Hey, I just bought a tone generator to see which drops go with which patch panel. Only thing is I have no idea how to work this thing. I read the breif instructions but they didn't help. So the wires are already punched into the jacks on the patch panel and the jacks on the drop. Where do I attach the alligator clips (red and black) on either jack end to get a tone? Mike Brown

You should have received an RJ-11 end with the generator that will fit into both a telephone jack (RJ-11) and a network jack (RJ-45). Use that, plug it in and then turn the generator on. Verify it's on by running the receiving unit over the wires, then go find the other end. If you didn't get one, your generator should have an RJ-11 female end on it....any telephone cable will work.

I am trying to trouble shoot cat 5 connections rj-45. My generator has an rj-11 female jack. So Should I stick the telephone wire into the rj-11 on the generator and the other end of the telephone wire into the rj-45 jack on the patch panel. The use the probe on throughout the office and run it along the drops to see where I get a tone? How exactly would I hook up the black and red alligator clips to a jack to test the connection? Thanks. Mike Brown

Use the rj-11 plug and plug it into a rj-45 wall port. Go to where you think the the cable is on the patch panel and hold the end of the tone generator near the cable you believe is the one coming from the wall plug in the other room. If you get an increased sound on your generator you've found your wire. If not stick the point of the generator's hand held unit into the wire bundle and move it around until you get a sound that grows louder. To use the alligator clips, you need to have bare wire ends on any two leads on your RJ-45 cable. Sometimes I think I understand everything, then I regain consciousness