Gigabyte Ethernet over Cat5e

[angrynerdrock]

From what I understand, this should be possible, using all 4 pairs. Personally, I dont really need it, im fine with 100m, but ive had issues lately. I have all my jacks on cat5e, wired from the modem to a 110 block. Now, in my office, Im also in need of phone and ethernet. Over the last year, ive had the office wired with 3 pairs wired to a cat5 keystone and one pair (blue) wired to to a phone jack. This has worked fine and perfectly until my modem had issues. It was replaced by a modem with gigabyte ethernet, and thats where my problems have started. Now, in the office, the computer doesnt recognize any network cables plugged in. Phone does work. When the modem first boots, the light for the network cable does turn on and acts like its communicating, but then it goes off and nothing works after the modem fully boots. My question here is, if i dont have all four pairs attached, shouldnt it just fall back to 10/100 or is there a setting in the modem i have to change? My band aid fix is getting a wireless phone jack that connects up at the 110 block and then plugs into power downstairs and just shoots it down wirelessly and using the cat5e for data only. I work from home, and am on the phone all day long, so a cordless phone just wont work. I need something corded with power and charge the entire time.

My modem is an Actiontec C2000a (centurylink prism modem) id love to just use everything as i have over the last year for the office, at 10/100 wired the way i have it, and the other jacks in my house pure data over GigE. What are my options? am I doing something wrong, or is just how it works? Is it possible somehow the keystone somehow messed up at the exact same time i replaced the modem?

 

[skyking]

yes it is. Do you have a wiremapping tester? You don't need an expensive one, just something to tell you if you have it wired right and there is still continuity.
Name brands will run you $100 and they do nothing to tell you the quality of your wiring job.
This ~$30 one will do the same.
http://www.deepsurplus.com/Network-...esting-Tools/Cable-Tester-for-RJ45-BNC-Cables
Next level of testing is a proper certification tester. Those are big bucks.

 

[azazel1024]

It sounds like you have it all wired to a bus, which won't work for networking. You need it connected to a switch/patch panel (and then in to a switch). Phone of course works as it works on bus technology, but networking is a switched packet technology, you can't have all of the wires connected together like you would for a phone.

 

[Zargon]

what he said....

 

[angrynerdrock]

It sounds like you have it all wired to a bus, which won't work for networking. You need it connected to a switch/patch panel (and then in to a switch). Phone of course works as it works on bus technology, but networking is a switched packet technology, you can't have all of the wires connected together like you would for a phone.

I actually bypassed the distribution block and set it as follows: from the demarc the feed cable at my panel I put a keystone jack on it, ran phone to the input on the modem, from there I took cat5e from the modem to a keystone jack connected to each of the in wall cables that run to the jacks and the one to my office there are two keystone jacks connected, one for data and one for phone and then I used the phone ouput from the modem to the phone jack(so the blue pair is on the second keystone jack). In my office at the jack I have two keystones, one for phone and one for data.

Like I said, this has worked fine for about a year, so the wiring configuration is fine. Once I changed the modem I get no data from this jack (but works fine if I go direct from modem to computer so it's not the modem). The only difference between the modems is the new one having gig e. If all four pairs aren't connected, should the modem auto default to 10/100 or is there a setting to turn it on/off?

 

[imagoon]

Like I said, this has worked fine for about a year, so the wiring configuration is fine.

No, its not. This:

ive had the office wired with 3 pairs wired to a cat5 keystone and one pair (blue) wired to to a phone jack.

Violates spec and as such should never assume that it will "fall back." GigE will keep trying to resync with 3 pairs because it can see the carriers on 3 of the pairs.

Wire it to spec and it would work correctly barring line noise from the phone pair since it is against spec to run phone in the same cable that way.

 

[angrynerdrock]

No, its not. This:

ive had the office wired with 3 pairs wired to a cat5 keystone and one pair (blue) wired to to a phone jack.

Violates spec and as such should never assume that it will "fall back." GigE will keep trying to resync with 3 pairs because it can see the carriers on 3 of the pairs.

Wire it to spec and it would work correctly barring line noise from the phone pair since it is against spec to run phone in the same cable that way.

Short of running a new cable (not realistic, demarc is on other side of house and I don't really want to wrap around the entire house and drill thru a wall), what options do I have of getting phone and data into my office?GigE isn't necessary in this room, 10/100 is sufficient, but I would like GigE data only on the rest of the jacks in my house.

 

[imagoon]

Short of running a new cable (not realistic, demarc is on other side of house and I don't really want to wrap around the entire house and drill thru a wall), what options do I have of getting phone and data into my office?GigE isn't necessary in this room, 10/100 is sufficient, but I would like GigE data only on the rest of the jacks in my house.

Removing the brown pair from the keystones may fix it. This forces 10/100 because only the original 10/100 pairs (pair 2/3) are connected and auto-detect should pick that up. Your phone line may cause issues if the line itself and is noisy.

Everything here is "may" because what you are doing would never pass a spec test.

I also don't know things like "how are pairs 2/3 wired to that office" and if the 100 block is even a rated 110 block etc.

 

[angrynerdrock]

Removing the brown pair from the keystones may fix it. This forces 10/100 because only the original 10/100 pairs (pair 2/3) are connected and auto-detect should pick that up. Your phone line may cause issues if the line itself and is noisy.

Everything here is "may" because what you are doing would never pass a spec test.

I also don't know things like "how are pairs 2/3 wired to that office" and if the 100 block is even a rated 110 block etc.

Hmm, that didn't seem to fix it. Pulling off the brown pair makesit act the same way as when the brown pair is connected. I can see the status light on the modem light up showing it connect when the modem first boots up, but as soon as its starts syncing to the dslam, the status light goes dead.

The old modem handled this just fine, but it wasn't GigE so that's a variable. I'm really close to just getting a wireless phone jack and wiring the cat5 for data only, but would like to avoid spending anything if it's just something I can fix with the wiring

 

[imagoon]

Hmm, that didn't seem to fix it. Pulling off the brown pair makesit act the same way as when the brown pair is connected. I can see the status light on the modem light up showing it connect when the modem first boots up, but as soon as its starts syncing to the dslam, the status light goes dead.

The old modem handled this just fine, but it wasn't GigE so that's a variable. I'm really close to just getting a wireless phone jack and wiring the cat5 for data only, but would like to avoid spending anything if it's just something I can fix with the wiring

You are attaching your PC straight to the modem? Have you tried attaching anything else right to the modem? Are you 100% sure that these wires are not "bussed" to other ports in the house? The new modem may not support auto MDX in 10/100 mode, a cross over cable might be needed in that case also.

If you have something to attach to the modem directly, make sure the port works. If it does, make sure the orange and green are connected as 568B on both sides.

 

[angrynerdrock]

You are attaching your PC straight to the modem? Have you tried attaching anything else right to the modem? Are you 100% sure that these wires are not "bussed" to other ports in the house? The new modem may not support auto MDX in 10/100 mode, a cross over cable might be needed in that case also.

If you have something to attach to the modem directly, make sure the port works. If it does, make sure the orange and green are connected as 568B on both sides.

The port does work. Plugging directly into the modem gives me a good connection. The wires shouldn't be bussed. As far as I can tell, there are 4 separate cat5e cables coming into the block upstairs, one from the demarc, one to my "office", one to the master bedroom, and one to the living room.

It goes modem>cat5e>keystone upstairs>cat5e in walls>keystone downstairs>cat5e>device

Btw thank you for taking your time to help with this. I do have a basic understanding of how it works, I'm just baffled as to why it's given up on me now.


Looks like these may be wired 568a, the green pair is on the side closest to the output, Orange is on the furthest. Should I swap that?

 

[Red Squirrel]

Keep in mind phone ring voltage is like 170 volts AC... I would not want that on the same physical cabling as my network stuff. There's a chance something accidentally gets crossed at some point or something and introduces that voltage right into the equipment. That's going to be an expensive phone call.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Why hasn't someone suggested a cheap workaround? Buy a 10/100 switch, and place it between the jack and the modem. Voila. It should only sync to 100.

 

[angrynerdrock]

Why hasn't someone suggested a cheap workaround? Buy a 10/100 switch, and place it between the jack and the modem. Voila. It should only sync to 100.

This guy right here might be onto something. I do have a 10/100 switch in my living room that I was planning on changing it to a gig e switch so If this works, it'd be great. I'll give it a try after I'm off work tonight. Thanks for that idea.

 

[imagoon]

Why hasn't someone suggested a cheap workaround? Buy a 10/100 switch, and place it between the jack and the modem. Voila. It should only sync to 100.

Because fixing it is $0?

 

[imagoon]

The port does work. Plugging directly into the modem gives me a good connection. The wires shouldn't be bussed. As far as I can tell, there are 4 separate cat5e cables coming into the block upstairs, one from the demarc, one to my "office", one to the master bedroom, and one to the living room.

It goes modem>cat5e>keystone upstairs>cat5e in walls>keystone downstairs>cat5e>device

Btw thank you for taking your time to help with this. I do have a basic understanding of how it works, I'm just baffled as to why it's given up on me now.


Looks like these may be wired 568a, the green pair is on the side closest to the output, Orange is on the furthest. Should I swap that?

It shouldn't matter as long it is either A or B on both sides. However the keystones should have a sticker showing which wires should be in which 110 slots on the keystone itself.

 

[angrynerdrock]

So, tried the switch. The modem and switch communicated perfectly. But when I plugged the jack to the switch, it again didn't communicate. Only things I can imagine it being now is either the in wall cable itself (which would be horrible) or the keystone jacks. I guess I'll buy new keystones this weekend and reterminate and pray.

 

[angrynerdrock]

Fixed the problem. Turned out more complicated than it should have been. The jack in my office had to be replaced. Not sure why it died, but that's life. Next, the modem still wouldn't see anything, but when I plugged a 10/100 switch in, the switch lit right up. So apparently the modem wants to force gigabit, or doesn't like that I'm only using two pairs for this one room. So using the suggestion above it now goes modem>10/100 switch>device in downstairs office. I now have working wired internet exactly as I had before the modem change. Thanks all for the help.