The 5-in-1 Network Admin's Cable

Tags:

Michael Ossman brings us the handiest little set of network administrator tools you can fit in your mini-screwdriver set. With one standard Ethernet cable, a straight-through coupler, and a few homebrew adapters, you will have:

  1. straight-through ethernet cable:ethernet cable photo

  2. crossover ethernet cable:crossover cable photo

    ethernet - coupler - crossover

  3. modem cable:modem cable photo

    DB9/RJ45 - ethernet - DB9/RJ45

  4. null modem cable:null modem cable photo

    DB9/RJ45 - ethernet - coupler - crossover - DB9/RJ45

  5. Cisco console cable:Cisco console cable photo

    DB9/RJ45 - ethernet - coupler - Cisco adapter

This set is easily expandable with a loopback (which will work on both Ethernet and RS-232, also useful for testing distant connectors) and one-way sniffers.

Read the rest of the story.