Data Center Test Kits for Commissioning, Troubleshooting, Inspection

Fluke Networks’ new kits put everything technicians need together in a complete package.
Sept. 2, 2025
3 min read
Fluke Networks
Fluke Networks Fiber and Copper Commissioning and Troubleshooting Kit

Fluke Networks recently introduced several Data Center Kits, which the company explains “provide complete, reliable solutions that support the latest data center technologies, whether you’re installing, reconfiguring, or troubleshooting networks.”

Three kit types are available: 1) Fiber and copper commissioning and troubleshooting kits, 2) Fiber inspection kits, and 3) MPO maintenance and troubleshooting kits. Fluke describes each kit type’s uses and capabilities as follows.

Fiber and copper commissioning and troubleshooting kits (pictured on this page): Certify performance and troubleshoot copper and fiber cabling. This kit includes what you need to measure performance and isolate problems in copper and fiber (singlemode and multimode) connections. Also includes inspection and cleaning tools for MPO and single-fiber endfaces plus a tool for determining if a fiber cable or port is live.

Fiber inspection kits: Eliminate the leading cause of fiber failures. Most fiber problems can be prevented by ensuring each fiber endface is clean before plugging it in. Any cable—even new or just-cleaned ones—can be dirty or damaged. The only way to know is to inspect each connector endface, clean it if necessary, then inspect it again to make sure it’s really clean. This kit includes inspection cameras and cleaning tools for 1.25-mm and 2.5-mm ferrule devices and ports, plus 8/12/16/24 endface MPOs. Inspection adapters and cleaners are also available for LC duplex and VSFF connectors (MDC duplex connectors and MMC multifiber connectors).

MPO maintenance and troubleshooting kits: Reduce multifiber trunk testing time by 80%. Push one button and the MultiFiber Pro tests all 12 fibers in a trunk cable in seconds without the hassle of fanout cords. View loss measurements for individual fibers and polarity in a simple graphical format. Save results in the tester or transfer to LinkWare PC for reporting or archiving. Also includes an MPO inspection camera and cleaning tools, plus a tool for detecting a live fiber connection.

Coinciding with the introduction of the Data Center Kits, Fluke Networks published a post to its blog describing intricacies of working with VSFF connectors. Within that post the company explains, “To certify fiber links in the data center, you need an optical loss test set (OLTS) and test reference cords (TRCs). The first step in certification testing is to account for the loss of the TRCs by setting a reference. This should be done by the recommended 1-jumper reference method, which includes the loss of connections at both ends and offers the least uncertainty. On the CertiFiber Pro, setting a 1-jumper reference is easy with the Set Reference Wizard, which steps you through the process of setting the reference and verifying the performance of the TRCs using intuitive animation.

“To make a 1-jumper reference, your OLTS and TRCs must have the same connector interface as the link under test. If they don’t, you may need to use the less-accurate 3-jumper reference with a hybrid TRC. The CertiFiber Pro is available with a variety of interchangeable adapters and TRCs to accommodate testing with a 1-jumper reference, including new MDC VSFF adapters and TRCs.”

Fluke Networks’ product application specialist Jim Davis provides a video demonstration of how to test a fiber link terminated to an MDC connector using the 1-jumper reference. You can see that video immediately below.