Network Geeks- Help!!! Cat 6 PITA

[andrewsmith]

Evening all

Just need a bit of advice as a network cable has done my head in today!
Whats happened is we've run a length of cat6 up to a site office in the building twice and we've not got any signals through it.

The additional cable is served through a TPLink Switch which is working as its also sending the networks into my office on site.
At the top end we've been unable to get a signal through the cable.

Any thoughts?

[SoulKiss]

Evening all

Just need a bit of advice as a network cable has done my head in today!
Whats happened is we've run a length of cat6 up to a site office in the building twice and we've not got any signals through it.

The additional cable is served through a TPLink Switch which is working as its also sending the networks into my office on site.
At the top end we've been unable to get a signal through the cable.

Any thoughts?

<pedant mode> Its only Cat-6 if installed by a qualified Cat-6 installer </pedant>

Spend £10 on a tester - it will tell you where you went wrong.

For the record, I am not a qualified Cat-6 installer and usually have to make up any cable twice (at least) :p

[andrewsmith]

I know
It was installed by a Geordie and two Yorkshiremen. So it would be Cat6 Pikey :lol:

If its a cable issue its being tested when the sparkies are back on Monday.
Took 2 days for the cable to come in from the supplier and we've used about 16 ends sorting it.

Is it possible to have a box of shagged cable (100m preboxed)

[martin15s]

My ISP have used 3 wifi antenna LNB's, 6 wireless routers and numerous ready made and hand made cables on my system so I think anything is possible.

[Bibio]

what have you been using to terminate the connector with e.g. is it a simple pliers style or ratchet style tool? to much pressure can cause the wire the sheer inside the connector when you punch down.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category_6_cable

i'm not a qualified cat 6 installer either and we only touched on it when i was doing my cisco and it's been a few years :-)

[andrewsmith]

Pliers style Bib
Enough force to clip them

[Bibio]

throw them away and get a proper ratchet style. the cable is heavier and too much force WILL cause problems. if you are going to use pliers then don't go mad, it only has to pierce the sheathing to make contact. even new ratchet type have to be set properly.

to test a box of new cable take the start end and end then test with a multimeter.

[Stuuk1]

Any box/drum of cable could contain damaged cores. I wire hundreds of meters of cat5 per day, however not for networking...

I know a guy who ran in a 90mm cable but couldn't get any continuity when testing, on closer inspection half way along the cable there was a complete break in the cable for a good inch or so!

Back to cat6, get the tester or even simply just look at the plug ends, they are see-through so just check the cores are the same both end and correctly terminated.

[andrewsmith]

The ends have been done 4 times and are right (even wired to connection type B style)

[Dave20046]

Pliers style Bib
Enough force to clip them

You must've done it wrong then, there has to be signal going down it go grab a set of crimpers and as SK says get a cable tester and rule out the link as an issue.

[Stuuk1]

If you have a simple continuity tester then you could bell out each core.

[andrewsmith]

Problem is both ends are about 30m apart

[Dave20046]

mobile telephones :)
A proper tester you can leave going and drive to the other end

[Stuuk1]

Just do a long-lead method. Get a 'good' bit of cable (bell out, say, the orange/white orange in your office) then run that cable through the door way and down to wherever. Bit extreme.. but could work.

Personally I would just pull the actual amount of cable needed out and make both off ends in your office and test that way, then install it.

[Sudoxe]

Not to state the bloody obvious but, since it's going to a switch is it terminated as a cross over or does the switch support AUTO-MDIX?

Dan

[andrewsmith]

Not to state the bloody obvious but, since it's going to a switch is it terminated as a cross over or does the switch support AUTO-MDIX?

Dan

Aye its a auto change over
We seem to have found that the laptop we're using requires active citrix to access net

[Winder]

Can it only be down to cable failure? Using correct protocols/ speeds at both ends, all ports active, any encryption active etc etc etc. Data tester is worth it's weight in gold for these problems

[andrewsmith]

The cables being tested on Monday now!

I'm doing the ends with a better set of ends. The one we've used are crap

[SoulKiss]

Get down to Maplins...

http://www.maplin.co.uk/lan-network-cable-tester-45778

[collis]

Problem is both ends are about 30m apart
I was going to say what's the cable length.
What about bends etc?

There is a suggested maximum radial bend for a cable and UTP cable should NEVER be fitted alongside mains cables.
Tell a sparky that and they will never belive you...

[krhall]

If a fly lead:

Wht/Orange - Orange - Wht/Green - Blue - Wht/Blue - Green - Wht/Brown - Brown

Repeat at other end.

[Stuuk1]

I was going to say what's the cable length.
What about bends etc?

There is a suggested maximum radial bend for a cable and UTP cable should NEVER be fitted alongside mains cables.
Tell a sparky that and they will never belive you...

Bending radius's depend on size of cable. SWA it's 6x the diameter and 8x the diameter on larger SWA.

Fibre cable is something like you cannot bend more than 45degrees.

Not sure about cat5 however but it's pretty flexible stuff.

Edit: if you are worried about it running near mains cabling then get a box of FTP and earth the screen down with the correct metal plug ends.


Member of the 1 litre club...

[timwilky]

I was going to say what's the cable length.
What about bends etc?

There is a suggested maximum radial bend for a cable and UTP cable should NEVER be fitted alongside mains cables.
Tell a sparky that and they will never belive you...

Strange then that a "Sparky" should be the one to tell me about segregation categories in cable trays and routes. How instrumentation cable and power should not run parallel etc. Even our office underfloor system had segregation for network and power to the same floorboxes. All installed by "sparkies"

[timwilky]

Bending radius's depend on size of cable. SWA it's 6x the diameter and 8x the diameter on larger SWA.

Fibre cable is something like you cannot bend more than 45degrees.

Not sure about cat5 however but it's pretty flexible stuff.

Edit: if you are worried about it running near mains cabling then get a box of FTP and earth the screen down with the correct metal plug ends.


Member of the 1 litre club...

I thing you mean STP. And FFS never tie down both ends. You have the ability to build a potential difference across the cable

[andrewsmith]

The tray is running in, is running Satchwell blue only. The mains are one shielded cable on this side.

I'm redoing the ends on Monday with some proper cat 6 ends

[Dave20046]

yeah get that done, then there's no point losing sleep over it until it's been tested.

[Stuuk1]

I thing you mean STP. And FFS never tie down both ends. You have the ability to build a potential difference across the cable

Nope, I meant FTP... Why would you want to install STP, its not necessary for that installation...

Edit: I also never said anything about screening down both ends. I was a controls electrician for around 4 years and installed roughly 1,986,943,235 temperature sensors and know about the correct screening of cables.

[andrewsmith]

*popcorn time take 2*

[Stuuk1]

*popcorn time take 2*

Sorry..

[andrewsmith]

Sorry mate

Waiting a tecchie arguement to start (apologies for causing it)

[Stuuk1]

No, no, no I said sorry for making the argument! Haha

[andrewsmith]

haha

Should find out Monday morn as the sparkies got a working tester out of his office

[andrewsmith]

Update time

Still no further forward!
Cable tested all fine and still no signal :scratch:

[Winder]

Whatever data terminals you are using at either end of the cable should be swapped with ones from a working circuit to eliminate them.
Obviously if these working modems/DTE can talk over this cable you know where you problem is.If these working units can not talk to each other through your suspect cable but do work in their own circuit then why? Is the cable too long?

[Bibio]

is it possible you could give us a schematic of the network with each component.

[andrewsmith]

Whatever data terminals you are using at either end of the cable should be swapped with ones from a working circuit to eliminate them.
Obviously if these working modems/DTE can talk over this cable you know where you problem is.If these working units can not talk to each other through your suspect cable but do work in their own circuit then why? Is the cable too long?

is it possible you could give us a schematic of the network with each component.

Here's the set-up

http://i1034.photobucket.com/albums/a426/andrewsmith1708/Set-up.jpg

We've also done it direct from the Cisco to Level 4 with no result also
PC's connected are HP/ Compaq units and the phones are Cisco VoIP (pre-configured units)

[Bibio]

have you set the gateway and ip addressing on the Netgear?

i may be wrong but if the netgear is on the same IP as the tp link then it's going to clash e.g. 192.168.100.1

[markc123]

Are you getting link lights? Have you tested or used a known good patch cable at either end?

Whats this netgear cable wireless job that you are linked to? If its a cable router, which port are you into? You can get away with using a router as a wireless access point if required, just make sure you are not plugging it into the WAN, and DHCP is off on the netgear. Unless you are trying for a separate network.

[andrewsmith]

were not.
I've tried the wireless unit from the reception (meraki mr12) and got nothing.
The netgear is a standard unit used for cable areas. Its connected via the in bound 'internet' port
We also got squat on a hardwire connection