Home network questions for IT or computer guys. Need some help!

[fireship1]

Hello all! Worked through the weekend here at home setting up a home network. Purchased 10/100 cards for two pc's, wireless router with wireless pc card for laptop, DSL modem and spliter (main telco pots splitter). Here's the skinny on my problem. Hooked up the modem and router. Installed the pc cards. Desktop 1 runs great. Wireless runs great on laptop. Desktop upstairs is S L O W online. Have about 50 feet of cat 5e running between the router and the upstairs pc. I thought I might have clipped the cable with a staple. Did continunity checks with a meter and found no shorts. Take the upstairs pc downstairs and plug it in to the router. Fast speed! The wiring matches at both 8 pin modular plugs and I can't find any shorts in the cable run. Anyone have any ideas??? Thanks to anyone that can help! Sorry about the long post, wanted to try to tell the whole story!

 

[ratracer]

Re: Home network questions for IT or computer guys. Need some help!

If the ordering of all 8 wires in the cat5e cable is the same on both ends, technically it should work even if you didn't follow the EIA 568-B standard. <br /><br />First guess is that you've got too much signal loss in that 50' segment due to either (or both) of 2 things:<br /><br />- you have a poor crimp in one of the RJ-45 connectors at either end of your cable or you've got a crack or break in one of the wires. Are you using a proper crimp tool in good working order to install these connectors? <br /><br />- you're passing that cable right by something that provides sufficient interference to affect the valid signal on the wire. Anything that had a transformer like a flourescent ballast, or something with a motor could be a cause. <br /><br />I'd take another very close look at those connectors, maybe even cut them off and very carefully install 2 new ones.

 

[rwise]

Re: Home network questions for IT or computer guys. Need some help!

coloor may not mater, but twisted pairs do, did you make or buy the cable?

 

[tommays]

Re: Home network questions for IT or computer guys. Need some help!

if the cable is of good Quality 50' is short, most places have runs of 200' or more with no problem.<br /><br /><br />they should be able to work up to 300' <br /><br /><br />tommays

 

[ndemge]

Re: Home network questions for IT or computer guys. Need some help!

If you do not follow the 568 standard, going over about 20' is going to have problems.<br /><br />I used to admin at our lan parties, one of my jobs was to run all the cables from the switches to the main table switch, Our first party at a large hall (100 computers) I couldn't get any traffic on the last 3 tables.... Man have I learned a lot since that first event.<br /><br />Someone that new more than I did came up and looked at my cables and explain the importance of the order of the wires. it is VERY important to not just have them the same on both ends, but to have the correct order. The twisted pairs will cancel out the interferance.<br /><br />Locking down at your RJ45, from left to rigth, with the clip down<br /><br />WO-O-WG-B-WB-G-WBr-Br<br /><br /><br />At this party, my longest run was over 100', shortest with problems was 30. I cut the ends off, re-crimped with the correct order, and they all kicked in and worked correctly.

 

[Mark42]

Re: Home network questions for IT or computer guys. Need some help!

I have run about 150' of Home Depot brand cat 5e cable between router and pc. If it seems slow, check the router console and see what that port is running at, 10 or 100 base t. The modem might even have led's that indicate the speed that port is running.<br /><br />And all the info other folks posted on having the twisted pairs in the right order is correct from what I have read. Make sure the wire is not near transformers, high voltage wires (like next to an electric stove cable). One of my cables runs right over the 200 amp circuit panel and it is running at 100.<br /><br />How hard is it to just string another cable?<br /><br />BTW, when I moved my office to the basement, I had to change some of the wiring in the house. It was easier to "splice" some cat 5 wire by crimping on new ice cube ends and using a rj45 to rj45 connector to make the connection. <br /> That line runs at 100 too. So as long as you get good crimps, it looks like its hard to get a "slow" cable.<br /><br />Hope that helps.

 

[fireship1]

Re: Home network questions for IT or computer guys. Need some help!

Good news everyone! It works! Thanks to everyone who posted with all the good advice. I think I learned something about network wiring today. Thanks a bunch to Noel MG! You hit the nail on the head! I really thought I had shorted one or more twisted pairs when I was taking them down with a T25 cable stapler. I used a DVM and Tempo Sidekick meter to check for shorts, opens, bad pairs...you name it. Everything tested OK. Than I suspected interference. The Cat 5e cable run that I installed is bundled with some alarm wire that runs to the second floor. Figured that the data signal from the alarm cable was being picked up inductively by the cat 5. Nope! Pulled the cat 5 and patched each pair into the telephone bridge and used the buttset to listen on the other end upstairs. No noise at all on any of 4 pairs! Than I read Noel MG's post. Who knew that the self shielding qualities of the cable would be canceled out if you don't "phase" the twisted pairs properly when terminating them! The PC upstairs flies now. And I thought continuity at both ends was good enough! Thanks again guys!