Reflections

Hi,

I am currently 'training' to become a network administrator or to pick as much up as I can. I use the above software to connect to our switches and routers. I have been given the task of moving a switch to another area and tidying up the cabling because it's a diabolic mess. I need to find out which devices are plugged into the switch. I've been told the best method is to find out what is plugged into each port by finding out the MAC address on the port then finding out what IP is assigned to it and from there finding out what the device is. can someone please tell me the command to find out the MAC address? I know that sho ip arp 'mac address' will tell me the IP assigned, but I don't know how to obtain the mac. The person I would normally ask is on holiday......

Would appreciate this greatly as I need to start preparing/planning when I'm going to do this!

Cheers

Paul

 

The program is called WRQ Reflection. That command is done in command prompt which I know about but won't help me in this unfortunately! Thanks anyway Damn networking.....

Anyone else have any suggestions??

 

I haven't used that software so I don't know what it can/can't do. How many devices and how large of a building/area are you dealing with?

Does the company have a tone generator and probe? Do you know what that is? You hook one end, probably a workstation/network printer type of end of a patch cable to a small (cigarette pack sized) tone generator via RJ45 jack, and then take your cell phone sized probe to the switches, and the probe will emit an increasingly louder noise as you get closer to the wire with the tone. You can ID the very wire right at the switch (or prove it isn't there.)

Electricians, phone installers, network installers all have versions of this to ID both ends of a wire.

The same tools can, once you find both ends, plug into both ends of the wire and quickly check all 4 pairs (8 wires) for proper connections (ie crossover, straight, or altogether wrong) and each wire for continuity. Pretty handy for about $150 up.

Is there someone you can ask to see if you have this equipment? I don't go anywhere without mine.

 

It goes without saying (so why am I saying?) that this equipment is indispensable for testing patch cables when trouble shooting, also.

I'm building a new home and I had cat6 run "everywhere" with each wire a home run to a "closet." I made the mistake of having it done, and they forgot to mark the ends. I have no idea which wire is which. This tool will bail me out in a heartbeat when the time comes to hook it all up in the closet. I won't start in the closet, I'll go room to room plugging in the tone generator, and the take the probe to the closet.

Below is an example of just a cheap (works, though) tone generator/continuity tester. It doesn't include the tone probe which would find the tone - bought separately. With this, you can plug in the larger unit and switch it to test continuity/wiring to jacks and then hook up the smaller unit at the other end. LEDs will let you know if it is crossover, standard or wrong, and if continuity is missing on any wire.

Or you can hook up just the larger unit and set it to generate the tone, and take a tone probe and find the other end of the wire.

I have never used this company - just a quick google:

http://www.networkcart.com/product_info.php?products_id=43

 

Thanks for the replies, I managed to get hold of the command I needed in the end