sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services T1's, CSU's and DSU's Lightening strike

This might not be the right forum, but I'll give it a try.

One of our remote locations took a direct lightening hit. Fried most of the phone equipment, the fire panel, several tvs, computers, phones, etc.

The telco ended up having to replace over 1/2 the cards in the PBX. There are only 4 pair being used at the punch down block, the blue and orange pair. Then going to each office there is a dual-jack, one side for phone and the other internet. The cable run to the office is doing the same, 2 pair are wired to the phone port, and 2 pair wired to the ethernet port. Most of the phones are finally up. But the internet/ethernet port is dead. Checked equipment, switches, router, etc., and those are working. Setup is that the T1 connects to a cisco router WAN Interface Card. Then there is a cable run from that to a closet into a switch. Then from the switch patch cables to patch panels. From the office to the patch panel there is no sign of life. Cannot get any connectivity.

Connected a continuity tester, one end into the ethernet port, the other end on the patch panel where that offices cable terminated. Nothing at all. The tester didn't even recognize there was a cable connected. Went through w/tech support to make sure the tester was working and being used correct.

Is there a chance the ethernet pair was fried somehow because of what happened to the phone system...Considering the pairs were being run through the same cable...???

It just seems crazy that all of the ethernet cable runs would've gotten fried, but at this point I can't make sense of anything else being the problem...

Is your switch working? I would check that first.

Am I correct in understanding that the vendor ran one, 4 pair cable to each location and split it into 2 jacks? (2 pair for voice and 2 pair for data)

If this is the case I would doubt that the 2 voice pair are good and the two data pairs are bad. Unless the vendor stole pairs from the data to make the voice circuits work.

How many cables are there? What kind of tester did you use? Give us a little more information.

But look at the electronics first.

Sam

Some times if a distance between patch panel and destination(Ithernet jack) is more then 300 feet might be another switch somevere in the celing. Check that out. If you are putting a toner across Data pair withot switch to be plug in you have to have a tone on another end unless cable is phisically cuted or plug in in some other point in between.

most "testers" are looking for 4 pair so if there are only two it may not see the remote so thats why it dosnet recognize a cable being there

use a tone and meter to check continuity on the data pairs

I agree with Sam its doubtful the voice pairs are good and the data pairs in the same cable are bad

Vad also makes a valid point with a hack job like that there could be switch's hidden in the ceiling

They ran 2 pairs/4 wires. 2 wires went into the phone jack, 2 wires into the data jack. It was a dual-jack wall plate. But they ran through the same cable.

The tester was a brand new LinkMaster Continuity/Cable tester. I tested it with just a known good cable, even worked with their tech support to get help understanding what I was seeing. Why the tester didn't even react when plugged on each end.

Ok, the switch was good.

Now, the tester looking for 4 pairs, that has got me wondering...Because at one end only 2pair (blue & orange pairs) were being used.
Something I just realized I left out in the OP, I pulled the cable from the wall jack and rewired it put a new RJ45 connector on it (using all pairs, std straight-through config), then did the same at the other end, removed it from the patch panel and re-did it. Tested again, this time its seeing it but gives a 'Short'.

Also upon further inspection...(sorry this is really confusing)...
The main T1 comes into a closet-->(gray)cable run(works) to another floor to switch(works)-->switch-->patch panel(not sure if patch panel is still good)-->(blue)cable runs out of the closet...
Now going to the room is another gray cable run. So the run leaving the closet doesn't appear to be the actual cable run to the room. I found a phone closet on the same floor upstairs, and all gray cables running to the punch-down blocks, only those same 2 pair (blue and oragne like in the room) were punched down on the block. And there was 1 blue cable coming into the bottom on one of the punch-down blocks.

I even looked in the attic to see if I could find some kind of coupler, or junction point. Couldn't find anything, just masses of blue and gray cables run over the rafters, disappearing into the corners...

Yes I definately agree whatever it is, it's definately a hack job. Most everything I've seen at this point with this company is a hack job.

Someplace there's a piece of the puzzle missing. Obviously your T-1 cable is spliced/cut/broken/something somewhere in the middle of the run.

A T-1 feed should be continuous. Not spliced and patched or whatever. Yes, you're the victim of a hack job.

I'm afraid you're going to need a (qualified) professional to get you out of this mess.

Sam

The T1 feed to the switch is direct.

Smartjack-->T1 feed-->serial WAN interface card on router-->T1 feed to closet on 3rd floor-->into a switch-->switch ports connect to patch panel-->patch panel cables run off to somewhere and at some point somewhere different cables are run to each room.

Don't forget that as soon as you plug your tonner into a data jack you are not going to find anything because data uses only Grn & Brn according to you on Orange and Green pair of CAT5E jack. Your tonner send a signal on Blue pair which is empty!!!