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From providing brand new functions, improving on the old or simply finding solutions to make the operators job easier, this year has produced some incredible new innovations in the field of test equipment. We've put together a convenient shortlist of what we believe to be the top five devices released in 2019. With such an incredible range of products available - if you work in gas, electrical or buildings sectors - we guarantee you should give these a look!

Power over Ethernet, or PoE for short, is a feature that allows electrical power to be carried by network cables over an existing data connection. This means that network cables can pass electricity through them. For this to happen, a Cat5e or Cat6 ethernet cable is needed. The job of this cable is to connect two devices together for the local network, as well as for internet network and file sharing. The company Cisco is credited with pioneering the PoE movement, when in 2000 they came up with the first ever successful system. There are many reasons for PoE’s rise to prominence, with the expansion of technology obviously a major factor.

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Data network testers have a reputation for being both expensive and complicated which discourages many electricians from branching out into network installation. However, with Ideal VDV II models available from under £100, this need not be the case, especially as these testers require no special training to operate. At the other end of the scale, an Ideal LANTEK III can cost over £5000 despite seemingly performing very similar tasks so this post will explain the differences within the Ideal Networks range and help users find the best instrument for them.

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