How to test connections?

[ixelion]

I am having some trouble with my internet connection with a computer over my network. I have a DSL modem, router, and switch setup.

I suspect that it may be either my NIC or my ethernet cable that are the culprits since none of the other computers have the problem.

My question is, is there any program i can use to check the signal strength or quality of my ethernet cable to determin if it is at fault?

Thanks,

 

[jlazzaro]

cable is so cheap nowadays, just swap it out with a new one and see if fixes your problem. if not, move to your nic card. what leads you to believe its either of these two anyways?

your not testing 3 mile single-mode fiber run here, its a 15 foot patch cable ;x

 

[ixelion]

Its not easy to replace the cable because its routed through my house from my basement to the upper level.

I just tested a USB d-link card and the same problem presents its self i suspect it's not my NIC.

 

[jlazzaro]

are you not getting an ip address, limited/no connectivity, link lights, ect?

you can get a cheap continuity tester and see if all your pairs test ok. as far as testing the strength of the cat5 cable, i couldnt tell you...

do you have a 50 foot patch cord you can run through your house to the router to test? If worse comes to worse, move your computer temporarily next to the router with a new cable and see if you can connect.

 

[ixelion]

Well when i set my NIC to auto-negotiate my internet becomes very slow, i only get some 320kbps. If I set my NIC to 10 half duplex I will get a more reasonable 2mbps. Since NIC is probably not the problem since I can replicate the problem with another NIC I suspect it is the cable or perhaps my switch. (I probably should have mentioned this in the OP )

The other computers which are actually in the same room as the router do not have this problem. It may come to the point where I would have to move my computer close to my router because I dont have any of this equipment to test the cables (was hoping for a software solution).

I will start looking at replacing cables and removing the switch and see if that does anything.

Thanks for your help jlazzaro.

 

[JackMDS]

Software solution would not distinguish the Cable from some thing else (there is a reason why the Fluke tester cost over $600).

However just in case it something else, http://www.ixiacom.com/solutions/display?skey=qcheck

:sun:

 

[Lemon law]

Surely you have a friend with an lap top that you can borrow---just hook it up to the same cable and see if it goes full speed--if it goes full speed then you have eliminated the cable as a cause. And if you can also prove that its not on your NIC, then its in that particular computer somewhere----but in troubleshooting anything in a forest of possible reasons, often the most important thing to understand is what trees you should not bark up.---and can be eliminated in subsequent searching.

 

[azev]

try running iperf or jperf on the computer that is having problem and another computer.
The result should be close to your nic max speed either 10mbps or 100mbps.