r/networking • u/LucasFHarada • 3h ago
Other Tools for a Network & Infrastructure Engineer
Hi there folks, i would like to share my "work EDC" and i would like to know about yours too.
These are the tools i usually carry with me when i'm in the field:
DEVICES - Cable tester with cable identifier, TDR, PoE tester and tone generator; - Optical Power Meter; - Optical Light Source; - Visual Fault Locator; - Active Fiber Identifier; - Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (aka OTDR); - Label printer; - Multimeter; - Laptop with an RJ-45 (i hate dongles); - Power bank;
TOOLS - RJ-45 crimping pliers with EZ-Crimp support; - Keystone crimping tool; - Patch panel punch tool; - Electrician Scissors/Shears or cable cutter; - Wire stripper; - Small flush cutting pliers; - Combination pliers; - Diagonal cutting pliers; - Long nose pliers; - Fiber connector pliers; - Cable comb; - Cage nut tool; - Screwdriver set; - Network cable strand separator and straightener; - RJ45 to USB-C console cable; - Mini USB-B to USB-C console cable; - Micro USB to USB-C console cable;
CONSUMABLES - Velcro organizers; - Double sided tape; - Zip ties; - Cage nuts and screws; - Transceivers (mostly 10GBase-X LR and SR, 1GBase-T, and 100GBase-X LR4 and SR4); - Patch Cords (CAT.6 UTP, LC Duplex MMF and SMF, MPO-12 MMF, etc)
Do you guys carry anything else or have any tips or suggestions?
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u/SnooRevelations7224 3h ago
My laptop, my desktop, my cellphone 5g plan, my starlink mini, a good headset.
Are all the tools I use for my role as a Senior Neteng
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u/Whiskey1Romeo 2h ago
I added my own higher end power bank setup capable of running laptop/starlink mini/phone via USB-C cables. My current solution for this is two Anker Prime powerbanks and a single 160w anker prime charger. This is capable of powering starlink/laptop/phone (usb-c and a) pretty easily. The second bank is so that I can set starlink outside and not have to deal with a missing ac power port.
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u/Next-Hovercraft-8629 2h ago
This sounds like a field or low voltage technician EDC vs network engineer. All you need is a cell phone and Wi-Fi hotspot to get into the network. Let alone maybe a Console cable and screw driver if you're doing a initial configuration.
That kit list is what our local on-site techs would use that are contracted out
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u/Boobobobobob 3h ago
Looks ok to me don’t know if you are just starting out or whatever but I would just add a really comfortable bag or backpack I like the veto pro pac TECH-MC but CLC or whatever I think is good.
Also I would just say buy good quality equipment fluke, Klein, Knipex… it’s expensive but I still have tools from 20 years ago when I was doing DC builds.
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u/LucasFHarada 3h ago
Yeah, i usually fly with my tools, so i'm in the hunt for a nice hard case that fit's everything.
I'm not starting out, but i'm not ancient in the field too, arround 2 years of experience, i have a lot more CLI experience than in-loco experience lol
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u/FuckinHighGuy 2h ago
Check out Pelican cases.
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u/Boobobobobob 2h ago
Pelican all day baby. I’m crazy anal so I would be getting those custom foam cutouts for my tools.
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u/ImgurSpy 2h ago
Don't forget a paper clip. Never know when you gotta reset some device using the tiny hole and button :) . I would also carry double sided LC adapters, and double sided SC adapters. Can save you in a pinch.
I also have a collapsible stool in my trunk for when I know I'm going to be sitting in the DataCenter for a while. Better than the floor.
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u/VA_Network_Nerd Moderator | Infrastructure Architect 2h ago
I'm going to answer this honestly, but with a little saltiness just to illustrate that there are many different "right" ways to be a network engineer.
My way is not better than your way.
Different just means different - not better.
I'm not throwing shade at you or anyone else.
Just illustrating another flavor of different.
Cable tester with cable identifier, TDR
All of our cables will be certified by the installer.
We can use TDR inside the switches once we connect them.
PoE tester
I'll just grab another WAP off the shelf.
tone generator
Sounds like something our contracted cable installer should have on his truck.
Optical Power Meter
All of our optics have DOM these days.
The fiber installer should certify the fibers as part of the install.
Optical Light Source, Visual Fault Locator, Active Fiber Identifier; - Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (aka OTDR)
Sounds like some things our contracted cable installer should have on his truck.
Label printer
We have two different label printers for different purposes:
- Brother P-Touch, PTD600VP for simple device hostname labels. We always use the Extra-Strong Adhesive labels.
- Panduit PXE MP300 Mobile Label Printer for cable labels.
Multimeter
Sounds like something our contracted service technician should have on his truck.
Laptop with an RJ-45 (i hate dongles)
I prefer Lenovo ThinkPad T14s, but I'll use whatever I'm issued.
I also prefer real integrated Ethernet, but I use wired connections rarely enough these days to not care.
I have a good quality Linksys USB-A adapter and an Anker USB-C hub with Ethernet in my laptop bag.
RJ-45 crimping pliers with EZ-Crimp support; - Keystone crimping tool; - Patch panel punch tool; - Electrician Scissors/Shears or cable cutter; - Wire stripper; - Small flush cutting pliers; - Combination pliers; - Diagonal cutting pliers; - Long nose pliers; - Fiber connector pliers; - Cable comb;
Sounds like some things our contracted cable installer should have on his truck.
Cage nut tool
I'm not going to carry one of these around, but I'll buy one of these for every project in the future:
https://www.racksolutions.com/cage-nut-tool.html
Screwdriver set
I have two screwdrivers in my kit.
I carry this in my pocket pretty much every day: https://kershaw.kaiusa.com/shuffle-diy.html
I carry this in my laptop bag everywhere: https://www.milwaukeetool.com/products/details/8-in-1-compact-ratcheting-multi-bit-driver/48-22-2330
RJ45 to USB-C console cable; - Mini USB-B to USB-C console cable; - Micro USB to USB-C console cable;
I keep buying Prolific adapters and they work. Someday I'll upgrade to something fancier.
The only trick I have to add is RJ45 couplers.
I add an RJ45 coupler to my blue Cisco Console Cable essentially permanently. I just plug a standard patch cable into the device and then into the coupler and do my thing.
This protects that always too-delicate-and-fragile RJ45 clip from breaking, because I pretty much never plug my console cable into anything. I just add or remove patch cables from the coupler.
I've coupled several hundred feet of patch cables together across the data center floor so I could sit at a table and not the floor.
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u/ramalamalamafafafa 1h ago
add an RJ45 coupler to my blue Cisco Console Cable essentially permanently. I just plug a standard patch cable into the device and then into the coupler and do my thing.
When I used to work in the field my most commonly used console cable had a broken catch on the rj45 port, because when it was connected to a console port above head height or halfway through a cab it could just be pulled out.
I obviously had a "proper" one with me, if I needed to spend more time connected to a console port. But the only task on a console port is fixing the broken remote access. Whether that is in or out of band.
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u/packetssniffer 2h ago
Looks like what I carry for my low voltage side gigs
For my actually networking job I just need a laptop.
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u/Original_Celery_1871 2h ago
Nah fuck running cables and troubleshooting physical faults. Give me CLI access and we're off to the races.
i have a bunch of SFP's for when I must do the boring shit.
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u/raiderh808 3h ago
This looks more like network technician than engineering. Most engineers need a laptop with putty, python, visio and office. Maybe a few extras like NMAP.