Strange network issue

KTRIC

I introduced a gigabite switch to my home network over the christmas. Since then I've had a problem with my Playstation (10/100) lan connection via Devolo 200AV homeplugs

The PS3 is connected to a 200AV homeplug (essentially a 10/100 ethernet bridge) to my gigabite switch. The switch is connected to my DSL router for internet access.

Basically a couple of days after the switch was introduced the PS lost its connection to my Linkstation whilst I was watching a Divx movie

I tried everything I knew , cabling was fine, no ports blocked anywhere and tried the PS ethernet cable with my laptop , no problems.

I was short of calling PS support but decided to try another day (yes day :mad:) of troubleshooting the issue. I work in IT support and am fairly stubburn when it comes to coms issues being resolved.

Today I changed the cable from the PS to the homeplug with one that I know is only CAT 5 and HEY PRESTO it worked

Anyone care to shed some light on what might be happening ?? I have a feeling it could be the cable supplied with the homeplug, but cables don't just fail do they ??

ressem

Well cables can just fail, especially patch cables which are pushed around in a living room environment.

But in this case I'd guess that it's to do with the gigabit switch trying to autonegotiate (compulsary with gigabit devices) and choosing too high a rate over the old cable, which might have degraded or be a poor quality cable in the first place.

http://www.ethermanage.com/ethernet/100quickref/ch13qr_9.html#HEADING8

ethernet

What happens when you just do:

PS3 to homeplug, other homeplug to router; all working?

KTRIC

ethernet wrote: »

What happens when you just do:

PS3 to homeplug, other homeplug to router; all working?

Ok if I do this

PS3 - (original homeplug cable) - homeplug

Homeplug - (original homeplug cable) - router

I have to set the PS3 to 10/100 mode instead of auto and then it disconnects after a few minutes or doesn't connect at all

ressem

It's a little difficult to diagnose in detail with just a PS3, and as Homeplugs are not routers you can't just ping them or connect to an inbuilt web server.

I do think that it's down to the cable, and it would usually be one of the first things that I'd check using a gigabit laptop's network software and gigabit switch if I did not have a proper tester available.
As the weblink below describes it's possible to have a bad connection while having link and autonegotiation showing OK.

If you're going to try diagnosing further, presumably you need to set the network settings to the lowest possible values.
Does the PS3 give the option of switching to half duplex 10 Mbit?

KTRIC

Just tried a couple of other cables of differents lenghts and standards and they all work fine. Strange as it is the original cable just failed

It doesn't work at all now.

Ah well. A quick nip into the coms room at work tomorrow when no-ones looking and I'll pick myself up some nice new ones

Thanks for the advice lads.

Ruaidhri

Is it possible you were using a cat 5 cable, and the replacement is cat 5e/6? Cat 5 has a lower bandwidth (range of frequencies it can handle, rather than "capacity") and cat 5e and above have the required b/w for Gbit.

Might also be bad quality cable / connectors / the '200AV homeplug' being funky / strong solar flares

Basically, it's quite hard to diagnose a cable issue without a cable tester.

sunnysoutheast

Hi

I've got a similar issue with the devolo homeplug AV adapters - they work for a length of time (c. 15mins) and then drop. Flicking the switch sets everything up again but they drop again, at variable intervals between 2-10 minutes. I've swapped cables, tried different ring circuits, everything. There's nothing wrong with the router or the wireless (other than signal quality).

This is my final test - the units are plugged into either side of a double socket and I'm sitting in the garage! If they drop now they're going back!

Has anyone heard of similar issues? Is it overheating or something I wonder?

SSE

PS Devolo's tech support reply was a work of art in itself

ZygOte

KTRIC wrote: »

Just tried a couple of other cables of differents lenghts and standards and they all work fine. Strange as it is the original cable just failed

It doesn't work at all now.

Ah well. A quick nip into the coms room at work tomorrow when no-ones looking and I'll pick myself up some nice new ones

Thanks for the advice lads.

have a look at the homeplug cable does it have all eight cables in it (inside the rj45 connector), homeplug and other powerline variants do not run at 100mb they often average around 14-80ish mb depending on the make/model. Something ive seen some manufacturers do it no fully load their "cat5" cables with all the cables required to fully run a connection at 100mb FD or above sometimes they can only be run at 10mb and lots of networking equipement does not like these pin configurations. its also very possible that you got dodgy cables with the device (probably most likley) it happens all the time, mass produced cheap materials poor build quality etc it incredibly common with bundled cables with devices like this. i wouldnt dwell on it too much just grab some cables from work like you said, just dont let the techies see you unless you are one there. we dont take kind to non techies pinching our stuff!!

KTRIC

ZygOte wrote: »

i wouldnt dwell on it too much just grab some cables from work like you said, just dont let the techies see you unless you are one there. we dont take kind to non techies pinching our stuff!!

I fixed this by replacing the cables a while after my first post. I thought I updated the thread.

By the way, I'm one of the techies and its my Comm's room

MickyJoe

I put a pair of the basic Devolo homeplugs into a house where WLAN was not giving a reliable connection.

After a while the connection to the router was being dropped and found that disconnecting then reconnecting the network cable between the router and homeplug adapter got things working again.