Dealing with Network Connectivity Issues: What's the Next Step?

What is the next step a technician should take when facing a network connectivity issue?

1) Cable tester
2) Tone generator (Correct)
3) Loopback plug
4) Multimeter

Answer:

The technician would most likely use a tone generator and probe to trace the physical path of the cable from the workstation to the patch panel or switch in order to identify the correct port.

When a technician is dealing with a network connectivity issue and has already ruled out the patch cable as the source of the problem, the next best tool to use would be a tone generator and probe. Since the workstation's link light is not lit and the cables or ports in the switch room are not labeled, using a tone generator would help the technician to trace the physical path of the cable from the workstation to the patch panel or switch.

The tone generator emits a signal that the probe can detect, enabling the technician to identify the correct port on the patch panel or switch that corresponds to the workstation's wall jack.