Ethernet Network Interface in wall not working

digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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Hi network guys, gals, and geeks out there.
I have a dilemma, I am not an advanced tech but know enough to put together a wired home network.
Our local building codes require that when a home is re-wired for electrical sockets/lights etc. A phone and RJ45 Ethernet interface port is placed in every room used as a living space. Some larger rooms like open plan kitchen dining must have one on each wall or a certain distance apart on the same wall depending on the length of the wall. The ports don't all have to be active just wired and present with the end cable plug terminating in a central location where a router/hub will be installed. So all cables installed, plastered in, floorboards down, and walls painted, the network works brilliantly. My main computer gives me total control over all devices on all ports. We have a Fibre Optic 100mbps line directly into the home, in the ONT box this connects to an Ethernet port that feeds my WD N900 Router and an 8 port Gigabit Ethernet Switch. All cables are Cat6, all faceplates are Cat6 (code states that they have to be bright blue). I use a Mac, and have a Mac laptop. Additionally there is a SONY blu ray player, a voip phone server, and 3 WDTV Live boxes on the network. I turned off the wireless adapter because the 2.4ghz in the area is so saturated with devices it barely works, and also because my roommate was annoying me with Youtube music in the kitchen instead of her room. Her HP laptop runs win7 64bit, its six months old. The wireless card does not find the router's 5ghz signal so I shut that off as I am not using it. I suggested she plug into the Ethernet port in her room, but this is where the problems began. Every single port I tested using my macbook, and put under pressure by trying HDTV streaming using a WD Live box, and I got no problems. Her computer does not find the Internet or the home network. I tried different connection cables cat6/5/5e patch and crossover to no avail. I also changed the wiring configuration from B to A to no avail. I changed the RJ45 faceplate, to no avail. If I plug her computer in any other room it connects and appears on my network map. All other devices tried in her room connect fine. Ping to any device on that port responds in 2 - 8 ms. Any ideas on where I am going wrong? Its only her computer in her room that is a problem!

Comments

  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    try swapping the cable to a different port on the switch and see if it works
  • digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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    Maxatoria wrote: »
    try swapping the cable to a different port on the switch and see if it works

    Did that, tried connecting directly to the router as well in stead of the switch
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    Since you have replaced the faceplate I will assume you have checked all the wires are correctly terminated? But have you checked that end to end they are all present and correct?

    It could be something weird like a pair is reversed or one wire not terminated correctly at the plug end. Bit odd that only the one laptop has issues. But it could be something like the laptop is operating at gigabit speeds so needs all four pairs correctly terminated and the other devices are using 100MB speeds so only use two pairs. So there might be an issue with one of the pairs that only gets used for gigabit?

    You can get testers that are two part. One part plugs into each end of the cable run and they have a simple LED ladder that steps though from pin 1 to 8 and if they light up out of sequence, eg go 3, 5, 4 or whatever or one LED does not light up you know there is a wiring issue.

    This is the sort of thing I mean. No doubt there are equivalents available nearer to where you are :)

    http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/level5/module.jsp?moduleId=cpc/541792.xml

    But apart from that bit of a puzzle.
  • digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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    chrisjr wrote: »
    Since you have replaced the faceplate I will assume you have checked all the wires are correctly terminated? But have you checked that end to end they are all present and correct?

    It could be something weird like a pair is reversed or one wire not terminated correctly at the plug end. Bit odd that only the one laptop has issues. But it could be something like the laptop is operating at gigabit speeds so needs all four pairs correctly terminated and the other devices are using 100MB speeds so only use two pairs. So there might be an issue with one of the pairs that only gets used for gigabit?

    You can get testers that are two part. One part plugs into each end of the cable run and they have a simple LED ladder that steps though from pin 1 to 8 and if they light up out of sequence, eg go 3, 5, 4 or whatever or one LED does not light up you know there is a wiring issue.

    This is the sort of thing I mean. No doubt there are equivalents available nearer to where you are :)

    http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/level5/module.jsp?moduleId=cpc/541792.xml

    But apart from that bit of a puzzle.

    We bought a batch of pre manufactured cables with plugs on both ends and just sliced the plug off the end that would terminate at the faceplate
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    I take it her laptops set for dhcp and not got some hard coded settings?
  • digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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    Maxatoria wrote: »
    I take it her laptops set for dhcp and not got some hard coded settings?

    Explain?
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    digimon900 wrote: »
    We bought a batch of pre manufactured cables with plugs on both ends and just sliced the plug off the end that would terminate at the faceplate
    I would still double check that it is wired through end to end correctly. I have known professionally made cables and installed cable systems that are wired up incorrectly. And of course a cable can always break.

    Or the other favourite is you use cable clips to secure the cable to the skirting board or whatever and stick the nail of the clip through the cable or just nick it enough to break it with out it being obvious.
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    at a command prompt do "ipconfig /all" and look at the Ethernet adapter port and there should be a line that says "DHCP Enabled.......YES"
  • digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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    How do I get a command prompt? I am not familiar with windows
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    start->run->cmd or start and in the box just above the start button type cmd depending on the version of windows
  • 1saintly1saintly Posts: 4,197
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    digimon900 wrote: »
    We bought a batch of pre manufactured cables with plugs on both ends and just sliced the plug off the end that would terminate at the faceplate

    :eek: you laid cables/plastered/floors back. But dont have a tester :eek:

    Until you test the cables like chris has already suggested, youre wasting your time doing anything else.
    chrisjr wrote: »
    Since you have replaced the faceplate I will assume you have checked all the wires are correctly terminated? But have you checked that end to end they are all present and correct?

    It could be something weird like a pair is reversed or one wire not terminated correctly at the plug end. Bit odd that only the one laptop has issues. But it could be something like the laptop is operating at gigabit speeds so needs all four pairs correctly terminated and the other devices are using 100MB speeds so only use two pairs. So there might be an issue with one of the pairs that only gets used for gigabit?

    You can get testers that are two part. One part plugs into each end of the cable run and they have a simple LED ladder that steps though from pin 1 to 8 and if they light up out of sequence, eg go 3, 5, 4 or whatever or one LED does not light up you know there is a wiring issue.

    This is the sort of thing I mean. No doubt there are equivalents available nearer to where you are :)

    http://cpc.farnell.com/jsp/level5/module.jsp?moduleId=cpc/541792.xml

    But apart from that bit of a puzzle.
  • digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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    Yeah we got all the cables in the fabric of the house because the building inspector required that the floors and walls were completed. Its only one port that has any problem!
  • 1saintly1saintly Posts: 4,197
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    digimon900 wrote: »
    Yeah we got all the cables in the fabric of the house because the building inspector required that the floors and walls were completed. Its only one port that has any problem!


    digimon900 wrote: »
    Her computer does not find the Internet or the home network. I Its only her computer in her room that is a problem!

    That will be the one with the faulty cable, as you didnt test any of them :eek:
  • chrisjrchrisjr Posts: 33,282
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    digimon900 wrote: »
    How do I get a command prompt? I am not familiar with windows
    I wouldn't worry about DHCP or IP address problems. That is very unlikely to affect just one socket, Unless your home network is divided into several subnets that is. ie the IP address range for that one socket is totally different to all the others where the laptop does work.

    That is the only time a fixed IP address on the laptop would stop it working on one socket and not any others. Anything using DHCP would obviously work on any network subnet (assuming a DHCP server exists on each subnet).
  • digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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    Each device is assigned an IP by the router automatically.
    It appears and has an IP when its on the network.
  • digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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  • c4rvc4rv Posts: 29,537
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    Whay's the story here, in one post you are saying that you plugged the laptop straight into the router and then you are saying that your devices work fine in her room and then you are saying its only that port that does not work ?
  • digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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    Her Windows laptop works fine on every port except in that room. Every other device tried in that room (macbook/wdtv) work fine as well.
  • MaxatoriaMaxatoria Posts: 17,980
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    Quick thing to try is to download a linux live cd and boot from that and see if she can get internet access with that in her room as it will show if its a hardware or software problem
  • OrbitalzoneOrbitalzone Posts: 12,627
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    Have you tried another RJ45 network cable between her laptop and the socket?
    Maybe the cable you're using there is a crossover cable (little X on the plug) and some equipment may or may not work with those.

    Until you plug in a network tester to determine each end is wired up correctly it's hard to say what else might be the problem.
  • 1saintly1saintly Posts: 4,197
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    digimon900 wrote: »

    Did you order it?
  • digimon900digimon900 Posts: 4,249
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    1saintly wrote: »
    Did you order it?

    They are 9cents each! I bought 5
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