Computer won't connect to internet/network on 40 ft cable...

CPUND97 · Post by **CPUND97** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 4:42 pm

Hello,
I have been lurking for some time now, but have finally decided to register because I am having trouble getting my business partner's computer on our network.
We both connect to a router that is approximately 40-50 ft away. Our goal is to get on the internet and share files. My comp connects to the router, autodetects an IP address, and is lightning fast. My partner's computer, however, will establish a connection (according to the View Network Connection), but on autodetect will not establish an IP address, nor connect to the internet, while on the 40 ft cable.
However, his comp will connect properly when we move it close to the router and use a 5 ft cable instead. My comp works just fine using his cable. Therefore, I think that the length of the cable is part of the issue.
His comp OS is XP home; mine is XP Pro. Do you think this could be an issue?
Both comps are brand new, but the router (with two other comps on it) is a few years old. However, I reiterate that my brand new comp has no problem under the same circumstances as my partner's comp.
Dell support was of little help ("try turning off the router, then turn it on again"). We had a networking guy in here but he couldn't figure it out, either. I've been scouting around and it seems like a repeater may help increase the signal to the comp... but there's no excuse for having a problem witha 40 ft cable.
Do any of you have any ideas?
Thanks; I really appreciate it!

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 4:56 pm

I'd make up another cable, we have had problems with NICs that are a little 'sloppy' in the jack. Try flexing the lock tab slightly away from the plug head to see if it will get a better hold in the NIC jack.

CPUND97 · Post by **CPUND97** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 6:12 pm

Thanks, but it still doesn't seem to work.
One thing I neglected to mention, when I change the Link Speed and Duplex under Network Connection Properties to 100Mbps or Autodetect, I get "A Network Cable is Unplugged" message. When I reduce the speed to 10 Mbps, I get an enabled connection but one that won't establish an IP address.

Truggy · Post by **Truggy** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 6:29 pm

The length of the cord should have no matter, my length of my cord from my router to my computer is damn near 100 feet. Only cause it has to go across a room, up a floor,
then across that room

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Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:05 pm

CPUND97 wrote:Thanks, but it still doesn't seem to work.
One thing I neglected to mention, when I change the Link Speed and Duplex under Network Connection Properties to 100Mbps or Autodetect, I get "A Network Cable is Unplugged" message. When I reduce the speed to 10 Mbps, I get an enabled connection but one that won't establish an IP address.

What NIC are you using, try setting it to auto detect. Cat 5 is good to 300 feet so 40' is nothing...

Truggy · Post by **Truggy** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:07 pm

your telling me a certain distance between cables might not work?

CPUND97 · Post by **CPUND97** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:29 pm

Truggy wrote:your telling me a certain distance between cables might not work?

Truggy, Thanks for your help...
All I know regarding the length of the cable is:
It should work at 40';
It does not work on either of the 40-50' cables I have (yet another computer does work);
It works at both 6' and 15'.

Raptor, Thanks for your help...
The NIC is an Intel(R) PRO/100 VE. When I set the speed to auto detect, it tells me a network cable is unplugged, the same message I get at 100 Mbps. at 10 Mbps, it senses that the cable is plugged in, but not much else.

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 7:33 pm

Truggy wrote:your telling me a certain distance between cables might not work?

Cat 5 UTP cable is rated for a 300 foot run ( actually a bit more, it is 100 meters), beyond that the loss of signal causes reliability issues, and eventually will not function. It has to do with latency, and line loss...

justsomeguy · Post by **justsomeguy** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 9:49 pm

oh good, finally im not the one with comp problems. anyway does the comp that doesnt work with the longer cable, does it work with the shorter one?

His comp OS is XP home; mine is XP Pro. Do you think this could be an issue?

from what raptor tells me it can depending on the kind of network ur running i think. i dunno, hes the smart one

CPUND97 · Post by **CPUND97** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:28 pm

Thanks, Justsomeguy, the "bad" comp does not work with a longer cord, but does indeed work with a shorter one.

[quote="justsomeguy"]oh good, finally im not the one with comp problems. anyway does the comp that doesnt work with the longer cable, does it work with the shorter one? [quote]

justsomeguy · Post by **justsomeguy** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 10:59 pm

does the "bad" comp's cable a different company or quality as the good one's?

Cat 5 UTP cable is rated for a 300 foot run

is it not rated for whatever?
oh and welcome to the forum!

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Mon Apr 12, 2004 11:54 pm

Did u run the netowrk seyup wizaed under home? XP home has some funky network settings, quite different from 2k or XP Pro

CPUND97 · Post by **CPUND97** » Fri Apr 16, 2004 5:20 pm

I got it to work with a new cable. For whatever reason, the original cable works for one computer but not the other. The original cable is blue, the one that works is grey; does anyone know if there is a difference in the color coding?
Thanks for your help.

Raptor · Post by **Raptor** » Sat Apr 17, 2004 3:32 am

No diference in the color coding, my guess would be one of the selfpenetrating pins on the the rj-45 plug was not quite through, and the transceiver on one of the nics was able to see or generate enough signal through it, and not the other...