Installer Tip: Invisible tape as a testing aid

Testing communications circuits that are terminated to high-density patch panels presents a number of challenges, many of them space-related.

One of our readers submitted this tip that might help ease some of the pains that go along with testing in a cramped environment.

Proper documentation of test results is critical, and most likely is part of your contract with your customer. Fortunately many modern testers automatically save test results, and the tools have gotten ever-more sophisticated at keeping track of test results for specific ports.

That's all fine and good, but for the technician in the telecom room having to go from port-to-port during the testing process, keeping track of what's been done and what's left to do is a task in itself.

In brief, invisible tape (we'd call it Scotch tape but then we're not sure if we'd owe royalties to 3M ...) can be an unlikely hero in these situations. The other low-tech tool you'll need is a marker. (We didn't say "Sharpie", just like we didn't say "Scotch tape.")

Click the "Play" button on the graphic below to see the full tip in action.