Author Topic: Switch not communicating  (Read 7348 times)

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Offline Stephen

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Switch not communicating
« on: March 19, 2008, 11:56:37 AM »
A couple of years ago one of the fibres was changed in preparation for new building works (which still havent started). About a year ago I went to connect a mac into the switch (our legacy switches use the redundant C2k fibres) but I couldn't get it to connect to the network.

So I checked the network patch leads, no problem there. I knew the network settings were correct as the computer worked in my room with the same settings, so finally I came to the conclusion that the fibre was faulty.

As the work was done thru the architect's office for the new building and I didn't know who had done the original work this was a bit awkward to get it checked. I tried Board maintenance, not really their field but after 4 months of nothing I knew I was beating my head against the wall. Thankfully I managed to find out who the company was who did the wiring. On my last call to maintenance I managed to get the answer of phone the architects. They advised me to phone the guys who did the wiring. Called them yesterday.

They came this morning and told me the fibres were working. Banjacks I thought (or something similar) but I decided I would perserveer. I went to the cab in question. The fibre interconnects link together to stop you mixing tx and rx. So stuff that I thought unhooked the connects and put them in the wrong way round, lo and behold the connection now works.
One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.
Carl Jung

Offline bahhumbug

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Re: Switch not communicating
« Reply #1 on: March 19, 2008, 12:06:31 PM »
FFS Stephen .....here's me just about to go off for 2 weeks & 2 days holidays .......
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and you start to get all scary again !   ;D

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Offline AlvynMcq

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Re: Switch not communicating
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2008, 12:10:46 AM »
Stephen, we had that happen as well, someone from Northgate came and installed a new switch for us, I was at my other school while he was there so next day went in and no machines would connect from the building we had the switch installed in. So I decided to try switching the connects around and away it went.

Clearly the Ngate engineer didnt test it before he left.

Offline Si

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Re: Switch not communicating
« Reply #3 on: September 12, 2008, 09:37:01 AM »
hmm I wonder is this similar to my problem?
 
All my legacy machines that connect to our Cab2 wont pull down an IP address.  Finding this odd I checked our server, restarted the DHCP-server service, reset the server but still nothing.  Every other machine in the school works fine.
 
So I look in cab2.  Everything looks ok so I plug a laptop directly into the legacy switch (which I reset also).  Same thing - no ip address given. 
 
Then I go to Cab1 our own spaghetti junction.  Reset our legacy switch there, no problems.  Anything connected to it works fine.  So, I reckon there must be a fault in the link between cab1 and cab2. 
 
Back to cab2.  The legacy switch is connected to a Planet fast ethernet converter which in turn is connected to fibre.  I check the lights on the converter.  four lights all green with a flickering Tx which matches when a packet is sent via a machine (ie a packet is being transmitted).  Looks ok here.
 
So I go back to Cab1.  The same set up here.  The fibre connects to a converter here only this time the bottom two lights are lit and the Link light is strobing. 
 
Would swapping the fibre connects help in this situation you think?

Offline Stephen

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Re: Switch not communicating
« Reply #4 on: September 12, 2008, 11:51:05 AM »
What have you got to loose? Switch it over, restart the switch, if there is nothing different switch it back.
One looks back with appreciation to the brilliant teachers, but with gratitude to those who touched our human feelings. The curriculum is so much necessary raw material, but warmth is the vital element for the growing plant and for the soul of the child.
Carl Jung