A toner probe, which is shown in Figure 22.6 below, is a tool that can track where a wire is going. This is useful in large environments to identify both ends of a wire and track cables (usually from a bundle of wires). The toner probe consists of two different pieces:
- A tone generator: a battery-powered device that taps into the connection and sends a signal on the wire
- An inductive probe: allows you to hear the generated tone without even touching the wire
Figure 22.6 – Toner Probe
The first step in using such a device is turning on the toner, selecting the desired tone to be sent, and actually sending that tone over the wire. The tone generator connects to the wire or punch-down block using standard RJ11/RJ45 connectors or alligator clips. The next step is turning on the inductive probe and placing it close to the wire. As you move it closer to the specific wire you are looking for, you can hear it getting louder.
Toner probes can be used only in copper cable environments (twister-pair or coaxial), as it cannot process light signal in fiber optic cables. You can use advanced cable tester devices instead in fiber environments.