Telephone Wiring Tools

• Telephone technicians use specialized tools to get the wiring right. telephone image by Vasiliy Koval from Fotolia.com

  Some standard tools, such as screwdrivers and pliers, can be found in any phone technician's tool kit. However, a telephone technician will also use a number of specialized tools when wiring telephones. These tools let the technician wire new telephone lines and determine problems with the signal on existing lines.

Wire Cutters

• Wiring telephones inevitably requires trimming wire. Wire cutters let you trim the wires and strip off their insulation. Wire cutters are preferable to a knife or multi-tool because they provide more precision. Telephone cables can be either stranded or solid core, and a different wire cutter should be used for each type.

Punchdown Tool

• A punchdown tool is designed to terminate wires and connect jumpers at phone blocks and patch panels. A punchdown tool literally punches wires down into a phone block. It typically consists of a handle, an internal spring mechanism, and a slotted blade. Some cheaper models lack an internal spring and require more force to operate.

Crimper

• A crimper is designed to connect modular plugs to the ends of telephone cables. Cheaper crimpers are designed for a single type of modular plug. Higher-end models allow parts to be swapped out according to the type of connection to be crimped.

Test Set

• A phone test set is designed to be connected anywhere on a phone line to test incoming and outgoing phone signals. The test set connects to the line with a pair of clips. It will pass the phone signal through any insulation present on the wires.

Tone Generator and Probe

• A tone generator and probe are handy for determining the appropriate line in a large mess of wires, or to troubleshoot crossed wires. These two tools are designed to be used as a set. You connect the tone generator to a phone line, then use the probe to determine where the signal travels. These tools are often used to figure out the termination point of an existing phone jack on a patch panel.