networking problem.. bad cables.. send but not receive?

[randomlinh]

Ok, here's the situation. I have 2 comps on the network, lets call them A and B. I am using netcps to check speeds.

A - netcps is server
B - connects to A, transfers didly (modem like speeds)

B - netcps is server
A - connects to B, transfers at ~10MB/s (100Mb network).

forgot to add... they are both connected to a switch (there are two more comps, but i took them off to test).

Question: what wires are damaged??

And how important is the connector "quality" so to speak... i'm using a pretty cheap crimper and it came w/ 100 free heads. I have this strange feeling that that is part of what is at fault.

The cable is cat5e commandlinx(from home depot). The other cable i have running in my house seems up to par (almost, one seems to be only transfer ~6MB/s). Those cables are at least 75ft long, the one in question is ~25ft.

I'd appricate any help, thanks.

 

[spidey07]

try recrimping the ends.

or simply buy the cables.

 

[randomlinh]

buy, i have a roll of 1000ft, i don't wanna buy

already tried recrimping.... but i've now found another problem.. it looks as tho the NIC had a lose jack... ugh...

 

[Wik]

When you make the ends make sure all 8 of the wires are in all the way to the end of your plug. I have seen cables that did not work very well because of this. Just make sure that you see each wire past the blade that cuts down on them to make the contact.

 

[randomlinh]

yeah, that checks out. both the cable and the NIC seem to be bad. i'm going thru some of the cable i've made, and only this one just fails at trasfering one way. i've been going thru all my other cable using netcps as well, and only one more seems to be running at "half speed"

hrm. that same cable that was going "half speed" works fine for me, then i moved it back and it worked...

 

[randomlinh]

ok, this is pissing me off. new NIC, made a new cable, and its still slow.

i then move the cable to my comp, and it works PERFECTLY. NO OTHER CHANGES...

are there any settings or anything @home ppl set up that i may have missed or something???!!?

 

[spidey07]

buy the patch cables. they have big fancy machines that can make cables a heck of a lot better then us silly humans can.

 

[Hoober]

And they smell good when you open the plastic.

 

[sadb0i]

could it be the switch?

 

[randomlinh]

edit

I really feel like such a newbie...
this may have been my problem. I'm also running about 55/60 ft of cable at a friends house, and we were encountering similar problems.... ugh.. i'm kicking myself in the ass right now...

/edit



buying patch doesn't explain anything tho.

i *did* switch network cards, and that has solved the problem. But now it's slow w/ another cable i was testing.

IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE!!!!! Or is this home depot stuff really shotty... all my previous stuff still works, and some of it went thru some rough stuff.

 

[spidey07]

have you tried with a pre-made patch cable?

like I said, the machines are a lot better than we are.

1st rule of networking...thou shalt not make patch cables.
2nd rule...thou shalt obey the first rule.

sorry to be so blunt but it really is the truth and everything you've stated so far seems to point to a physical layer problem.

<edit> - most networking problems can be attributed to cabling. at least 85%. Take the cabling out of the equation and work from there. By missing one pin on the TX or RX your network will work...you will get a link light. It will just be extremely slow and full of errors.

 

[randomlinh]

i know i am likely to get problems... but what i don't understand is why the cable worked in one machine, but not the other (nothing moved, only the end connecting to the machine moved)... it's prolly all messed up in all my edits

and yeah, i tried w/ a premade one, it wasn't much better. maybe that one was bad too, wouldn't suprise me w/ the luck i've been having.

I think i've learned my lessons about 2/3 of the 1000ft reel was just sitting there tho

 

[ScottMac]

Well, if it's any consolation, Cat5 (3,4,5e, 6) makes excellent clothesline. It's not UV resistant, so it'll rot after one season, but you have 600+ feet, you're set for the decade.

FWIW

Scott