I’m often asked how to track live network cables. I have a confession: I don’t know how to do it! There, honesty is always the best policy!
More and more companies have systems that are in operation 24/7, that cannot in any circumstances be switched off. Sometimes the data centre cabling is poorly documented. So, how do you track cabling that is live?
I know how not to do it. Normally, I’d either use my ever faithful pair of tone generator & tone tracer. Or, I would use a something like an outlet identifier that blinks the lights on the hub or switch port.
Trouble is, both of the above methods can’t be used on a live network. If you put a tone on any of the pins on a network cable that’s going to interfere with the network traffic. Same with the port blinking method too.
Normally, in circumstances where toning on the cable pins is impossible, I’d use the cable sheath instead. Unfortunately, most deployed CAT5/6 cable is unshielded, so it doesn’t have a conductive sheath.
So, I don’t know how to track live network cables. I have a suspicion that it can’t be done. If you know how, please put this poor sap out of his misery. 
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Check out the Fluke website … they have a toner that you can plug into a live network outlet to identify the cable back at the patch panel.
I believe it’s the Fluke Intelletron 200 (or something like that)
@Pete – thanks for the info. I was at a training event a month or two ago and I was told that the Test-Um/JDSU line also supports asymmetric toning so that they can be used on a live network cable.
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