Ethernet On/Off Switch

anthonyjmaher

Hi guys,

I'm looking for something like this.



It basically turns off the Ethernet connection with a button. I want to use it on site to test failover. I cant get this one in Ireland and havent had any luck with finding anything similar.

Anybody seen anything like this on the shelf or on a website? (That one in the image is only available from a Chinese website that don't appear to ship to here).

thanks.

my3cents

Just add an old switch into the equation and pull the power on the switch when you want drop the connection.

You could even use an old Eircom broadband router and plug your internet and computer into two of the 4 ports of the built in switch.

Johnboy1951

Would it be so difficult to just withdraw the cable from its socket?

Alun

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Would it be so difficult to just withdraw the cable from its socket?

That's what I thought too. If you can get to the socket to install an extra patch cable to install a switch like that, you can pull the plug just as easily.

Johnboy1951

Alun wrote: »

That's what I thought too. If you can get to the socket to install an extra patch cable to install a switch like that, you can pull the plug just as easily.

If it is difficulty of access then a simple joiner would suffice and pull the cable from it.

my3cents

tbh on my desk unplugging a cable and then plugging it back in again is a bit of a pain but one it would be easy enough with one of those horrible cross talk inducing extender plugs wired in on the desk.

With a managed switch you could even create a script on another system to block the port at the click of an icon. Most routers would also allow you to block traffic from specific mac addresses etc so there are plenty of ways to make the problem harder than necessary

anthonyjmaher

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

Would it be so difficult to just withdraw the cable from its socket?

I hear what you are saying John, but this test will need to be carried out by a non IT person, so I'm conscious that they could snap off the tab or not plug it in properly. I want to make it as simple as possible.

I will just be using an RJ45 Coupler if I can't find anything better.

Johnboy1951

my3cents wrote: »

tbh on my desk unplugging a cable and then plugging it back in again is a bit of a pain but one it would be easy enough with one of those horrible cross talk inducing extender plugs wired in on the desk.

With a managed switch you could even create a script on another system to block the port at the click of an icon. Most routers would also allow you to block traffic from specific mac addresses etc so there are plenty of ways to make the problem harder than necessary

But in this case it is to be used "on site to test failover" and not something that requires permanent use, or access from a desk.

anthonyjmaher

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

But in this case it is to be used "on site to test failover" and not something that requires permanent use, or access from a desk.

The idea is that I have an instruction document that says "press the button on the LAN block to the off position". As opposed to "you see the coupler, the white yoke cable tied to the rail. Well push in on the tab carefully, then pull the cable out." I don't really want somebody pulling at the tab in case they break it. We have to roll this out to about ten sites so I want to make it as easy as possible.

But it looks like there is nothing available that will do this for me so I may just have to use the coupler.

my3cents

anthonyjmaher wrote: »

The idea is that I have an instruction document that says "press the button on the LAN block to the off position". As opposed to "you see the coupler, the white yoke cable tied to the rail. Well push in on the tab carefully, then pull the cable out." I don't really want somebody pulling at the tab in case they break it. We have to roll this out to about ten sites so I want to make it as easy as possible.

But it looks like there is nothing available that will do this for me so I may just have to use the coupler.

Can't you just do it in software and have a script to block everything on the computers firewall or even enable/disable the relevant ethernet port(s)? You might even have a proxy server or managed switch that could do the same thing?

Johnboy1951

anthonyjmaher wrote: »

The idea is that I have an instruction document that says "press the button on the LAN block to the off position". As opposed to "you see the coupler, the white yoke cable tied to the rail. Well push in on the tab carefully, then pull the cable out." I don't really want somebody pulling at the tab in case they break it. We have to roll this out to about ten sites so I want to make it as easy as possible.

But it looks like there is nothing available that will do this for me so I may just have to use the coupler.

I did not expect completely untrained persons (or those completely unfamiliar with ethernet cabling) to be doing the fail-over testing on site.

As for where to get a similar unit like you posted I only found a Japanese supplier
http://www2.elecom.co.jp/cable/accessory/ld-datablock01/index.asp?view=default

not much use I guess.

my3cents

Just a quick point on those cable connectors and probably that switch unit. They can and often do introduce a lot of cross-talk and slow the connection down, I doubt they are compatible with gigabit connections. Anyway if you are using them do some sort of speed test to check they aren't causing problems.

anthonyjmaher

my3cents wrote: »

Just a quick point on those cable connectors and probably that switch unit. They can and often do introduce a lot of cross-talk and slow the connection down, I doubt they are compatible with gigabit connections. Anyway if you are using them do some sort of speed test to check they aren't causing problems.

Yeah I thought about that too. The last thing I would want to do would be to introduce something that would reduce the speed of the line. I will try it on our own connection here first and make sure that whatever I introduce has no adverse affect on the speed of the connection.

Big Lar

Would you not put a regular 5 port switch into the line and have your non techie person turn off the power to the switch when you need to disable the ethernet

anthonyjmaher

Yeah it was another option that I certainly looked at. It was suggested on every other similar thread I found on the topic.

bonzodog2

If you right click on one of your connections in Control Panel\Network and Internet\Network Connections (thats in Win7), you'll have the Disable option. When disabled, you'll have Enable

anthonyjmaher

Just an update on this.

I got an RJ45 coupler from Power City, and inserted it between the sonicwall and the F2000 and it still says that it is connected at 1Gbps speed, so there does not seem to be any issue with significant noise being introduced by the coupler.

On a side note, the amount of cables that they have in Power City is ridiculous. I was surprised as they had cables that I was looking for in PC world but they did not have.

degsie

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhFKb8b_UAY