Cable failure ??

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Rickles

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#100329 9-Apr-2012 16:44

Hi guys,

    Today I spent a few hours crawling under the house drilling holes and feeding an ethernet cable from the computer to the TV so that I can hardwire the media player.

Once the cable was in place in place I though it a good idea to test the 5 metre cable before connecting the wall plates etc.

Sadly, no signal.   I plugged one end directly into the router and the other into a laptop, but no network connection ensued.

The cable is brand new Cat5 (Dynamix) from Cables Direct.

What are the chances that it is a dud cable?   Should I have any problems running over a mere 5 metres?

Tks, R.

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#607103 9-Apr-2012 16:54

Hi

It's unlikely the cable is faulty. It's more likely the plugs at each. Are you sure you have inserted the cable fully into the plug before crimping it? Have you got the colours correct?

Rickles

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#607105 9-Apr-2012 16:58

Hi Kevin,

Actually it's a ready-made cable complete with plugs.

What I intend using is wall plates with Keystone RJ45 couplers inserted. The couplers and smaller cables all work fine, btw.

R.

sbiddle

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#607109 9-Apr-2012 17:04

Did you use a premade cable or run solid cat5e and crimp it yourself?

If it was a premade cable odds are you've damaged it. I've never yet seen an out of box failure of a premade ethernet cable, and suspect while it does happen, the odds are very small.

nickb800

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#607110 9-Apr-2012 17:04

The cable should be good for way longer than 5 metres, distance wont be a problem.

I also think that a dud cable is unlikely. My guess is that you have damaged it somehow in the process of installing it - maybe stretched or crimped it. Did you have to force/tug it through the holes that you drilled? Have you used any cable clips or cable ties to hold it in place?

Rickles

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#607122 9-Apr-2012 17:31

Folks,

No undue pressure on the plugs as far as I could tell ... 18mm holes and pulled through on a piece of string fairly easily ... no obstructions really. Was also carefull not to get dirt etc onto plugs whilst fighting off the spiders under the house.

No clips as yet as I wanted to ensure it was working before doing that.

R.

chevrolux

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#607123 9-Apr-2012 17:32

My guess is damage during install. Dynamix patch cords come bundled up nice and tight in a bag correct? When you pull that through a hole it makes little curly loops and when they get to the hole you pull harder because it gets stuck. then it finally pulls through but you have wrecked a pair or two. Or you could have just damaged the ends.

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Rickles

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#607131 9-Apr-2012 17:47

Hi Sam,

Believe it or not I did un-curl the cable before hand for that very reason .... and in any case my wife fed it through from above whilst I pulled it through the hole which was pretty close to perpendicular to the patch-panel hole.

Yup, it came bundled in the bag as you describe, and I noticed that the plugs are very well secured and sealed for about 20mm up the cable, so would not think them easily incapacitated?

R.

chevrolux

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#607142 9-Apr-2012 18:31

Rickles: Hi Sam,

Believe it or not I did un-curl the cable before hand for that very reason .... and in any case my wife fed it through from above whilst I pulled it through the hole which was pretty close to perpendicular to the patch-panel hole.

Yup, it came bundled in the bag as you describe, and I noticed that the plugs are very well secured and sealed for about 20mm up the cable, so would not think them easily incapacitated?

R.

True with someone feeding it through the other side negates any worries about kinking. What I was osrt of pointing to was that even when you pull out those tightly packed cables they still have a wicked memory and loop up again.
Yea I would have thought you would have to be fairly rough to wreck the ends. Seems strange. I would just get some jacks and wall plates and then rip through a bit of solid cat5e and you will be good as gold.

LennonNZ

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#607143 9-Apr-2012 18:38

I've used 1000's of dynamix cables for various stuff and I cannot remember one being DOA.

I'm not saying its not possible to be DOA. Pull it out , look for any obvious cuts/marks etc. If none (not caused by you) then get a replacement for free.

Rickles

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#607155 9-Apr-2012 19:11

I now wish I'd tested the cable before installing

The cable itself definitely doesn't have and sharp angles, cuts etc ... the run from computer to TV is flat, no obstructions, and no obvious damage after running my hand over its length.

I guess the only option now is to have two new plugs fitted whilst in situ.

Thanks for all your suggestions and comments.

R.

larknz

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#607185 9-Apr-2012 20:40

Do you have access to a multimeter to test the continuity of the cores?

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LennonNZ

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#607191 9-Apr-2012 20:53

It's pretty unlikely it is either of the ends.

Just pull out the entire cable put new one in. Any decent place would just swap the cable over without any questions if you said the cable was "dead". I presume you have the right cable and it is not a "cross over" one?

$6 (Retail) for a 5M Fitted Ethernet cable its just better to get a new one.

Rickles

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#607208 9-Apr-2012 21:39

No meter on hand, may be able to borrow one.

Definitely correct cable, not a cross-over, same spec as the two 1.5M cables I also got for wall plates to media player & router.

Only one end went through the two holes so maybe try one new plug? It looks ok, nothing looks broken or any gold strips missing etc.

R.

insane

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#607215 9-Apr-2012 21:53

LennonNZ: I've used 1000's of dynamix cables for various stuff and I cannot remember one being DOA.

I'm not saying its not possible to be DOA. Pull it out , look for any obvious cuts/marks etc. If none (not caused by you) then get a replacement for free.

Likewise, but we have had 1 (one) DOA cable from them a while back.

Having said that you'd have to be pretty unlucky to get just the wrong strand as only 4 would be needed to get link, all be it at 100mbps.

Rickles

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#607264 10-Apr-2012 08:28

Thanks for all the input.

I don't fancy getting under the house again just yet, and thought try the easy option first ... anyone know of a GeekZone friendly cable-guy who could throw a new plug on one end without extending the mortgage? (I'm in Thorndon, Wellington)

I'd get a crimper myself but most unlikely to ever need the use of one again.

R.

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