Switch - cable problem

[Robert]

I setup a small office network with 2 computers runing
Win98SE and 1 computer runing WinXP Pro. Computers are in
two rooms. Between rooms is one UTP network cable 15m
long that connects 1 computer with Win98SE with other
two. Other two cables is short (2 m). I use LevelOne
switch to connect computers together. The problem is
this: when I place the switch in room with separated
computer (Win98SE) and connect him with one short cable
and 1 other computer in other room with the long cable,
the network works fine. But, when I place the switch in
room with 2 computers (Win98SE and WinXP Pro) and connect
these computers with the short cables and computer in
other room with the long cable (the same one as above),
the network is established only between computers in the
same room; the computer in other room is not recognised.
It seems that the long cable works only if the switch is
connected-placed in the room with 1 computer. Where is
the problem? Is it possible that the long cable work only
in one direction? Please, I really need help about this.
Thanks

[CJT]

Robert wrote:

> I setup a small office network with 2 computers runing
> Win98SE and 1 computer runing WinXP Pro. Computers are in
> two rooms. Between rooms is one UTP network cable 15m
> long that connects 1 computer with Win98SE with other
> two. Other two cables is short (2 m). I use LevelOne
> switch to connect computers together. The problem is
> this: when I place the switch in room with separated
> computer (Win98SE) and connect him with one short cable
> and 1 other computer in other room with the long cable,
> the network works fine. But, when I place the switch in
> room with 2 computers (Win98SE and WinXP Pro) and connect
> these computers with the short cables and computer in
> other room with the long cable (the same one as above),
> the network is established only between computers in the
> same room; the computer in other room is not recognised.
> It seems that the long cable works only if the switch is
> connected-placed in the room with 1 computer. Where is
> the problem? Is it possible that the long cable work only
> in one direction? Please, I really need help about this.
> Thanks

It sounds to me like the computer that's separate has a
different kind of network card that is less forgiving of
a marginal long cable.

Either that, or perhaps in your tests you accidentally
used an "uplink" port on the switch in the case that
didn't work.

What, if anything, do the status lights on the switch and
the three computers tell you when the connection is failing?

Is the long cable known to be of good quality? You didn't
make it yourself, did you? (If you did, I bet you didn't
honor the required pairings when you attached the connectors.)

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .

>-----Original Message-----
>Robert wrote:
>
>> I setup a small office network with 2 computers runing
>> Win98SE and 1 computer runing WinXP Pro. Computers are
in
>> two rooms. Between rooms is one UTP network cable 15m
>> long that connects 1 computer with Win98SE with other
>> two. Other two cables is short (2 m). I use LevelOne
>> switch to connect computers together. The problem is
>> this: when I place the switch in room with separated
>> computer (Win98SE) and connect him with one short
cable
>> and 1 other computer in other room with the long
cable,
>> the network works fine. But, when I place the switch
in
>> room with 2 computers (Win98SE and WinXP Pro) and
connect
>> these computers with the short cables and computer in
>> other room with the long cable (the same one as
above),
>> the network is established only between computers in
the
>> same room; the computer in other room is not
recognised.
>> It seems that the long cable works only if the switch
is
>> connected-placed in the room with 1 computer. Where is
>> the problem? Is it possible that the long cable work
only
>> in one direction? Please, I really need help about
this.
>> Thanks
>
>It sounds to me like the computer that's separate has a
>different kind of network card that is less forgiving of
>a marginal long cable.
>
>Either that, or perhaps in your tests you accidentally
>used an "uplink" port on the switch in the case that
>didn't work.
>
>What, if anything, do the status lights on the switch and
>the three computers tell you when the connection is
failing?
>
>Is the long cable known to be of good quality? You
didn't
>make it yourself, did you? (If you did, I bet you didn't
>honor the required pairings when you attached the
connectors.)
>
>--
>The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in
an attempt to
>minimize spam. Our true address is of the form
.
>.
>

First of all, thanks for your interest in solving my
problem. Now, let's see:

1. What is "uplink" port on the switch? Does it matters
which port I use? Should I not change the ports for each
computer I connect during my tests?

2. The status light on the switch are okay; they show
three connected cards-computers-cables; the card on the
separated computer has 3 lights: 10M-on, 100M-off and ACT-
off, which should be on, I think if the network is okay.

3. I can't figured out how the long cable work fine in
one way and don't work in other way (which I described in
my first post). And yes, I did make it myself, just like
other two (the short one's). I think I honor the required
pairings (for the straight-thru cables, wright?), just I
didn't follow exact color of wires.

[CJT]

wrote:

>>-----Original Message-----
>>Robert wrote:
>>
>>
>>>I setup a small office network with 2 computers runing
>>>Win98SE and 1 computer runing WinXP Pro. Computers are
>
> in
>
>>>two rooms. Between rooms is one UTP network cable 15m
>>>long that connects 1 computer with Win98SE with other
>>>two. Other two cables is short (2 m). I use LevelOne
>>>switch to connect computers together. The problem is
>>>this: when I place the switch in room with separated
>>>computer (Win98SE) and connect him with one short
>
> cable
>
>>>and 1 other computer in other room with the long
>
> cable,
>
>>>the network works fine. But, when I place the switch
>
> in
>
>>>room with 2 computers (Win98SE and WinXP Pro) and
>
> connect
>
>>>these computers with the short cables and computer in
>>>other room with the long cable (the same one as
>
> above),
>
>>>the network is established only between computers in
>
> the
>
>>>same room; the computer in other room is not
>
> recognised.
>
>>>It seems that the long cable works only if the switch
>
> is
>
>>>connected-placed in the room with 1 computer. Where is
>>>the problem? Is it possible that the long cable work
>
> only
>
>>>in one direction? Please, I really need help about
>
> this.
>
>>>Thanks
>>
>>It sounds to me like the computer that's separate has a
>>different kind of network card that is less forgiving of
>>a marginal long cable.
>>
>>Either that, or perhaps in your tests you accidentally
>>used an "uplink" port on the switch in the case that
>>didn't work.
>>
>>What, if anything, do the status lights on the switch and
>>the three computers tell you when the connection is
>
> failing?
>
>>Is the long cable known to be of good quality? You
>
> didn't
>
>>make it yourself, did you? (If you did, I bet you didn't
>>honor the required pairings when you attached the
>
> connectors.)
>
>>--
>>The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in
>
> an attempt to
>
>>minimize spam. Our true address is of the form
>
> .
>
>>.
>>
>
>
> First of all, thanks for your interest in solving my
> problem. Now, let's see:
>
> 1. What is "uplink" port on the switch? Does it matters
> which port I use? Should I not change the ports for each
> computer I connect during my tests?

An uplink port inserts the logical equivalent of a crossover cable
in the circuit of that port.

>
> 2. The status light on the switch are okay; they show
> three connected cards-computers-cables; the card on the
> separated computer has 3 lights: 10M-on, 100M-off and ACT-
> off, which should be on, I think if the network is okay.
>
> 3. I can't figured out how the long cable work fine in
> one way and don't work in other way (which I described in
> my first post). And yes, I did make it myself, just like
> other two (the short one's). I think I honor the required
> pairings (for the straight-thru cables, wright?), just I
> didn't follow exact color of wires.

Bingo.

Buy a cable that's wired correctly. Just having pin 1-8
connected to pin 1-8 isn't enough. You MUST follow the
color coding (or its topological equivalent, but why be
difficult?). The symptoms of failing to do so are
precisely as you have described.

--
The e-mail address in our reply-to line is reversed in an attempt to
minimize spam. Our true address is of the form .