sundance-communications.com/forum Forums Wiring - Telecom Carriers - Trunks & Services Cabling Telephones Systems Wiring cat5e issues

Hi Everyone:

I love this forum, I spend time on here a lot during work. My favorites are the ugly work, I've got some I can contribute at a later time.

I currently work on a help desk for a retail company and am the designated "Wiring guy" here. What I deal with is when a guy at a store can't trace a wire back to the switch or there's issues with a wall jack and I have to troubleshoot over the phone with the store because we don't have field guys. We use another company that has contractors all over to dispatch if we have a definitive wiring issue that can't be solved with a patch cable replacement.

Locations have a small patch panel with biscuit jacks located throughout the store. Since I'm stuck on the phones I haven't been to inspect a store personally with these issues, so I'll be as descriptive as I can be without being on site.

I'm getting met with more and more of these issues over the time and it's driving me nuts. Store calls in and the device plugged into (For example) D10 is not on the network. We then re-seat all connections (Device, Wall Jack, Patch and Switch) if unsuccessful we switch ports on the switch, if unsuccessful there we make sure the device is working and try a different wall jack. If it is, we try different patch cables between the patch and switch and device and wall. (Keep in mind that it may not be done in this order.) If all fails and we can't get anything work in this wall jack, we dispatch a tech.

Fast forward a couple days. Tech's on site, calls me says it's working and he didn't do anything. I have him prove the wiring with his LAN analyzer and everything's fine certifies for a gigibit (100mb at least), he goes on his way. I'm loosing my hair because I tried everything and the stupid thing just started to work. Fast forward to the next day, the thing drops off the network AGAIN. Go through everything again, no success. Send new patch cables for the device, it still doesn't work. Re-dispatch, have tech re-terminate at the the jack and patch panel, it's working he's on his way.

A month later, the same device drops off! Go through everything again, replacing the device this time, still doesn't work, tech re-dispatched, pulls new lines installs new jack and re-terminates at patch panel.

I try to put this in the techs hands as much as possible since he's on site. "Do you see any bad bends?", "You're in the field everyday and I could really use your expertise", etc. I'm never demeaning or implying he's doing something wrong, but I have a handful of locations around the country like this. Different techs, different employees, companies, etc.

The only thing consistent is Me and the devices. I'm trying to rule myself out as the problem which is why I am coming to you guys hoping for your expertise. I don't like being behind the desk and would rather be out in the field, but I'll take what I can get right now. I'm not asking for all you secrets or anything, but just guidance because this is infuriating because I go through all the steps and dispatch and then get called out because we're suppose to be saving money and the tech has to go out 3 times before the issue is resolved. Most of the time, I endup bypassing the IW at the locations and running straight to the switch if feasable and the store is willing because they can't deal with the constant drop outs and getting charged each time a tech comes out and it's not working.

Are any of you guys ever met with these issues? This is a long standing fear of mine, thinking the problem is fixed and it comes right back. I can't tell you the amount of stress and anxiety this causes me.

Thanks in advance everyone.

Are any of you guys ever met with these issues?

What? Troubleshooting by remote control? It never works. Ever consider that it may not be the wiring or jacks?

-Hal

You may want to have someone check with a certification meter. Sounds like the guy on site may just be using a qualification tester, which likely won't tell you about sources of noise. Perhaps the cable is running too close to a source of EMI that is not always active. If you test with a certification meter when you know that the connection is not working, you may get your answer.

Either way, the guy on site may be missing something that would be incredibly obviously to a tech on site. You should send someone out in person and stop losing hair over it.

Face it, there are some things that CAN'T be fixed over the phone. If the guy on site doesn't know wiring... GET ANOTHER GUY ON SITE!! I hate to sound like this, but you can't fix it when you are not there. There are some people that are just not cut out to be techs.

Scott

You may have two devices with the same IP address.

I'm with Zap. Someone is turning on a device with static ip that conflicts, therefore the same device has problem. Offending device turns off or Off line renews and it,s back. Could be somthing else but it sure smells that way. Run into it a lot.
DHCP pool not defined properly??
Could be a printer or POS device not used much.

Like I said above that's what it sounds like to me. If you replaced the cable, jacks and everything that goes with it and then even the device it's not any of those.

Get somebody out there that knows what they are doing.

-Hal

ie: national who's biggest concern in dispatching is lowest cost , competence is secondary

its a bit more work but why not look for local vendors on your own ?

I'm talking about having issues with a data run even after a tech goes out and certifies it, I'm not trying to make a store employee run a new line and terminate ends.

I thoroughly check for IP conflicts, if I don't, I'm fired. I can assure you there aren't any IP address conflicts when it comes to the point where I have to dispatch a technician. If the location is pluggin in a rogue device that's another question and will be impossible to find if they take it out.

The last site with this issue was certified with a Fluke DTX-1800. Others with similar equipment.

I cannot find my own techs because of corporate bureaucracy.

Thanks for the thoughts, but I exhaust all these measures and was hoping for some new ideas.

Certifying is overkill. It's not something that you would do to uncover a problem such as this.

This just goes to show the overall level of competancy at work here. It should be obvious at this late date that this is not a wiring problem. What is it? I dunno, I'm not a CG.

-Hal