For ICT contractors and low voltage professionals, selecting cable testing equipment is about more than comparing specifications. Test speed, usability, reporting workflows, standards support, battery performance, troubleshooting capabilities, and access to technical support can all affect how efficiently technicians complete work in the field.
At a recent industry event, Softing spoke with experienced ICT professionals who use cable testing and certification equipment in both field and training environments. Their feedback highlighted an important consideration for contractors and training organizations: advanced testing capability needs to translate into practical improvements at the job site.
From structured cabling certification and fiber testing to technician training and test result management, here are several factors these professionals identified as important when evaluating today’s network testing equipment.
Testing capability needs to translate into efficient, repeatable work at the job site.
Equipment should support experienced technicians while remaining approachable for apprentices.
Testing, troubleshooting, documentation, and support all contribute to field productivity.
What Professionals Are Saying About Softing
Hear directly from ICT professionals about the testing capabilities, usability, productivity, and support that matter in the field.
Cable Certification Equipment Designed Around the Installer
Cable certification is a critical step in documenting that an installed cabling link meets the requirements of the selected cabling standard. For contractors working across commercial buildings, data centers, enterprise networks, and other ICT environments, the certification tester therefore becomes an important part of the installation workflow.
Jon Stewart, an instructor from Detroit E.T.I.C., emphasized the balance between cost and functionality when discussing his experience with Softing test equipment.
For contractors, Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committees (JATC) , and other training organizations, equipment budgets can be limited. However, reducing equipment costs should not necessarily mean sacrificing testing capabilities.
Jon highlighted the combination of affordability, test performance, battery life, standards based testing, and an interface designed around how installers actually work.
“You pay less of a price, but you don’t get less functionality. You don’t get less capability.”
Jon Stewart, Detroit E.T.I.C.That distinction can be particularly important for organizations that need to equip multiple technicians, classrooms, or training labs while still providing access to professional cable testing technology.
Practical DesignPractical Features Can Improve Cable Testing Workflows
Small interface and hardware decisions can have a measurable impact when technicians are completing repetitive tests throughout the day.
Jon pointed to several practical capabilities available on Softing’s WireXpert MP platform.
Features That Support the Technician in the Field
Available on both the local and remote units.
Technicians can interact with the test process from either unit.
Useful for identifying conductor continuity and wiring faults.
Supports organization of testing work in the field.
Important for extended testing throughout the workday.
Supports different cabling specifications and project requirements.
Being able to review information from either end of a link can be useful when technicians are separated across telecommunications rooms, work areas, or other locations within a structured cabling installation.
Wiremap information is particularly valuable during copper cabling installation and troubleshooting. Before moving deeper into certification or diagnostics, technicians need visibility into conductor continuity and wiring faults that could indicate opens, shorts, reversals, crossed pairs, or other termination problems.
Providing technicians with immediate access to relevant test information can help identify issues closer to the point of installation and reduce unnecessary movement between opposite ends of the cable.
TrainingWhy Tester Usability Matters in ICT Training
Usability is not limited to experienced technicians. It also matters when training the next generation of ICT and low voltage professionals.
Without an unnecessary learning barrier
Learning the Process, Not Just the Tester
JATC and apprenticeship programs need testing equipment that exposes students to professional certification workflows while remaining approachable enough to use in a learning environment.
Jon noted that Softing’s interface makes it relatively easy for apprentices to set up projects and work with the available testing functions.
This helps instructors move beyond simply teaching students how to operate a tester. Apprentices can learn the broader workflow associated with professional structured cabling projects, including selecting the appropriate test standard, validating an installation, identifying faults, reviewing measurements, and documenting completed work.
Support for standards based testing is also important as technicians encounter different cabling specifications and project requirements. Depending on the application and geography, testing may be performed against requirements established by organizations such as TIA, ISO/IEC, or other applicable standards bodies.
ProductivityField Visibility Matters When Troubleshooting Cabling
Matthew Apfel of Bluestone Communications brings 27 years of ICT industry experience, including approximately 15 years working in training and education at JATC. He currently serves as a training director for Bluestone Communications, supporting branch locations across the Upper Midwest and Mid Atlantic regions.
His perspective focused on the connection between tester design and technician productivity.
One example is the display and interface design of the WireXpert MP platform. High resolution displays and flexible viewing can seem like relatively minor specifications until a technician is troubleshooting a failed link in an active field environment.
As Matthew explained, better visibility can make it easier to interpret test information and diagnose problems.
In a labor intensive industry, those incremental workflow improvements matter. Time spent navigating menus, repositioning equipment, retrieving information, or repeating unnecessary steps adds up across dozens or hundreds of cable tests.
Copper and FiberA Modular Approach to Copper and Fiber Certification
Today’s ICT infrastructure rarely consists of a single cabling medium.
Technicians may encounter Category 6A copper horizontal cabling, higher category copper applications, multimode or singlemode fiber backbones, and other network infrastructure within the same project. This creates a need for test platforms that can adapt as project requirements change.
Copper Certification
Softing’s WireXpert MP is designed as a modular cable certification platform, allowing organizations to configure the tester for different copper certification applications.
A modular approach can be particularly valuable for contractors that want to expand testing capabilities as project requirements change.
Fiber Testing and OTDR
Fiber optic infrastructure continues to expand across enterprise networks, campus backbones, data centers, broadband deployments, and other high bandwidth applications.
An optical time domain reflectometer, or OTDR , provides technicians with visibility into events along a fiber link.
For field teams, this means the testing platform can become part of a broader workflow rather than a device dedicated to one narrowly defined application.
Jon specifically noted his organization’s use of Softing OTDR equipment in addition to cable certification testers.
Depending on the application and test configuration, OTDR testing can help locate and characterize events such as connectors, splices, bends, and breaks.
For low voltage contractors working across multiple media types, having access to both structured cabling certification and fiber troubleshooting capabilities helps support a more complete ICT testing strategy.
DocumentationMoving Cable Test Results From the Tester to the Phone
Testing the cable is only part of the job. Contractors also need to manage the data generated by the tester.
Certification records may need to move from the field technician to a project manager, customer, office administrator, or other stakeholder. Historically, this could require returning the tester to an office, connecting it to a computer, and manually transferring project files.
Mobile connectivity is changing that workflow.
During the interview, Jon discussed Softing’s WiFi connectivity and mobile app workflow, which allows technicians to transfer supported WireXpert MP project information to a mobile device.
A More Direct Path From Field Testing to Project Documentation
Instead of making the physical tester the only location where project data resides during the workday, technicians can move information into a mobile workflow and share it using the processes already established by their organization.
Jon identified the ability to access test information from a phone as particularly useful for technicians working away from the office.
This can reduce the number of steps between testing, documentation, and project closeout .
SupportCable Testing Technology Is Only Part of the Equation
Matthew also raised another consideration that can be overlooked when comparing network cable testers: technical support.
ICT testing equipment is a long term investment. Contractors depend on these instruments to complete billable work, troubleshoot installation problems, document compliance, and close projects.
When an issue occurs, access to knowledgeable technical support can therefore be just as important as the capabilities listed on a product specification sheet.
Matthew noted that he has used Softing equipment both in apprenticeship training and in day to day contracting environments and has remained a repeat customer over multiple years.
“When it didn’t work, I knew that I was comfortable in having the support from one of Softing’s engineers in a very, very timely manner.”
Matthew Apfel, Bluestone CommunicationsFor contractors, reducing tester downtime helps protect more than the equipment investment. It helps protect technician productivity and project schedules.
Evaluation GuideWhat Should Contractors Look for in a Cable Certification Tester?
There is no single specification that determines whether a cable tester is the right fit for an ICT organization. Instead, contractors should evaluate how the complete platform supports their field workflow.
Important Considerations
- Standards based copper and fiber testing capabilities
- Test speed and repeatability
- Wiremap and troubleshooting visibility
- Local and remote unit usability
- Project setup and test result organization
- Battery performance for extended field use
- Support for current and future cabling applications
- Mobile transfer and documentation workflows
- Availability of technical support
- Total equipment cost across the organization
- Ease of use for technicians with different experience levels
For JATCs and apprenticeship programs, training usability should also be considered. The equipment students learn on helps shape how they approach testing, troubleshooting, certification, and documentation once they enter the field.
Field FeedbackField Feedback Helps Drive Better ICT Testing Workflows
Specifications tell an important part of the story, but field experience shows how those specifications translate into actual work.
The feedback from Jon and Matthew consistently returned to several themes: practical tester design, strong functionality, efficient testing, accessibility for apprentices and experienced technicians, field oriented documentation, and responsive support.
For low voltage contractors, ICT technicians, and training organizations evaluating their next cable testing platform, those workflow considerations deserve as much attention as the individual measurements a tester can perform.
The objective is not simply to run another test. It is to give technicians the information and tools they need to test, troubleshoot, document, and move to the next link efficiently.
Explore Softing IT Networks Testing Solutions
Softing IT Networks provides test and measurement solutions for copper and fiber network infrastructure, from cable verification and qualification to standards based certification and fiber optic troubleshooting.
Explore the WireXpert MP modular cable certification platform, FiberXpert OTDR 5000, and additional network testing tools designed for ICT installers, low voltage contractors, network technicians, and training organizations.