Review on 🔎 Noyafa NF 8601W: Unleashing the Power of a Multi-Functional Network Tracker by Eugene Cox

I made my living as a cable fitter about twenty five years ago, but once I got my education I got way beyond that . I'm retired now but sometimes I provide IT services along with basic network support. I really need better tools as I have to troubleshoot from time to time. I think it's good value for money compared to Fluke or similar, but if the 8601s has everything you need it should probably get 5 stars. I gave this four stars because I think the 8601s I originally bought were defective, but that could just be an accident (sorry for the pun - I couldn't resist). However, in response to one of the questions, the seller actually stated that this 8601s is better than the 8601w, so I bought the 8601s instead of the 8601w. For some aspects (new CAT7 tuning and possibly more accurate length readings when calibrating etc.) it's possible that the 8601s is better than the 8601w in all the characteristics that both devices have in common. But for what I need, this is definitely NOT the case as both devices don't have the same features or functionality. I borrowed an 8601w from friends and found it a great tool. I thought the "8" in the 8601 meant 8 remote sensors (it doesn't) and like I said, I thought the 8601 was just a newer version of the 8601w. The 8601s and 8601w are not different versions of the same instrument. They have a lot in common and there are some differences. The main difference is that the 8601w can test 8 cables simultaneously while the 8601 can only test one. You can't buy additional sensors for the 8601, and the sensors for the 8601w don't work with the 8601. To me that's a BIG difference, so don't compare oranges to oranges, compare oranges to maybe tangerines. In my opinion, you can't say that one model is better than the other, because that means both devices do the same thing, only one of them is a newer, improved version. In most cases I can connect the 8601w. Remotely connect the sensors to 8 different sockets in offices in many parts of the building and test these 8 different connections in just 2 round trips. The first round trip is to go to different sockets to place the sensors and come back to test with the 8601w, and the second round trip is to remove the sensors (or maybe plug them into more sockets to connect). This is a wonderful thing! With 8601 you have to do this for each socket separately. It sucks (technically speaking). I also regularly test cables for length and get fairly accurate results up to 6-10 foot cables with my 8601w friends. In practice, you don't need a machine to measure 6-10 feet of cable; It is VERY useful to use the 8601w to determine the length of a bundle of loose cables from 30 to 100 feet without calibration. I couldn't do this with the 8601 because it didn't give any readings and when I try to calibrate it just says to use a cable with a known length of at least 50 meters to calibrate. I didn't have a loose unused (or used) cord that had a "known" length of about 50 meters (164 feet). Although the manual for both devices states that the minimum cable length is 50 meters; The 8601w can measure much shorter cables well enough for my general needs. I didn't need to know the exact length. So if the cable I untangled from the pile was only 62 feet long and the (uncalibrated) test showed it was 64 feet long, it didn't matter. In fact, I think the 8601s I had were defective in terms of cable length measurement. but the fact that he could only test one cable at a time for other, more important tests made him a deal killer anyway. Also using the test to get an IP address for 8601 from a server or router etc didn't always work with 8601 no matter how many times I tried (up to 10 times). But with my friends, the 8601w never let me down, even though it sometimes took 2-3 tries. So, again I think the 8601's I received were defective, but again that's a moot point. I returned the 8601s and bought the 8601w from the same seller. My 8601w works great and I give it 5 stars. I would give it more stars if possible as for the price the 8601w is the best value any Fluke would cost.