XP Home on W2k Workgroup no connect on longer cables

  • Thread starter Thread starter Randy W. Sims
  • Start date Start date
R

Randy W. Sims

Odd.

I have a small workgroup network of about 6 W2k computers networked peer
to peer, with static IP addresses, connected by a NetGear hub. The boss
buys a new laptop with XP Home. I configured and set it up on the
network. No problem. Hand it over to him, and he plugs it in at another
location (previously the cable connected one of the w2k systems, and
still works when plugged back in). It will not connect. Tried it at
another location. Nope. Try it back at my desk (near hub) it works. The
only difference seems to be distance from the hub, but it doesn't affect
the w2k systems previously connected.

I thought maybe it was a flaky builtin network card, so I plugged in a
LinkSys PC Card. It works at my desk, but no where else although it has
worked on other laptops running w2k.

Anyone know what's going on?

Thanks,
Randy.
 
Randy W. Sims said:
Odd.

I have a small workgroup network of about 6 W2k computers networked peer
to peer, with static IP addresses, connected by a NetGear hub. The boss
buys a new laptop with XP Home. I configured and set it up on the
network. No problem. Hand it over to him, and he plugs it in at another
location (previously the cable connected one of the w2k systems, and
still works when plugged back in). It will not connect. Tried it at
another location. Nope. Try it back at my desk (near hub) it works. The
only difference seems to be distance from the hub, but it doesn't affect
the w2k systems previously connected.

I thought maybe it was a flaky builtin network card, so I plugged in a
LinkSys PC Card. It works at my desk, but no where else although it has
worked on other laptops running w2k.

Anyone know what's going on?

Thanks,
Randy.
Click to expand...


Does the new machine have a 100Mbit card, but the
old one have a 10Mbit card, perhaps?

My first guess would be bad cabling.

Bad cabling usually works OK at 10Mbit,
but not at 100Mbit on longer runs.

Is the cable home-made, perchance?

If so, it's not made correctly.
The most common error is the correct twisted pairs are not being observed.

It's not enough just to connect 1-1, 2-2, 3-3 and 6-6.
You need to look at the twisted pairs inside the cable.

The most common error is to use use one pair for pins 1&2,
another pair for pins 3&4, another pair for pins 5&6, and a pair for 7&8.
The wires sit neatly inside the connectors if you do it this way.

Unfortunately, this will not work.
( Well, sometimes on a short run it will, but probably not at 100 )

pins 1&2 need to be a pair.
pins 3&6 need to be a pair.

This causes the wires to cross over each other inside the plugs, and it
seems a bit ugly. But this is the ONLY way it will work. Look at the
pictures at the bottom of this page:

How to Wire a Network
http://www.linksys.com/faqs/default.asp?fqid=20

The only fix is to chop the ends and re-terminate them correctly.
 
My first guess would be bad cabling.

Bad cabling usually works OK at 10Mbit,
but not at 100Mbit on longer runs.

Is the cable home-made, perchance?

If so, it's not made correctly.
The most common error is the correct twisted pairs are not being observed.
Click to expand...

Thanks Ron. The cable was not made correctly. (for the record: I did not
make the cable; the boss did it. But best not to say thay outloud. ;-)

Thanks,
Randy.
 
Back
Top