A technician connects a new computer to the internet and then opens the wiring closet. Even though all of the wires are terminated, nothing in the wring closet is labeled. Which of the following tools should the technician use to complete the task?

The technician's task is to identify a specific, unlabeled cable in a wiring closet that connects to a particular wall jack. A toner probe is the specialized tool for this purpose. It consists of two parts: a tone generator that is plugged into the wall jack, and a probe (wand). The generator sends an audible signal along the cable. The technician then uses the probe to scan the bundle of terminated wires in the closet; the probe will emit a sound when it is near the correct cable, allowing for precise identification.

A. Cable tester: This tool is used to verify the continuity, pinout, and signal integrity of a cable, not to locate it within a bundle.
B. Loopback plug: This device is used for diagnosing a network port (e.g., on a NIC or switch) by redirecting outgoing signals back to the port.
D. Punchdown tool: This tool is used to terminate wires into a patch panel or keystone jack. The scenario states the wires are already terminated.

1. Indiana University

University Information Technology Services (UITS). (2023). What are some common Ethernet tools

and what do they do? Knowledge Base

Document ID: aind. In the section describing the Toner Probe

it states

"Often called a 'fox and hound'

a toner probe can help you trace a wire. The tone generator sends a signal down the wire

and the probe detects the signal."

2. Purdue University

Information Technology at Purdue (ITaP). (n.d.). Networking Tools. In the description for "Tone Generator and Probe

" it is specified that the tool "is used to trace a wire from one location to another."

3. CompTIA. (2022). CompTIA A+ Core 1 (220-1101) Exam Objectives. Version 4.0

page 9. Under exam objective 2.5

"Given a scenario

use appropriate networking tools

" the "Toner probe" is listed as an essential tool.