Figuring out FET pinout

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

I have found that not all FETs with the same part numbers have the same pinout as the data sheet says, many times they have them backwards. (Not that I can't read datasheets!)

I want to know if there's a quick easy way to figure out which pin is the GATE (since on most FETs we use drain and source are interchangeable).

Thanks.
Fp

[R.G.]

The gate-channel is a silicon junction on all JFETs Just use your ohmmeter to probe the pins. The two pins that are resistive both ways are source and drain, the one pin that conducts to both others one polarity and has no conduction the other polarity is the gate.

[Fp-www.Tonepad.com]

Ok,

Using my DMM I get resistance both polarities on two pins, but the other one does nothing on either polarity.

Either the resistance is too high for my DMM (which goes up to 20M), or something else is wrong.

Is it safe to say that there's no need for the second part of the test and that the two pins that measure resistance (around 300 ohm with 2n5457s that I'm testing) both ways are D and S?