Netgear GS105Ev2 Internet problem

Hi All,

So, I've just had an external ethernet cable installed. Ethernet wall port in the living room, routes externally to my computer room, and the cable goes directly into my Zen Fritz Box. If I connect a laptop to the wall port in the living room, I get internet, all working fine. But, connecting my Netgear switch using the same cable in the same wallport doesn't even get activity lights, I'm loathe to spend money on another switch\hub without understanding why the current one isn't even receiving internet. Its also not reachable via the web interface, unless I connect it directly to the Fritzbox where it works as expected.

Any help would be welcomed. End goal was to use the single wallport, connect a hub, and feed various AV kit from it, rather than use weak Wi-Fi.

Cheers in advance!

That reads suspiciously like there is a cable / continuity issue.

At what link speed does the laptop connect back to the Fritz using this cable?

Laptop is old, and speeds are 90MB. I'm wondering if the cable between the wall port and Netgear hub needs to be a crossover?

It’s actually a switch (rather than a hub) and supports automatic MDI / MDI-X on the ports, so a crossover cable is not needed.

Your laptop depending on age etc may only sport a 100BaseT connection. This only uses two pairs in the cable. Hence may successfully connect even if the other two pairs aren’t up to task or faulty.

A relatively modern switch and router will typically sport 1000BaseT gigabit ports, these will use all 4 pairs in the cable. Hence connection will fail if there is a general cable fault and the two sides can’t successfully negotiate down to 100BaseT.

Have you conducted a cable test using the switch?

https://www.downloads.netgear.com/files/GDC/GS105EV2...

Edited: didn’t read the thread title properly. Slaps head! 😂

Edited by Pheasant (Thu 12-May-22 15:09:51)

In reply to a post by Bamster:

Laptop is old, and speeds are 90MB. I'm wondering if the cable between the wall port and Netgear hub needs to be a crossover?

Crossover cables were required years ago but modern switches auto detect so they are not required (we use to colour our crossover cables in red so they could easily be identified) You really need to use a cable testers (get a cheap one on ebay) to eliminate a bad connection between your living room and your computer room.

Edited by deleted (Thu 12-May-22 15:10:52)

Have you tried taking the switch to the router and plugging it in directly with a standard cable? If it works then it is likely the cable/ports that are broken - if it doesn't then switch issue.

I think potentially connectivity can be ruled out. Anything (HTPC,TV, Laptop) receives internet when directly connected to the faceplate, it's only the Netgear that's not picking up internet when connected to the faceplate, but picks it up happily when directly connected to my Fritz router. As far as I'm aware the external cable is just a standard external Cat6 cable so confused why a switch isn't receiving internet. I can't even ping it when it's on the faceplate, or through the ProSafe Utility.

That IS a connectivity issue!

If the switch connected to the router directly work fine - but not via this new cable / faceplate. Then draw your own conclusion.

Do the cable test I suggested above.

The query is why a switch connected to a 'faceplate' isn't able to be seen by the router which is connected directly on the other end, whereas anything else works. Not sure what you think using a cable tester would do, unless there's something specific I should be looking for, such as straight through\twisted pair, or some weird wiring that's preventing the switch (and only the switch) from seeing\speaking to the Router?

OK....

Think about it this way - the switch and the router successfully connect, using a direct patch cord - correct? If so and you then try connecting them using the new fixed cabling link, then the only thing that has changed is the fixed cabling link (and perhaps the fiylead from the faceplate, but that can be considered as part of the new cabling link) -right? So if the second scenario fails then what is at fault?...it must be the new cabling link.

Now these other devices - you note they are successfully connecting, but at what link speed exactly over this new cabling? Are they connecting at only 100BaseT (using only 2 pairs/4 wires) because that is the extent of what their Ethernet port supports (typical for lots of gear including TVs etc) or is any one of them connecting successfully at 1000BaseT (using all 4 pairs / 8 wires)?

The point I'm trying to make is that you can successfully connect a device that only supports 100BaseT on what could work out to be faulty cabling - because - 1/2 the cable is unused at 100BaseT. These unused pairs can be faulty, just you wouldn't realise because you don't need them for that device to work. Whereas if you have devices that connect at 1000BaseT then ALL the conductors in the cable need to be 100% correct and performant to the cabling spec.

Edited by Pheasant (Thu 12-May-22 19:10:18)

Understood, and thank you for taking the time to explain it!

So, taken the wife's new work laptop down to the faceplate, 100mb, reconnect directly to the router, 1000mb so your right on that. I can't see much of the cable, only Cat6 Samson 23 AWG UTP, so would this just need re-crimping on the face plate, is there any form of Cat6 that isn't 1GB capable?

Cheers!

Cat 6, Cat6a even good old Cat5e no problem for 1000BaseT.

There’s numerous things that could be wrong, but usually not that hard to resolve. A simple, cheap 8-position continuity tester is usually a great help to diagnose faults. You can get them on Amazon for around a tenner.

Are both ends of the new cable link terminated on RJ45 jacks/sockets in faceplates or has the installer crimped on a RJ45 plug at one end and the other end is punched down onto a jack/socket into faceplate?

Surely one for the installer to sort out rather than the OP (or was it an unofficial job)?

End in the living room is a face plate, other end comes from the faceplate, out the house, up the walls etc, straight to the router, no faceplate that end. Think he opted to do that as he used an existing hole which was next to the fibre cable coming in and didn't want to damage the fibre...

Proper AV fellow, checkatrade and all that! I have ordered a cable tester, should arrive tomorrow. Spoken to the contractor as well, he's gonna discuss tomorrow.

In reply to a post by dect:

we use to colour our crossover cables in red so they could easily be identified

Back in the day and it was totally not politically correct but all cross over cables used to be pink where ever I have worked. I have a feeling it was a Cisco thing. It still grates to see blue cables to carrying anything other than RS232. These days pink means OM4 which means it's a 40Gbps link.

In reply to a post by Bamster:

Proper AV fellow, checkatrade and all that! I have ordered a cable tester, should arrive tomorrow. Spoken to the contractor as well, he's gonna discuss tomorrow.

By rights (doing things correctly/by the book):

1. Fixed building structured cabling, is much like electrical cabling, in that it is solid core (not stranded). Therefore it should always be terminated/punched down onto IDC contacts on either RJ45 jacks/sockets or RJ45 patch panels (or if your really old fashioned like me 110 style panels). Most folks especially in residential settings and especially AV dudes, sparks and mom and pop/DIYers ignore this and crimp an RJ45 plug onto the fixed cabling. This saves time/money blah blah but isn't the best long term especially if that solid core cabling gets moved about - it can eventually break internally - which is why....

2. Fly-leads / patch cords are known as "work area cables" they use a stranded core construction, which makes them nice and flexible. They are designed to be bent, twisted and generally [censored] about by end users ands still work for years.

3. A good installer always tests every fixed cable that they install. No one is perfect and structured cabling is very easy to fudge up. A really kosher installer will use a performance tester to ensure the cabling meets EIA/TIA Category standards (or the ISO equivalent Class) - however given that Fluke testers are the better part of £10K and most installers that do residential installs won't have the turnover (or expectation form their clients) for this level of gear.

They could however do a continuity test which is quick, cheap, easy and eliminates 90% of faults.

Hope its all works out well and its made good.

In reply to a post by jabuzzard:

Back in the day and it was totally not politically correct but all cross over cables used to be pink where ever I have worked. I have a feeling it was a Cisco thing. It still grates to see blue cables to carrying anything other than RS232. These days pink means OM4 which means it's a 40Gbps link.

Not sure why we used red (and a deep red at that certainly not pink) they were made up on site maybe the person who started it where I was had a problem with their eye sight (thats assuming I don't) and it should have been pink

Red was/is a pretty standard colour to denote crossovers.

Not sure if anyone here remembers the “original” AT&T / Lucent / Avaya now CommScope ‘110’ system - it was all the rage in the nineties - mostly on big commercial installs with lots of copper terminations. Kind of fell out of favour toward the end of the nineties and folks went with RJ45 patch panels.

Back then we used to terminate all the copper into/from the PBX on Krone blocks and all the structured cabling went back to 110 blocks. Was really space efficient, but it wasn’t for the novice / beginner.

In reply to a post by Pheasant:

Red was/is a pretty standard colour to denote crossovers.

Not sure if anyone here remembers the “original” AT&T / Lucent / Avaya now CommScope ‘110’ system - it was all the rage in the nineties - mostly on big commercial installs with lots of copper terminations. Kind of fell out of favour toward the end of the nineties and folks went with RJ45 patch panels.

Back then we used to terminate all the copper into/from the PBX on Krone blocks and all the structured cabling went back to 110 blocks. Was really space efficient, but it wasn’t for the novice / beginner.

Back in my BT days we use to support a few customers with AT&T structured wiring, half the time we would go out because NDT on an extension and it would turn out to be on the structured cabling, didn't help that a lot more of the extension number switches could be done via programming meaning the extensions weren't always where they was expected to be on the structured cabling.

Just stuck a cable tester on the end. Lights 2-8 light up, but 1 doesn't, so I assume thats bad given I tested it on a cable and all lights lit up. I'll pick up with the contractor

I would have expected that 1,2 & 3,6 were good and you had an issue on 4,5 and/or 7,8.

It’s right that the contractor comes back to check/make good on his work.

Turns our once he'd removed the faceplate in the living room that one of the 1-8 cables had been snipped. I assume when he terminated it. Thanks for the help trying to resolve.

👍 glad it’s sorted.