Cat5 cable help please

[GagHalfrunt]

Moved a computer to a new location and needed a longer cable, so I had buy a new one, but it doesn't want to work. It's 2 Windows XP machines on a home network, cable internet connection going through a Linksys BEFSX41 router. All was working fine with the old cable, but the new one won't work on either machine. I get a "connected" light on the router and the green/amber lights on the motherboard LAN socket, but no signal.

Old working cable was marked:

patch cord 2835 E87647-DG 5U AWM 60*C 30V LL58663 CSA AWM I A 80*C 30V
ETL verified to EIA/TIA 568A CAT5

New cable marked:

CM TYPE ENHANCED CAT5 UTP 350mhz 4PR 24AWG 75*C (UL) E188601 CSA LL84201
CMG ETL VERIFIED TIA/EIA-568-B.2 patch cable.

Comparing the RJ45 connectors they look the same, orange-blue-green-brown


Did I get a DOA cable or are these two different and I bought the wrong thing? I know the computers and router are fine because they work with other cables, the new cable itself is the only variable.

 

[nweaver]

you get link (lights turn on)

what DON'T you get? IP Address?

I would guess bad cable, but who knows.

 

[JackMDS]

May be this can Help, http://www.ezlan.net/debug.html

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Originally posted by: nweaver
you get link (lights turn on)

what DON'T you get? IP Address?

I would guess bad cable, but who knows.

It gets an IP address, but won't transfer data.

 

[JackMDS]

Did you look at all Network parameters to make sure that your network is configured correctly.

Can you use the Intrenet with the "Bad" computers?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Two machines, router with 4 hubs, 3 cables

Short 8' cable works on machine A on all 4 router hubs, can't reach to machine B
Old 50' cable works on Machine A on all 4 router hubs, works on Machine B on all 4 router hubs
New 100' cable won't work on machine A on any of the 4 router hubs, won't work on machine B on any of the 4 router hubs. No settings have changed anywhere.

I KNOW it's not the router, I KNOW it's not the computers and I KNOW it's not the settings. I'm just hoping somebody speaks cable-ese well enough to be able to tell me by the markings if I ordered the wrong cable for this app, got sent the wrong cable by mistake or if this is merely a bad cable. The cable is absolutely 100% where the problem lies, I'm just not sure exactly which problem it is.

 

[nweaver]

It's not the wrong type, it's miswired or having other issues.

You CAN get link light with a bad cable (as you do here). It's hard to get an IP address with a bad cable (usually you can either receive packets, or send packets, not both, which is required to get a DHCP address).

Regardless, the testing is done. Computer, works, router, works, cable doesn't work. Replace the cable.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

K, thanks. I'll contact seller.

 

[programmer]

Maybe you got a crossover cable?

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Further travails here. Bought a new Cat5 cable today and tried it with the same results. It connects in terms of the lights being on and XP thinking it's a valid connection, but it won't transmit data.

If I use the existing cable, I get proper IP addresses, default gatewa, etc when you call up the networking connection. It says: (xxx added by me, they're valid numbers)

Address type: Assigned by DHCP
IP Address: 192.xxx.xxx.xxx
Subnet Mask: 255.xxx.xxx.xxx
Default Gateway: 192.xxx.xxx.xxx

All fine. But when I use either one of the new cables it shows:

Address type: Automatic Private Address
IP Address: 192.xxx.xxx.xxx
Subnet Mask: 255.xxx.xxx.xxx
Default Gateway: (BLANK)

If I unplug the new cables and replug the old one it instantly corrects the Address Type to "Assigned by DHCP" and it fills in the blank Default Gateway. Switiching the cables back to the new the same thing happens in reverse, the Address Type reverts to "Automatic Private Address" and the Default Gateway address disappears.

This is happening on all 4 router hubs and both computers. The existing older cable works fine and both newer cables get the funky address type and the missing Default Mask. Is it the router rather than the cables? Can the thing be croaking so that it's strong enough to send a valid signal on a shorter length of cat5 cable, but the signal is too weak to connect properly over 100 feet? Is something else wrong? Help!!

 

[spidey07]

Hang on there!!!

So all this troubleshooting and it's only when you use a 100 foot cable that you have problems and don't get an IP address?

Are these packaged, good quality cables or ones made by bobs computer shop? Because technically a 100 foot patch cable is out of cat5 specifications, especially if it is indeed a patch cable with stranded wire.

You can try to force the router switch port to 10/half and the card as well to see if it will work. But at 100 feet solid "horizontal" cat5 should be used and terminated in jacks (you can probably do this yourself). Then use a patch cable on each end.
My guess is the cable is using stranded wire (you can tell if it is somewhat flexible) and if so probably will never work.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

Yep, 100 foot no go, 15' or so fine. But I remeasured the old cable which I though was a 50' and it was really a cheapo 100 footer and it was working fine for ages. It only stopped working because it looks like it got a serious kink.

I thought the maximum length on Cat5 was 100 meters, a little over 300 feet. I'll the the half duplex trick later today and see if that works. Thanks.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Yep, 100 foot no go, 15' or so fine. But I remeasured the old cable which I though was a 50' and it was really a cheapo 100 footer and it was working fine for ages. It only stopped working because it looks like it got a serious kink.

I thought the maximum length on Cat5 was 100 meters, a little over 300 feet. I'll the the half duplex trick later today and see if that works. Thanks.

It is 100 meters. 90 meters of solid cable with 5 meters of stranded patch cable on each end.

It's not the length that is causing you problems, it is that I believe you have a stranded cable which definately can have trouble exactly like you are seeing - at that length.

 

[James Bond]

Originally posted by: spidey07

Originally posted by: GagHalfrunt
Yep, 100 foot no go, 15' or so fine. But I remeasured the old cable which I though was a 50' and it was really a cheapo 100 footer and it was working fine for ages. It only stopped working because it looks like it got a serious kink.

I thought the maximum length on Cat5 was 100 meters, a little over 300 feet. I'll the the half duplex trick later today and see if that works. Thanks.

It is 100 meters. 90 meters of solid cable with 5 meters of stranded patch cable on each end.

It's not the length that is causing you problems, it is that I believe you have a stranded cable which definately can have trouble exactly like you are seeing - at that length.

He was already using standard cabling on his old 100 foot cable.