IDEAL 33-856 VDV Tester Review: The Mid-Range Workhorse for Voice, Data, and Video

When you need to verify cable terminations without spending Fluke money, the IDEAL 33-856 VDV Multimedia Tester sits in an attractive middle ground. At around $85, it handles the three cable types most low voltage techs encounter daily—Cat cable, coax, and phone—in one compact unit. But does budget-friendly mean cutting corners? Let's find out.

Quick Verdict

The IDEAL 33-856 is a reliable wiremap tester that excels at verifying terminations across voice, data, and video cables. The LCD display, four testing modes, and built-in tone generator punch above its price point. It won't certify your runs to spec like a Fluke, but for installers who need quick pass/fail verification, it's a solid daily driver.

Rating: 4.3/5 — Best for techs who test multiple cable types and want one versatile tool.

Who This Is For (And Who Should Skip It)

Buy the 33-856 if you:

• Install and terminate Cat5e/6/6a, coax, and phone cables
• Need quick pass/fail verification rather than full certification
• Want a single tester for residential smart home and light commercial work
• Appreciate having a built-in tone generator for cable tracing
• Have a budget between $50-$150 for a cable tester

Skip it if you:

• Need certified test results for enterprise installations
• Require length measurement or TDR fault location
• Test fiber optic cables
• Work primarily with one cable type and want specialized testing

Key Features That Actually Matter

Four Dedicated Testing Modes

The 33-856 has separate buttons for Data, Voice, Video, and Tone—no hunting through menus. Press the mode you need, and the LCD adapts its display accordingly. In Data mode, it tests all 8 pins for T568A/B compliance. In Voice mode, it handles 6-conductor phone cables. Video mode checks coax center pin and shield continuity.

LCD Display with Pin-by-Pin Results

Unlike testers that just show blinking LEDs, the LCD displays which specific pins have issues. When something fails, you see exactly what's wrong: Pin 3 open, Pins 4-5 reversed, or split pair on Pins 1-2 and 3-6. This diagnostic detail speeds up troubleshooting significantly compared to basic continuity testers.

Built-in Tone Generator

Four selectable analog tones let you trace cables through walls and bundles without carrying a separate toner. You can tone by individual pin, by pair, or all conductors simultaneously—useful for isolating exactly which conductor is causing problems or finding a specific cable in a crowded patch panel.

Integrated Remote Storage

The remote unit clips into the bottom of the main tester. It's a small detail, but it means one less thing to lose on a job site. The remote unplugs easily when you need it and stores securely when you don't.

Real-World Performance

Working through a residential smart home install with a mix of Cat6, coax for security cameras, and phone for the alarm system, the 33-856 earned its keep. Swapping between cable types takes about two seconds—plug in, press the mode button, and you have results. The LCD screen is bright enough to read in an attic without needing a flashlight on it.

After three months of bouncing around in a tool bag, the rubberized housing shows some scuffs but the buttons still click positively and the LCD shows no dead pixels. The 9V battery lasted through roughly 200 tests before needing replacement, which tracks with the auto-shutoff doing its job.

The tone generator proved surprisingly useful when tracing unmarked cables in a basement ceiling. At full output, the tone cuts through interference well enough to trace 50+ feet through insulation and drywall. However, the analog tones don't have the precision of Fluke's IntelliTone for distinguishing cables in tight bundles.

One reviewer in Professional Electrician Magazine noted it "took just five minutes to get to grips with" the tester, and that matches the experience. There's no learning curve—the interface is intuitive enough that you can hand it to an apprentice and they'll figure it out without a manual.

Compared to $20 LED-only testers, the difference is stark. Those cheap testers might tell you a cable is "good" when there's a split pair that will cause intermittent network issues. The 33-856 catches split pairs reliably, which prevents callbacks from customers wondering why their gigabit connection keeps dropping to 100 Mbps.

What I Like (Pros)

• True multi-cable versatility — One tool handles Cat, coax, and phone without adapters
• Diagnostic LCD display — Pin-by-pin results make troubleshooting faster than interpreting LED patterns
• Built-in tone generator with options — Four tones and selectable pin/pair/all toning modes
• Catches split pairs — Unlike basic continuity testers, identifies wiring errors that cause performance issues
• Integrated remote storage — Remote clips into the tester body so you always have both units
• Solid build quality — Survives tool bag life and job site handling

What Could Be Better (Cons)

• No length measurement — Can't tell you how long a cable run is or distance to fault
• No TDR functionality — Higher-end testers can locate exactly where a break occurs
• Analog tones only — Digital toning would improve tracing in electrically noisy environments
• No PoE detection — Won't tell you if a port is delivering power over Ethernet
• 9V battery — More expensive to replace than testers using AA/AAA batteries
• Basic coax testing — Only checks continuity, not signal quality or attenuation

Specifications

Specification	Value
Data Cable Types	Cat3, Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat6a (T568A/B)
Coax Cable Types	RG-59, RG-6, RG-6 Quad
Voice Cable Types	RJ11/12 (6P6C, 6P4C)
Data Connector	RJ45 (8P8C)
Voice Connector	RJ11/12 (6P6C)
Video Connector	F-type coaxial
Display	LCD with pass/fail and pin-map results
Tone Generator	4 selectable analog tones
Toning Options	By pin, by pair, or all conductors
Fault Detection	Opens, shorts, miswires, reversals, split pairs
Shielded Cable Support	Yes (shield continuity testing)
Power	9V battery (included)
Auto Shut-off	Yes
Remote Storage	Built-in clip on main unit

Is It Worth the Price?

At roughly $85, the IDEAL 33-856 sits in a sensible sweet spot. Below it, you have $15-30 LED testers that can't identify split pairs or display specific fault information. Above it, $150+ testers add length measurement and PoE detection, while $300+ gets you TDR and certification capabilities.

For the tech who runs 5-20 cables per job across multiple types, the 33-856's combination of versatility and diagnostics justifies its price. You'll recoup the cost quickly in time saved troubleshooting compared to basic testers that only tell you "something's wrong."

If you exclusively test ethernet and need length/TDR, look at the Fluke MicroScanner2 or IDEAL VDV II Pro instead. If you only need basic continuity checking, a $25 tester works fine. The 33-856 is the right choice for the tech in between.

How Does It Compare to Alternatives?

Feature	IDEAL 33-856	Klein LAN Scout Jr. 2	Fluke MicroMapper
Price	~$85	~$50	~$100
Display Type	LCD	LCD	LEDs
Cable Types	Data, Voice, Coax	Data only	Data only
Split Pair Detection	Yes	Yes	Yes
Tone Generator	Yes (4 tones)	No	Yes
Remote Storage	Yes	No	Yes
Shield Testing	Yes	Yes	No
Best For	Multi-cable techs	Budget data-only	Quick verification

The Bottom Line

The IDEAL 33-856 VDV Tester is the Swiss Army knife of entry-level cable testing. It won't replace a Fluke for certification work, but for installers who need reliable pass/fail verification across the common cable types, it delivers without breaking the budget.

The LCD diagnostics, multi-cable support, and integrated tone generator make it more capable than basic testers at twice its price. If you're terminating Cat cables, pulling coax for security systems, and occasionally troubleshooting phone lines—all in the same week—this is the one tester that handles it all.

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