Switch stops working after five minutes - any switch I try. Please help.

Switch stops working after five minutes - any switch I try. Please help.

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Subject Author Date
Switch stops working after five minutes - any switch I try. Please help. Pradeep 10-12-2006
Posted by Pradeep on October 12, 2006, 6:24 am
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Hello Netters,

I hope someone can help me. It has been a long day (and night) and I
cannot think of anything else I can do to fix our network problem.

In our small business setup, a DSL modem is connected to a Linksys
router. The linksys router is connected to a 16-port Linksys switch.
Some ports are used direcly by some computers. Other ports are
connected to some other 5-port switches (through a patch panel).

Although we don't have UPS anywhere, we have surge protectors for all
of our electrical connections.

It all started this afternoon. Looks like there was some kind of
electrical surge. Some of our computers just rebooted themselves.

After a couple of hours we started seeing this problem. Our 16-port
switch just stops communicating. We cannot even ping machines on the
neighboring ports.

If I unplug the power cable on the switch and plug it back again,
things work okay for a couple of minutes. After that, once again the
switch stops communicating.

Suspecting that the 16-port switch has a problem, we replaced the
switch with a newly purchased 16-port switch. However, the problem
seems to be still there.

Can someone please suggest us what the problem could be?

One theory I have is that some device that is connected to the switch
(either the network card on the computers or one of the 5-port switches
have started sending some wrong signals to the main switch, thereby
messing it up. Is this possible? If so, is there a quick way to
identify the culprit?

Thank you in advance for your help. Our network will be up for another
couple of minutes, giving me a chance to post this message.

Regards,
Pradeep


Pure Networks
Posted by DLR on October 12, 2006, 10:18 am
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Pradeep wrote:
> Hello Netters,
>
> I hope someone can help me. It has been a long day (and night) and I
> cannot think of anything else I can do to fix our network problem.
>
> In our small business setup, a DSL modem is connected to a Linksys
> router. The linksys router is connected to a 16-port Linksys switch.
> Some ports are used direcly by some computers. Other ports are
> connected to some other 5-port switches (through a patch panel).
>
> Although we don't have UPS anywhere, we have surge protectors for all
> of our electrical connections.
>
> It all started this afternoon. Looks like there was some kind of
> electrical surge. Some of our computers just rebooted themselves.
>
> After a couple of hours we started seeing this problem. Our 16-port
> switch just stops communicating. We cannot even ping machines on the
> neighboring ports.
>
> If I unplug the power cable on the switch and plug it back again,
> things work okay for a couple of minutes. After that, once again the
> switch stops communicating.
>
> Suspecting that the 16-port switch has a problem, we replaced the
> switch with a newly purchased 16-port switch. However, the problem
> seems to be still there.
>
> Can someone please suggest us what the problem could be?
>
> One theory I have is that some device that is connected to the switch
> (either the network card on the computers or one of the 5-port switches
> have started sending some wrong signals to the main switch, thereby
> messing it up. Is this possible? If so, is there a quick way to
> identify the culprit?

Start segregating your network. Unplug about 1/2 the ports on your
"central" switch. If things stay up with this start adding things. If
not remove 1/2 of this and try again. As long as things stay up for a
while, add a few more things and wait a while. Repeat.

Or start buying managed switches so you can "see" who's acting up.

Posted by Pradeep on October 12, 2006, 2:25 pm
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Hi DLR,

Thank you for your help. It was a very long night for me.

I finally located the problem to two CISCO VOIP phones. Once I plug
them in, the system goes down after a few minutes.

Is there any line conditioner that we can purchase? Don't want to throw
the phones out.

Thanks
Pradeep

DLR wrote:
> Pradeep wrote:
> > Hello Netters,
> >
> > I hope someone can help me. It has been a long day (and night) and I
> > cannot think of anything else I can do to fix our network problem.
> >
> > In our small business setup, a DSL modem is connected to a Linksys
> > router. The linksys router is connected to a 16-port Linksys switch.
> > Some ports are used direcly by some computers. Other ports are
> > connected to some other 5-port switches (through a patch panel).
> >
> > Although we don't have UPS anywhere, we have surge protectors for all
> > of our electrical connections.
> >
> > It all started this afternoon. Looks like there was some kind of
> > electrical surge. Some of our computers just rebooted themselves.
> >
> > After a couple of hours we started seeing this problem. Our 16-port
> > switch just stops communicating. We cannot even ping machines on the
> > neighboring ports.
> >
> > If I unplug the power cable on the switch and plug it back again,
> > things work okay for a couple of minutes. After that, once again the
> > switch stops communicating.
> >
> > Suspecting that the 16-port switch has a problem, we replaced the
> > switch with a newly purchased 16-port switch. However, the problem
> > seems to be still there.
> >
> > Can someone please suggest us what the problem could be?
> >
> > One theory I have is that some device that is connected to the switch
> > (either the network card on the computers or one of the 5-port switches
> > have started sending some wrong signals to the main switch, thereby
> > messing it up. Is this possible? If so, is there a quick way to
> > identify the culprit?
>
> Start segregating your network. Unplug about 1/2 the ports on your
> "central" switch. If things stay up with this start adding things. If
> not remove 1/2 of this and try again. As long as things stay up for a
> while, add a few more things and wait a while. Repeat.
>
> Or start buying managed switches so you can "see" who's acting up.


Posted by DLR on October 12, 2006, 4:07 pm
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I'll bet that one or more of your Cisco VOIP phones has a blown ENet
port. Or a very sick one. And it spewing out something that's killing
your network. It may only be one. Try putting them back one at a time.

But stuff like this, if blown, are usually ready for the trash bin.

For the future you need to look at your office grounding. Let's talk
when you're awake.


Pradeep wrote:
> Hi DLR,
>
> Thank you for your help. It was a very long night for me.
>
> I finally located the problem to two CISCO VOIP phones. Once I plug
> them in, the system goes down after a few minutes.
>
> Is there any line conditioner that we can purchase? Don't want to throw
> the phones out.
>
> Thanks
> Pradeep
>
> DLR wrote:
>> Pradeep wrote:
>>> Hello Netters,
>>>
>>> I hope someone can help me. It has been a long day (and night) and I
>>> cannot think of anything else I can do to fix our network problem.
>>>
>>> In our small business setup, a DSL modem is connected to a Linksys
>>> router. The linksys router is connected to a 16-port Linksys switch.
>>> Some ports are used direcly by some computers. Other ports are
>>> connected to some other 5-port switches (through a patch panel).
>>>
>>> Although we don't have UPS anywhere, we have surge protectors for all
>>> of our electrical connections.
>>>
>>> It all started this afternoon. Looks like there was some kind of
>>> electrical surge. Some of our computers just rebooted themselves.
>>>
>>> After a couple of hours we started seeing this problem. Our 16-port
>>> switch just stops communicating. We cannot even ping machines on the
>>> neighboring ports.
>>>
>>> If I unplug the power cable on the switch and plug it back again,
>>> things work okay for a couple of minutes. After that, once again the
>>> switch stops communicating.
>>>
>>> Suspecting that the 16-port switch has a problem, we replaced the
>>> switch with a newly purchased 16-port switch. However, the problem
>>> seems to be still there.
>>>
>>> Can someone please suggest us what the problem could be?
>>>
>>> One theory I have is that some device that is connected to the switch
>>> (either the network card on the computers or one of the 5-port switches
>>> have started sending some wrong signals to the main switch, thereby
>>> messing it up. Is this possible? If so, is there a quick way to
>>> identify the culprit?
>> Start segregating your network. Unplug about 1/2 the ports on your
>> "central" switch. If things stay up with this start adding things. If
>> not remove 1/2 of this and try again. As long as things stay up for a
>> while, add a few more things and wait a while. Repeat.
>>
>> Or start buying managed switches so you can "see" who's acting up.
>

Posted by w_tom on October 12, 2006, 6:24 pm
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You have demonstrated a protector does not stop or block surges and
can even contribute to damage of the adjacent appliance. It is a shunt
mode device. It does not 'power condition'. It simply connects a surge
from one wire to all others. If that other wire is earth ground, then
a surge is harmlessly earthed. But if that protector does not have a
short connection to earth, then a surge is simply shunted onto all
other wires and therefore into adjacent electronics. Your own
experience implies same.

Effective protector is defined by its earthing. A 'whole house'
protector on AC mains, if connected 'less than 10 feet' to earth, means
surge would not find that VoIP phone. Effective 'whole house'
protectors are manufactured with responsible names - Square D,
Cutler-Hammer, Leviton, Intermatic, Siemens, and GE. They are sold in
Lowes, Home Depot and electrical supply houses. Effective protectors
have a dedicated earthing wire. Household earthing must be upgraded to
meet and exceed post-1990 National Electrical Code requirements. Even
the telco provided (free) 'whole house' protector also must make a
'less than 10 foot' connection to a common earthing electrode.

Why does the telco install this 'whole house' protector for free?
Because it is so effective and so inexpensive. Same applies to your AC
electric 'whole house' protector. Effective protection is earth
ground. A protector is effective when it makes a 'less than 10 foot
connection' to earth. Does proper earthing exist on your plug-in
protectors? If not, then effective protection also does not exist. No
earth ground means no effective protection. Even worse, a plug-in
protector can contribute to damage of an adjacent appliance.

Connect a plug-in protector into wall receptacle attached to breaker
box. Then that power strip might have an earthing connection. Then
the power stirp might be doing something useful. But the 'whole house'
protector - being properly sized - is a superior solution.

Pradeep wrote:
> Thank you for your help. It was a very long night for me.
>
> I finally located the problem to two CISCO VOIP phones. Once I plug
> them in, the system goes down after a few minutes.
>
> Is there any line conditioner that we can purchase? Don't want to throw
> the phones out.


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