Help! Home network not working...

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SuperHemi

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#226094 20-Dec-2017 11:23

I’m trying to setup my home network, but can’t get it to work properly.

Current setup is as follows:

I’ve got Ethernet ports in each room of the house linked back to a patch panel in the garage.
I’ve got fibre internet, with the ONT installed next to the patch panel.
My router (Netcomm NF4V) is located in the home office, and is connected to the ONT via the patch panel. The router is working fine – wifi is working, and I can connect my laptop in the office directly to the router via Ethernet cable without any problems.

Here’s the problem: I can’t get the TV in the lounge to connect to the internet via Ethernet cable. I have a switch (TP-Link TL-SG1005D) next to the patch panel in the garage, and have connected it up to one of the spare ports on the router. The TV is then connected to the switch via the patch panel (see diagram below).

I get the following message when I try and connect the TV to the internet: “You can connect directly with network devices, but connection to the Internet is not possible”.

Any ideas where I might be going wrong?

Thanks for your help!

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Lizard Networks

#1922420 20-Dec-2017 11:29

Have you tried plugging laptop in to the TV port to see if there is connectivity?

What i would be looking to do is work your way back, starting at the modem each step of the way confirm if things are working then move onto the next hop.

What i'm suspecting has happened is the link between the NF4V and Switch is not functioning.

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youngs

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#1922477 20-Dec-2017 12:23

Have you tried plugging tv directly into switch to see tv connects to the internet.

wellygary

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#1922489 20-Dec-2017 12:29

Do you have two cables running to the home office from the patch panel ? (one "in" and one "out?)

Jase2985

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#1922517 20-Dec-2017 13:02

why not put the router where the ONT is?

eliminate as many things as you can. it skip the patch panel if you can with the connections,

wellygary

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#1922542 20-Dec-2017 13:33

Jase2985:

why not put the router where the ONT is?

eliminate as many things as you can. it skip the patch panel if you can with the connections,

That was my initial thought,

But I'm guessing the Router is also the Wireless AP, and having it in the office gives better coverage than in the Garage with the Patch panel and ONT.....

SuperHemi

39 posts

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#1922584 20-Dec-2017 14:54

Thanks for the replies! Answers to your questions are below.

hio77:

Have you tried plugging laptop in to the TV port to see if there is connectivity?

What i would be looking to do is work your way back, starting at the modem each step of the way confirm if things are working then move onto the next hop.

What i'm suspecting has happened is the link between the NF4V and Switch is not functioning.

youngs:

Have you tried plugging tv directly into switch to see tv connects to the internet.

Not yet. I'll try plugging my laptop in at various points in the network tonight, to see if I isolate exactly where the problem is.

wellygary:

Do you have two cables running to the home office from the patch panel ? (one "in" and one "out?)

Yep!

Jase2985:

why not put the router where the ONT is?

eliminate as many things as you can. it skip the patch panel if you can with the connections,

wellygary:

That was my initial thought,

But I'm guessing the Router is also the Wireless AP, and having it in the office gives better coverage than in the Garage with the Patch panel and ONT.....

Yeah, the router is the wireless AP - much better coverage from the office. I've also got a landline phone connected to the ATA port of the router.

wellygary

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#1922588 20-Dec-2017 15:00

Take the switch out of the loop, and patch the TV straight across to the feed coming out from the Router

If it works, then the switch is the issue, if it doesn't it means that you likely have a wiring or connection issue (likely in the patch panel )- so try another port combination...

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SuperHemi

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#1922967 21-Dec-2017 09:38

wellygary:

Take the switch out of the loop, and patch the TV straight across to the feed coming out from the Router

If it works, then the switch is the issue, if it doesn't it means that you likely have a wiring or connection issue (likely in the patch panel )- so try another port combination...

Thanks for the suggestions.

I tried removing the switch, and patching the feed from the router directly to the TV - that didn't work.

Then I tried connecting my laptop directly to the port on the patch panel which receives the feed from the router - that didn't work either!

So I guess it must be a wiring issue?? Might have to get the electrician who wired up the house back to check it out.

MurrayM

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#1922975 21-Dec-2017 09:48

SuperHemi:

I tried removing the switch, and patching the feed from the router directly to the TV - that didn't work.

Then I tried connecting my laptop directly to the port on the patch panel which receives the feed from the router - that didn't work either!

So I guess it must be a wiring issue?? Might have to get the electrician who wired up the house back to check it out.

Years ago I had the guy that installed our security alarm run some CAT5 cables between rooms for me. He wasn't experienced with wiring them up and made a mistake when connecting the wires to the connectors and nothing worked. After I investigated how they should have been wired and then looked at the how they had been actually wired I could see the mistake. He came back and corrected the error and everything burst into life.

Jase2985

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#1923081 21-Dec-2017 11:43

there isnt 2 different wiring standards at play?

t568a vs t568b? they have to be the same at both ends of the cable

wellygary

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#1923107 21-Dec-2017 12:10

Jase2985:

there isnt 2 different wiring standards at play?

t568a vs t568b? they have to be the same at both ends of the cable

Yeah, but 2 of the pairs remain the same in both standards so a 100mbs connection should exist,

its just Gigabit you need 4 pairs for

hio77

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#1923110 21-Dec-2017 12:13

Sounds to me like your electrician didn't test before saying all done... a Ethernet feed can actually 'work' while being badly wired at times too, which will inherently fail later.

I recommend you ask him to make sure he tests all the drops with a proper tool, otherwise get in someone who knows what they are doing.

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hio77

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#1923112 21-Dec-2017 12:14

Jase2985:

there isnt 2 different wiring standards at play?

t568a vs t568b? they have to be the same at both ends of the cable

if they aren't the same, this simply results in creating a crossover cable.

in 95% of situations automdx will handle this itself and you will be none the wiser.

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webwat

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#1927661 1-Jan-2018 16:31

hio77:

Sounds to me like your electrician didn't test before saying all done... a Ethernet feed can actually 'work' while being badly wired at times too, which will inherently fail later.

I recommend you ask him to make sure he tests all the drops with a proper tool, otherwise get in someone who knows what they are doing.

Thats my thought, one of the links is probably fired wrong. If you check the wiring is tidy and correct behind each outlet and also wired the same at each end of the cable, you will probably find the router-switch link is probably faulty.

Time to find a new industry!

Dunnersfella

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#1927702 1-Jan-2018 17:54

If you find the wiring to be the weak point, that's all good.

I'd still consider leaving the Netcomm next to your ONT and getting rid of the switch all together (if possible) and then running separate access points through your home where required.

The switch could also be utilised behind your TV / AV equipment if you find it to be working well, that way even more devices could be removed from your WiFi and performance improved.

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