp

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER to the correct state. The check of the router’s address is done whenever MyIP, the router IP, or the Netmask are edited. The Netmask is a special set of numbers that are similar to an IP address. It must be a string of 1s, from the highest order bit down, defining the bits that must match between MyIP and any devices it tries to access on the LAN segment.

  • Page 50: Dhcp On/Off

    CHAPTER 5: Setup Mode Any 000.000.000.000 entries mean that the last DHCP server did not provide the requested information. If all entries are 000.000.000.000, the most likely cause is that DHCP On mode was selected, but the LAN did not provide a DHCP server.

  • Page 51: Mac Add

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER If no response is received from the server, the tester cannot do any PINGing on that LAN. In that case, you must manually enter the PING setup and select the DHCP Off state. The next PING test will then attempt to communicate with the manually entered parameters.

  • Page 52: Status And Error Messages For Network Test Modes

    CHAPTER 6: Status and Error Messages for Network Test Modes 6. Status and Error Messages for Network Test Modes ARP Received—In Validate Link mode, this status shows that the tester has detected another active LAN Solution Network Tester trying to start a PING conversation. This status flashes for a few seconds while the testers negotiate an IP address they can use to PING each other.
  • Page 53 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER Find Active Link—The tester is searching for incoming Link pulses while waiting to start an active test. Flash Link LED and PING test modes need to be connected to an active network in order to run. In these modes, this status is displayed while the tester is searching both the 1–2 and 3–6 pairs for incoming Ethernet Link pulses.
  • Page 54 CHAPTER 6: Status and Error Messages for Network Test Modes Lost Link—A test was active after finding incoming Link pulses, but they stopped being received. The cable might be disconnected or the connected device might be shut off. NIC Init Err—The Ethernet interface chip used in the LAN Solution Network Tester reported a problem to the CPU during internal initialization.
  • Page 55 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER NIC Tx Timeout—The Ethernet interface chip used in the LAN Solution Network Tester was not able to transmit a packet within the time allowed. This may be caused by a hardware problem inside the tester, a problem with the attached cable, hardware problems with the connected device, excessive LAN traffic, or collisions on the LAN.
  • Page 56 CHAPTER 6: Status and Error Messages for Network Test Modes IP Add—Rtr Add: The active target IP address is the same as the router IP address, so the target PING is automatically disabled. No ARP Response: The IP address active for this conversation is being ARPed but is not responding.
  • Page 57 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER Rtr must be on MyIP LAN segment—This is displayed in Setup while setting the Manual router IP address. The LAN Solution Network Tester requires that the router be at an IP address on the LAN segment as defined by the Netmask and MyIP addresses.

  • Page 58: Interpreting Cable Test Results

    CHAPTER 7: Interpreting Cable Test Results 7. Interpreting Cable Test Results The PASS icon will be on if the cable has all pins properly connected per T568A/B (see Figure 7-1). Neither icon will be on if the cable is a crossover (uplink) cable.
  • Page 59 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER Open A pair with an open has an incomplete circuit, or the cable is broken. See Figure 7-2. If an open is detected while testing with a remote, the FAIL icon will be on. The pin positions where the open is detected will be missing from the second line of pin numbers.
  • Page 60 CHAPTER 7: Interpreting Cable Test Results Short A pair with a short has a low-resistance connection from one wire of the pair to the other wire of the pair, to any other wire in the cable or the shield. If a short is detected while testing with a remote, the FAIL icon will be on.
  • Page 61 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER Miswire A miswire exists when a wire or both wires of a pair are not connected to the correct pins at the other end of the cable. If a miswire is detected while testing with a remote, the wire map shows the pin numbers from line 1 (main) to line 2 (remote).
  • Page 62 CHAPTER 7: Interpreting Cable Test Results Split Pair A split pair is an error in the twisting of the wires within the cable. The cables are generally made up of eight wires twisted together in 4 pairs. These 4 pairs are designated as pairs by the wiring standards and are intended to carry a signal and its return.
  • Page 63 LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER Figure 7-5. Split pair.

  • Page 64: Maintenance

    CHAPTER 8: Maintenance 8. Maintenance 8.1 Replacing the Battery When the Battery Low icon is on, replace the battery as soon as possible. The testing results become unreliable when the battery reaches 5.0 volts. NOTE When installing a new battery or resetting the processor, disconnect any cables connected to the tester.

  • Page 65: Resetting The Processor

    LAN SOLUTION NETWORK TESTER NOTE To preserve the user-set data, the tester must be off and the battery disconnected for no more than one minute. 5. Slide the battery into the cavity and snap the cap in place. 8.2 Resetting the Processor NOTE When resetting the processor, all user data will be lost.

  • Page 66: Troubleshooting

    Tester is malfunctioning, do not attempt to alter or repair the unit. It contains no user-serviceable parts. Contact Black Box at 724-746-5500. Before you do, make a record of the history of the problem. We will be able to provide more efficient and...

  • Page 67: Shipping And Packaging

    • Package it carefully. We recommend that you use the original container. • If you are shipping the LAN Solution Network Tester for repair, make sure you include everything that came in the original package. Before you ship, contact Black Box to get a Return Authorization (RA) number.

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