A technician has been called to investigate a network issue where a specific cable run is longer than usual and has resulted in degraded signal strength. There have been reports of intermittent connectivity and slow speeds on devices connected through this cable. The technician suspects attenuation is the problem. Which of the following should the technician do FIRST to confirm that attenuation is the cause of the network degradation?
Replace the existing cable with a fiber optic cable as it is less susceptible to attenuation.
Use a cable tester to measure the signal strength at different points along the cable run.
Shorten the cable run to be within the recommended cable length limits.
Document the network degradation as a result of the longer cable run and report it to department heads.