Some network cards not real powerful?

[Kelemvor]

Howdy,

Was at a friends house a year or so ago helping him with a network issue. He had gotten a new computer and it was having trouble getting on the network. It was a long run from this particular computer to the router (first floor to basement to chimney area to attic and over to the second floor room with the router)

It was all connected fine but would just say Cable Disconnected every time when trying to get a signal. It worked fine with their old computer so I tool the NIC out of the old computer and put it in the new computer and lo and behold it connected up just fine. I just figured the built in NIC might not have been powerful enough to work with such a long cable run. Now I talked to him yesterday and he said the computer is doing the Cable Disconnected error again but he hasn't changed anything.

I'm going to head over there tonight to take a look at it but thought I'd get some advice here first. Could it be the NIC has just died and needs to be replaced? Is it more likely something wrong with the cabling? I thought about seeing if he wanted to move the cable modem/router to the basement to make it more centralized and sort of even out the cable runs but not sure if he'll want to do that.

I'm bringing a different NIC with me just in case... I guess we'll find out soon enough.

Thanks.

 

[Wizkid]

Check for cable damage, especially near the chimney area (if it gets hot).

 

[spidey07]

you would have some pairs swapped or out of order. Some nics will internally switch the tip/ring internally (this is the indiviual wires of a pair).

Reterminate both ends of the cable according to 568b standards

 

[Kelemvor]

I'm going to bring along a tester thingie that traces the cable to see if anything is connected wrong so we can rule that out as well.

 

[Kelemvor]

Well, looks like the cable (or at least one of the connectors) is having issues. Hooked up out scanner thing and it only liked wires 1 and 2. 3 - 6 didn't evne show up and 7 and 8 were reversed. Stupid electricians....

The end looks like it got stepped on or something because the plastic parts where the metal connectors are is all bent up. Going to take some new ends over there tomorrow and see if that solves the issue.

 

[Kelemvor]

Well, went over there last night and replaced the ends on their 130' cable and it decided it would start working again. Saved them having to re-run a cable that goes through their attic, chimney, basement, etc....

Sometimes the easy fixes are nice. heh.

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: FrankyJunior
Well, went over there last night and replaced the ends on their 130' cable and it decided it would start working again. Saved them having to re-run a cable that goes through their attic, chimney, basement, etc....

Sometimes the easy fixes are nice. heh.

heh, wouldn't be the first time.

generally hand crimped ends on a network cable can and frequently do go bad. If possible put the end into keyston jacks

 

[Googer]

never run wire through a duct or chimney since the insulator will release toxic fume into the home or office.

Try using Shielded Twisted Pair cable (STP) instead of UTP (unshielded twisted pair), it may help. Also special cable is made for harsh or rough envoroments where heat and emf may be a probelm. Cat5 is good to about 300 meters.

 

[ScottMac]

Googer:

STP should be avoided at any / all costs, especially for the novice installer. it adds nothing except unnecessary complexity and if done improperly (which it is, most of the time) is worse than flat, grey phone wire. If someone PAID you to take it it would STILL be a bad deal.

There is no situation at home that would ever require screened UTP or STP. -NONE - ZERO - ZIP -

The amount of toxins produced by a little UTP compared to the the volumes of toxins produced with everything else burning is trivial. A commercial environment is a different setting ... it make more sense ...

FWIW

Scott

 

[Googer]

Most Cities' building codes prohibit the use of air ducts and ventalation shafts (ie chminey) as conduit for wire.