Structured Cabling can be installed by anyone….right? That’s what some people would have you to believe. That you can just pull the cable, connect it, test it with some little tester they bought from home depot and walk away. Is that how you want the base of your network? Is that how you want your structured cabling? How do you know if it performs at optimal speed? how do you know that it’s not the problem that’s slowing down your network? Just because you have a connection and your cable is passing traffic does not mean it was installed correctly. You can take a cable tie it in a knot, kink it, and even cheap cable will still pass a test because it was terminated in the correct order. That is all any level 1 tester is good for. It will pass any cable that is punched down straight without a break. Having a network tested with a level 1 tester is like having a smog test done by just sticking your nose near the exhaust.
Structured cabling needs to be “Level 3” tested in order to ensure the cabling is free of, Next, Return Loss, Elfext, Arc, and other problem that can cripple your connection and never be detected. Those test need to be documented and presented to you as proof that you are getting what you paid for. If your contractor is willing to provide you with this info then it is no problem to issue you a warranty on the structured cabling they provide you at a minimal admin fee. These warranties will not be issued by the manufacturer without these test because they stand by their product if it is properly installed.
You may think your saving money in the long run by going the cheap route but in the end bad cabling can cause your equipment to work harder and that can lead to breakdowns. Do the right thing and ask for level 3 testing with documentation proof.