Ethernet in shed connection tests ok but is not working

boardtc

I have my house wired for Cat 6. We have a port in the patch panel that runs out to the shed. I had the installer back to do a few things and he tested the line yesterday using a Connectix Pocket Socket Tester. The end of the tester in the shed showed a red out in the shed and the other end at the patch panel showed 4 greens. The installer tell me that means the line is good and a signal is getting through.

However, when I connect a device (laptop) by Ethernet in the shed - which works in the house with the same cable - there is no network or internet picked up.

Any suggestions?

heroics

boardtc wrote: »

I have my house wired for Cat 6. We have a port in the patch panel that runs out to the shed. I had the installer back to do a few things and he tested the line yesterday using a Connectix Pocket Socket Tester. The end of the tester in the shed showed a red out in the shed and the other end at the patch panel showed 4 greens. The installer tell me that means the line is good and a signal is getting through.

However, when I connect a device (laptop) by Ethernet in the shed - which works in the house with the same cable - there is no network or internet picked up.

Any suggestions?

Can you describe the connections? Diagram or pics of the patch panel and the switch/router the cable from the patch panel is connected to?

boardtc

In my patch panel I have a TP-Link unmanaged switch TL-SG1024D, does that help?

heroics

boardtc wrote: »

In my patch panel I have a TP-Link unmanaged switch TL-SG1024D, does that help?

How long is the cable run from the switch to the laptop including patch leads?

Just so I understand it. You have a laptop connected with a cat6 cable to a connection in the shed. This then leads back to a patch panel in the house. You connect the port on the patch panel to the switch and the switch has a connection to the router?

degsie

The 4 greens and the red doesn't make sense. There are 8 separate wires in cat 6 cable, these testers normally cycle through each in sequence and would show a green led at each end as each wire is tested. Sounds dodge tbh.

Edit: looks like it tests pairs, not sure if it would detect if a pair was miswired though. Tester looks like a cheap bit of tat and nothing like what a professional installer would use.

D3V!L

Sounds like the cable is crimped wrong.

Greentree_uk

I hope he didn't run it alongside the power cable

ED E

Testing the pairs is fine but its kinda like your mechanic saying the headlights turn on so the car drives.


A proper baseT tester is expensive and I wouldnt expect a sparks to test it but at least put a couple devices at each end and see if you get a link. If you arent getting at least 100Mb (amber LED) then somethings clearly awry.

D3V!L

Greentree_uk wrote: »

I hope he didn't run it alongside the power cable

I ran a shielded CAT 6 along side a 10 core power cable and there's been no issues.

Greentree_uk

D3V!L wrote: »

I ran a shielded CAT 6 along side a 10 core power cable and there's been no issues.

all depends on the level of shielding

boardtc

@Heroics The cable run from the switch to the port in the shed is about 50-60m, the setup is as you describe.
@Greentree_uk The outdoor cat 6 cable is buried beside a power cable, no duct unfortunately
@degsie my pro installer did not wire the house but he did terminate all cat6 points around the house and all works well aside from the shed run.
I know this picture of the connections does not show much:


The only option is to get a better testing device?

Greentree_uk

take the plastic cover off, might help to see ig he has wired plate correctly

Static M.e.

Do you have your own crimpers? I would just recrimp both ends - it is the most likely and simplest solution.

smuggler.ie

I cannot recognize shielding on this cable, standard twist for external use. Alongside power cable potentially could scramble data unreadable over 50-60m.
Despite i have un-shielded >20m run in duct along with power and it works ...

Johnboy1951

boardtc wrote: »

I have my house wired for Cat 6. We have a port in the patch panel that runs out to the shed. I had the installer back to do a few things and he tested the line yesterday using a Connectix Pocket Socket Tester. The end of the tester in the shed showed a red out in the shed and the other end at the patch panel showed 4 greens. The installer tell me that means the line is good and a signal is getting through.

However, when I connect a device (laptop) by Ethernet in the shed - which works in the house with the same cable - there is no network or internet picked up.

Any suggestions?

Anyone familiarwith this tester?
Red to me would indicate a failure, but I have not used this device.


.

gctest50

Turn off the power to the shed and test it ( with a laptop )

D3V!L

gctest50 wrote: »

Turn off the power to the shed and test it ( with a laptop )

The most sensible answer so far

boardtc

Static M.e. wrote: »

Do you have your own crimpers? I would just recrimp both ends - it is the most likely and simplest solution.

I do have my own crimper buy have not much experience doing that. But it does seem my only option!

gctest50 wrote: »

Turn off the power to the shed and test it ( with a laptop )

The shed has 2 trip switches of its own and is not tripped in the house...so I don't think I can do that :-(

tphase wrote: »

I have one
Red simply indicates that you have a connection (and the battery is working)

Thanks. 4 green on the other end I guess is expected too.

Johnboy1951

The shed has 2 trip switches of its own and is not tripped in the house...so I don't think I can do that :-(

I suspect that is not correct ......... there should be a fuse or ELCB or such at the house end specifically for the shed, if it is using the same mains electricity connection.

smuggler.ie

I thought 32A or 40A RCD should be there, but not a sparky, could be wrong

degsie

In the time it's taken to resolve this, the OP could have done worse that get him/herself a cheap tester and be done with it....

https://www.amazon.co.uk/KOLSOL-Network-Cable-Tester-Automatic/dp/B07RYVBWSW/

andublin

I know this picture of the connections does not show much:


Can you confirm visually that all 8 wires are connected and in the same order 1 to 8 at each end? And that the shielding is connected each end?

I agree with getting/using a tester that checks all 9 connections.

Static M.e.

boardtc wrote: »

I do have my own crimper buy have not much experience doing that. But it does seem my only option!

Honestly, it's fairly easy stuff. If you want I'll send you some videos or I can take a call and talk you through it. Send me a PM if you still need help.

boardtc

gctest50 wrote: »

Turn off the power to the shed and test it ( with a laptop )

OMG. I finally checked in the fuse box in the house and there was a shed ttip switch. I turned it off and connected the laptop in the shed and the internet worked!!!! I turned on the power again and it stil worked, I checked last night 6 hours later and it was still working.

Could there have been some interference build-up that stopped it working that switching the power off cleared? Will that happen again? My understanding is that the outdoor cat 6 used (I still have a length) has no shielding (unlike say cat 7+).

shanec1928

boardtc wrote: »

OMG. I finally checked in the fuse box in the house and there was a shed tip switch. I turned it off and connected the laptop in the shed and it worked!!!! I turned on the power again and it stil worked, I checked last night 6 hours later and it was still working.

Could there have been some interference build up that stopped it working that switching power off cleared? Will than happen again? My understanding is that the outdoor cat 6 used has no shielding (unlike say cat 7+).

possibly yes.

niallb

Do you have a freezer in the shed?
They can cause a lot of noise on the electric line which is probably parallel to your data cable for a long way.
CAT6 might not have shielding, but it provides a fair bit of noise cancellation through the tight twisting.
If the ends have been unravelled from their twists for more longer than necessary they could in theory be picking up interference,
but I'd think it's far more likely that it's not terminated correctly.

The individual conductors need to be wired the same at each end,
but the center two wires have to be a pair for backwards compatibiltiy with phone systems, so it's important they're wired to the right standard.
The punchdown blocks they're terminated on usually have the colours printed on them, so it might be easy enough to check.

1 and 2 need to be a pair (normally orange/white white/orange)
3 and 6 need to be a pair (normally green/white white/green)
4 and 5 need to be a pair (normally blue/white white/blue)
7 and 8 need to be a pair (normally brown/white white/brown)

I've seen them several times just wired straight 1-8 and while it often works it will give intermittent problems until it's fixed.

Alun

Yes, it results in split pairs, the scourge of many home brewed network cabling efforts.

smuggler.ie

niallb wrote: »

1 and 2 need to be a pair (normally orange/white white/orange)
3 and 6 need to be a pair (normally green/white white/green)
4 and 5 need to be a pair (normally blue/white white/blue)
7 and 8 need to be a pair (normally brown/white white/brown)

?

I prefer this version

niallb

smuggler.ie wrote: »

?

I prefer this version

Absolutely right, and great for the cables.

I was avoiding a picture on purpose because it looks a little different inside the wall. Sometimes it's two punchdown blocks, sometimes they're coloured, sometimes numbered.
The jacks usually don't require you to separate the greens, and sometimes people do.

boardtc

niallb wrote: »

Do you have a freezer in the shed?
They can cause a lot of noise on the electric line which is probably parallel to your data cable for a long way.
CAT6 might not have shielding, but it provides a fair bit of noise cancellation through the tight twisting.
If the ends have been unravelled from their twists for more longer than necessary they could in theory be picking up interference,
but I'd think it's far more likely that it's not terminated correctly.

No freezer thanks. Lad who did punching is a pro but mistakes can happen. I'll keep an eye on it. Not using regular at the moment. Thanks.

niallb

How about fluorescent lights, so if it comes back take a look at any of those around.
The starters on them can cause problems too.

Good to hear it's working.
Enjoy your shed!