Little help please troubleshooting network wiring

[PZ0013]

Hi

 

I have had ethernet wiring installed in my house, and using a cable tester, the tester is showing a connection between the 2 ethernet ports.

 

However when I plug the router into 1 port and my computer into another port, Windows is telling me that the network cable is unplugged.

 

The problem is not with my computer as I've connected it successfully via another line. 

 

Am I missing something in how the ethernet wiring is supposed work?

[Falcon1986]

1 hour ago, PZ0013 said:

I have had ethernet wiring installed in my house, and using a cable tester, the tester is showing a connection between the 2 ethernet ports.

Does the cable tester show absolutely no fault? All lights lit in sequence?

 

1 hour ago, PZ0013 said:

The problem is not with my computer as I've connected it successfully via another line. 

 

Am I missing something in how the ethernet wiring is supposed work?

Cable testers don't always tell the full story. Are you directly testing end to end ethernet? Or does the cable go through a patch panel?

 

What speed does Windows negotiate the link at when plugged into a working port?

 

Inspect the termination at each end to ensure the same standard is maintained for wire order and insulation integrity. When I've experienced this, I simply re-terminate both ends with new RJ45 connectors and that seems to work.

[PZ0013]

13 hours ago, Falcon1986 said:

Does the cable tester show absolutely no fault? All lights lit in sequence?

 

Cable testers don't always tell the full story. Are you directly testing end to end ethernet? Or does the cable go through a patch panel?

 

What speed does Windows negotiate the link at when plugged into a working port?

 

Inspect the termination at each end to ensure the same standard is maintained for wire order and insulation integrity. When I've experienced this, I simply re-terminate both ends with new RJ45 connectors and that seems to work.

Hi, thanks

 

The cable tester does show no fault, all lights light up in sequence.

 

Re the wiring, I'm not sure if it's end to end ethernet but suspect there's a patch panel as there's more than one port in the house. If it's a patch panel, I would need to check the connections too?

 

How do I find it what does speed Windows negotiates the link when connected into a working port?

 

[Falcon1986]

1 hour ago, PZ0013 said:

How do I find it what does speed Windows negotiates the link when connected into a working port?

Network adapter properties in Windows.

 

1 hour ago, PZ0013 said:

Re the wiring, I'm not sure if it's end to end ethernet but suspect there's a patch panel as there's more than one port in the house. If it's a patch panel, I would need to check the connections too?

Definitely.

 

Thought it would be next to the router you mentioned in your initial post. Is only a single ethernet cable going to the router?

 

[PZ0013]

2 hours ago, Falcon1986 said:

Network adapter properties in Windows.

 

Definitely.

 

Thought it would be next to the router you mentioned in your initial post. Is only a single ethernet cable going to the router?

 

Windows connects at 1 Gbps

 

Yea I live in an apartment complex and it's hard to figure out where the ethernet cables are actually going. I just assumed that if the cable tester shows a connection I should be able to just plug and play. 

 

There's a few cables coming out from the router going out to other devices, but the cable here goes from the router to a ethernet port in the wall, and then another cable from the ethernet port (in another room) to the computer.

[Bdavis]

Just because the cheap tester shows a connection doesn't mean the cable is good. High end av installers use an expensive tester that actually certifies the cable run after it's installed.

 

Usually the cable is fine and it's a termination issue, but occasionally the cable itself is damaged or defective.

 

Pull your wall plates and check that the wires are terminated or punched down correctly on each end. You will need a 110 punch down tool if you need to re terminate the rj45 jacks.

[seanondemand]

This might be a dumb question, but you’ve checked each of the patch cables you’re using, right?

[PZ0013]

5 hours ago, seanondemand said:

This might be a dumb question, but you’ve checked each of the patch cables you’re using, right?

At the patch panel? Not yet, I'm still trying figure out if there's a patch panel at all. Otherwise all the cables are brand new.

[PZ0013]

To update, it turns out the wiring from 1 port to another was wired through another port in the middle. When the middle port was removed and the wires connected, the connection was finally made. 

 

Still don't quite fully understand why it was designed this way or if it's just a bad design, but at least it finally works.

[Bdavis]

15 minutes ago, PZ0013 said:

To update, it turns out the wiring from 1 port to another was wired through another port in the middle. When the middle port was removed and the wires connected, the connection was finally made. 

 

Still don't quite fully understand why it was designed this way or if it's just a bad design, but at least it finally works.

It's fairly common in apartment complexes for a wall plate with multiple ports to be used as a patch panel.