4.5 Given a wiring task, select the appropriate tool (e.g., wire crimper, media tester/certifier, punch down tool, tone generator, optical tester, etc.).

 

 

Tool Function
Wire Crimper

 A hand tool used primarily to attach terminations to different types of network cables in a process known as "crimping." This involves a squeezing pressure to force the end in place on the cable. This differs from punching down, in which you push the conductor into metal teeth. Click here to view a photograph of a crimper.
Media Tester/Certifier
 Large as network hand tools go, this tests network media to be sure it meets manufacturer's requirements. Click here to view a photograph of a media tester/certifier.
Punch Down Tool
 Click here to view a photograph of a punch down tool.
Tone Generator
 Software that will play sounds, such as sine, triangle, impulse or white noise, using a computer's sound card. Ideal tool for testing sound on a computer. Click here to view a line drawing of a tone generator.
Optical Tester
 A hand-held device that measures optical parameters. Click here to view a photograph of an optical tester.
Digital Volt Meter
 Used to determine if cables are faulty or to test power supply voltage. Click here to view a photograph of a digital volt meter.
Time Domain Reflectometer (TDR)
 Determines the distance to a break in a cable. Click here to view a photograph of a Time Domain Reflectometer.
Oscilloscope
 A device that can measure signal voltage per unit of time. Click here to view a conceptual drawing of an Oscilloscope.
Protocol Analyzer
 Click here to view a photograph of a protocol analyzer.
Power Monitor
 Logs fluctuations in power sources. Click here to view a drawing of a power monitor.
Advanced Cable Tester
 Can analyze network traffic and locate excessive collisions. Click here to view a photograph of an advanced cable tester.
Loopback Adapter
 Can test a NIC card that's not attached to the network. It also can simulate network protocols in a computer where no NIC is installed. Click here to view a photograph of a loopback adapter.
Terminator Click here to view a photograph of a terminator.

 

4.6 Given a network scenario interpret visual indicators (e.g., link lights, collision lights, etc.) to determine the nature of the problem.

 

4.7 Given output from a diagnostic utility (e.g. tracert, ping, ipconfig, etc.), identify the utility and interpret the output.

Refer to section 4.1 of this Guide.

The easiest and best way to become familiar with these is simply to run them on your own machine. Do this repeatedly. Try every switch and setting available—for instance, vary the size and number of ICMP packets sent out on a PING test.

 

4.8 Given a scenario, predict the impact of modifying, adding or removing network services (e.g., DHCP, DNS, WINS, etc.) on network resources and users.

Changes on the network should always be seamless but, in practice, this is not always so. One of the surest signs of a nonseamless change is a user who says, "It didn't do this yesterday." When you come upon questions on the exam in which a user encounters something they didn't the day before, you'll know you've encountered this objective. You should be able to determine which network service has been modified, added or remove based on the scenario you are given. For instance, difficulty in getting an IP address assignment often indicates a change, addition or the removal of DHCP services. Or, a sudden change of IP addresses to the APIPA range (169.254.0.1 through 169.254.255.254) indicates that your DHCP configuration has failed somehow. The components of these services are covered throughout this Study Guide.

 

4.9 Given a network problem scenario, select an appropriate course of action based on a general troubleshooting strategy.

 

This strategy includes the following steps: