Is my Netgear switch faulty?

Whiffle

Whiffle

Whiffle

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27 Jul 2009
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386
Hello.

I bought this switch in March of last year:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/NETGEAR-GS208-100UKS-Gigabit-Ethernet-Desktop/dp/B00AFVB41S?th=1

and have had no problems with it - mixture of RPis, desktops and a server/NAS all running fine.

I bought this particular SAT>IP Server:

Sat-IP server Telestar DIGIBIT R1 SAT2IP Umsetzer from Conrad Electronic UK

A few months, but I could not get it to connect to my network, so I sent it back on the basis of it being faulty.

I recently re-ordered the same device and encountered the exact same problems - i.e. it just would not connect to my home network.

I then realised that it had to be something other than the SAT>IP Server.

I experimented with 15 different Cat5e leads (varying lengths and qualities) and not a single one made a difference.

I then tried a very old and very long Cat6 lead and the SAT>IP Server immediately connected.

I asked, on a few forums, whether the SAT>IP Server only worked with Cat6 cable and was told that it should work with just about anything.

I did more testing and tried plugging the SAT>IP directly into my router instead - immediately connected.

By process of elimination, therefore, I realised that it is my switch not playing ball with the SAT>IP server, when used with Cat5e cable.

Do you think it is faulty?

It is an unmanaged switch, so there (as far as I can tell) no options to play with to improve the situation.

What do you guys think?
 
This is very odd behaviour and given the process of elimination I would suggest it is the switch. Thing is, if it is at fault it should be pretty binary and either everything works or doesn't. There's nothing special about that Sat IP server in networking terms.

When you were swapping cables and one worked, is there a chance you changed the port you used on the switch? It could be that one port is faulty and not the whole switch which would explain if other devices seem to be working just fine.
 
It's possible it could be an auto negotiation issue given that every other device works OK with this switch but seems very odd.

I assume you have plugged in a working device in to a port that you have tried the Telestar on that doesn't work?
 
Thank you, both.

I think I am going to have to go back and do some proper methodical testing - thinking back, I am pretty sure that I was testing different leads in different sockets, without really paying attention to consistently using the same one.

I shall have another go, tonight, and report back.

Thanks
 
I did a bit more testing last night.

I unplugged every network device, except for the R1, and tried plugging it into every port with two different (short but high quality) Cat5e cables and it would still not connect.

I then plugged in the router and tried connecting with 1. DHCP 2. giving the R1 a statice IP via the router and 3. giving the R1 a static IP on the device itself.

I then swapped the switch for an old router that I found in my loft and again the R1 immediately connected.

I am really stumped by this - it does seem to be the case that I have two seemingly working devices that just will not place nicely together.

Unmanaged 8-port switches are not super expensive so my options are to potentially buy a different model (a shame, as I particularly like the Netgear) or send it back, under warranty, as it is not working as anticipated.
 
i went off netgear switches a while back after randomly some of the gigabit ports would stop working at gigabit speeds and fall back to 10/100. it happened on a couple of switches so i changed my switches to tp-link which have been faultless so far. this was netgear consumer grade stuff not their business grade switches
 
Seems so strange. You've been methodical in your testing and I can't reach a different conclusion than you have, implausible though it should be. Personally at this point I'd probably suck it up and buy a cheap TP-Link 8 port switch and swap it out.
 
Get another switch. I've seen some odd issues with cheap switches. Had an 8 port switch that one port died on. Stree that, the wrong lights would light up when connecting cables..

Eg, cable into port1 and then port2 would light up :D
 
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