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Flashing lights on switch even when no data transfer seems to take place?

pythonmegapixel
By pythonmegapixel
in Networking
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I recently installed a TP-Link LS1005G switch. This is a very basic model - among the cheapest and simplest I could find from a reputable supplier - but that's all I need, and it serves the application fine. There are 5 gigabit Ethernet ports, each of which have an LED next to them. One of these ports is used to connect to the main router in my home which is on all the time, and the others connect to my computer, a Raspberry Pi and so on. 

According to the manual, if an LED is on steady it indicates that something is connected through the port in question, and if flashing it indicates data is actually being transferred. However, in the late evening, it's often the case that none of the equipment connected to the switch is on - of course, it's not possible for something to make a network connection unless it's turned on, so the only LED which is illuminated is the one for the connection to the router. This is all expected.

 

The strange thing is that I sometimes see the LED for the router flashing by itself when all the others are off. Why is this? It doesn't seem like any data transfer could be happening, as there is nowhere that the data would be going!

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pythonmegapixel

into tech, public transport and architecture // amateur programmer // youtuber // beginner photographer

Thanks for reading all this by the way!

By the way, my desktop is a docked laptop. Get over it, No seriously, I have an exterrnal monitor, keyboard, mouse, headset, ethernet and cooling fans all connected. Using it feels no different to a desktop, it works for several hours if the power goes out, and disconnecting just a few cables gives me something I can take on the go. There's enough power for all games I play and it even copes with basic (and some not-so-basic) video editing. Give it a go - you might just love it.

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They will basically always be flashing, if something is connected, the 2 NIC's will be sending keep alive packets back and forth to each other to make sure they're still up and alive. 

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Broadcasts or multicast/IGMP traffic from the router can still hit the switch.

Current Network Layout:

Current Build Log/PC:

Prior Build Log/PC:

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