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Thread ID: 26198	2002-10-22 01:30:00	bizzaro network problems	falvrez (390)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
91481	2002-10-22 01:30:00	am having a doozy (is that still cool?) of a time today. An XP PC Company workstation died, so I packed it up to send back (3 weeks old and power supply died). Duly dragged out a spare Compaq Ipaq Win98 desktop machine, took it to a spare workstation and set it up, then back to it's new home until the newer machine returns. but hello! No network - but it worked at the other work station. I've been having this problem for some time - here's the low down and hope someone can help me. We have around 20 Compaq Ipaq desktops running W98, 6 of the same (but newer Celeron 800s) running W2000, and 6 Compaq Evos running Win XP, and a splattering of PC Company XP1800s. Things have been fine network-wise until a few months ago when some of the 98 machines started falling off the network for no reason. Cables you say? Sure was, sort of. After mucking around with some (I make my own using 568B) got them going again. Then more and more fall off the network. I have a network cable tester and all cables tested fine. Here's the main thing: I can take a 98 machine that won't connect to the network, connect a w2000 machine (or XP) to the same cable and they will work. So a cable that works perfectly for a w2000 machine or an XP machine won't work on some of the W98 machines. Not a software or driver problem - the lights on the rear of the machine just don't light up, and they will on some cables with only the network cable and power cord plugged in, with the machine off. Hope this is clear enough - spent 30 mins on the phone to Compaq, sorry, The New HP, with no joy. PS: OT but will not buy any more Compaq Evos - wayyy too pricey for the specs, although small footprint and very quiet. Will no longer buy PC Company machines - only USB 1.1, no front USB ports, too many noisy fans, crappy as cases.	falvrez (390)
91482	2002-10-22 02:53:00	What speed is your network? 100Mbps can be very fussy about cables. A cable tester will just do a DC continuity/short test ... unless it's a very expensive tester. The cables are RF transmission lines ;-) You do know that there are different RJ45 connectors for stranded and solid conductor cables? The piercing type (for stranded) will become flakey if used on solid cable.	Graham L (2)
91483	2002-10-22 08:25:00	HI Graham, thanks for the response Yes it's 100mpbs with 4x16 port swtiches. Agree fussy re cabling but hey - how come I can put a newer machine on and it works fine? That's the part that really bugs me. Am using stranded cat5 cable, and (as I was saying to the Compaq Helpdesk) I've been through two different brands of cable and have moved from 10mbps hubs to 100mbps swtiches with no change to this problem. Not only that, but I can take a brand new pre made cable out of the packet, take it and plug it directly into the hub (sorry switch, old habits die hard) and into the win98 machine - no network lights. Do exactly the same with a w2000 machine - lights up. It's not an operating system problem, I'm just referring to the machines as win98 and win2000 to differentiate them. I don't even need to power the pcs up of course - the network connection lights at the read of the units is the sign I'm looking for.	falvrez (390)
91484	2002-10-23 03:57:00	Ummm. You mention 568B, so I assume you haven't used plug pins 1+2, 3+4, 5+6, 7+8 for the four pairs on the cables you have made :D. I suppose that your cables inside the walls are correctly wired too ... If you somehow lost "pairs" somewhere, I suppose that some cards might cope (though they would surely be pretty marginal at 100 Mbps).	Graham L (2)
91485	2002-10-23 06:51:00	HI again Graham, thanks for the continuing support! Nope and yes concealed cabling has been checked in the past. Again how come I can take a pre made cable from the packet, plug straight into the hub (avoiding all other cabling) and a w2000 machine will light up a network connection, but not a win98 machine? Don't care that much on 100mbps - would be happy with any network connection! :) Cheers and thanks again	falvrez (390)
91486	2002-10-23 09:04:00	I have been having a simialr problem at my work and we actually proved that the cables were too close to the air conditioning system!!! What was happening was everytime the air conditioning came on, people would get "kicked" off the network. What happend was when the cable guy laid the cables he put them too close and the electrical interference was what was logging people off.	demonmors (1299)
91487	2002-10-24 02:58:00	That's a reasonable suggestion . . . noise can stop things working, and some cards are more sensitive than others . The other thing I'm wondering about is . . . did this start happening as the system was extended? How are the hubs spaced (there are limits to the distance between them) and are they in series, and maybe exceeding the total allowable distance in the network . That could be card dependent, too . But I'd expect more "graceful degradation", with lots of collisions, and very slow sessions, rather than hosts just not working . Have you had run a monitor programme on the network, to see what's happening?	Graham L (2)
91488	2002-10-24 03:01:00	What type of NIC is in the 98 Machines that wont work? What speed? Are they PCI or ISA? Are they all the same type, and do you have any of those in a Win2K machine?	Chilling_Silence (9)
91489	2002-10-24 03:18:00	To completely eliminate cables can you take a Win 98 machine and plug it straight into either the server or a port in the server room? Using a known good cable. Then the network card. Use a known good one from a Win 2K machine in the 98 box (again in the server room). If you eliminate the hardware then it has to be a software configuration setting.	Heather P (163)
91490	2002-10-24 03:22:00	I would suggest you nuke one of the 98 PC's, and set it up using Win2K. Just to see what happens. It might take an hour all up, but if it works in 2000, then its a 98 setting!	Chilling_Silence (9)
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