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GS108 switch ports don't appear to be working
I have a GS108 switch that doesn't appear to be working correctly anymore. My current setup is this.
Internet (Xfinity) to Modem
Modem (Surfboard 6121) to Switch
Switch to vaious ports in the house.
My problem is that of the 5 ethernet wall jacks in my house, only one will actually allow traffic through it. All the ports are wired the same way with Cat 6 cable with the T568B standard on both ends. I have one running to my router which is giving off a signal and running to a couple of other computers, hard wired, and no issues. If I go to the other ports in the house and plug in either of my laptops (one on Win 7 one on Win10), my Roku 3, or a OnHub router, none of them are able to connect to the internet. The computers state that I don't have the correct protocol installed on my laptops. The Roku and OnHub just state no connection. At one point I had this same setup in a different house. Still had cable internet and all of the same devices and I had no issues with the ports.
In using a network tester, the results came back as Port: Auto. Which in doing some searching and figuring out, it looks like that means Auto MDI-X. The only one that didn't come back as that, is the one my router is hooked up to and that shows as Port: Lan.
I'm curious if anyone out there has any thoughts or ideas or has run into this themselves before. I've been struggling to find a solution for this. I've setup a few of these switches in friends and family's homes without issues. Both on DSL and cable setups. The only factor that I can come up with is that I have Cat6 cable where as they are on 5e.
Hello KRas4,
The GS108 is only a pass-through switch (pure hardware) and is not involved in giving away IP addresses. For your setup, the router is the main source of communication on the LAN (we'll take away the GS108 as a part of the networking equipment and consider it as a client). What you can do to isolate the issue are the following:
- Verify the connection again Modem>Router>Wall Jack.
- Take note that the Modem is responsible for the internet connection, the Router is responsible for translating the internet connection going to the LAN and providing client devices DHCP IP addresses.
- Make sure that every port on the router is working fine, verify this by checking if each device plugged into the ports gets an IP address.
- If this is verified, we'll eliminate the router as an issue here.
- Now, you have 5 wall jacks. (Question here, are these 5 separate wall jacks end-to-end or are they on a patch panel?)
- If they are separate wall jacks, they all need to be plugged into the router.
- If they are on a patch panel, check each end of the wall jack if you can get an IP address.
- If you can get an IP on only one end of the wall jacks this will mean that your router does not give enough IP addresses or there is something wrong with the patch panel.
The GS108 switch only relies to your router, imagine it as just additional ports and does not have the capability to give out IP addresses. Make sure that the wall jack where you plug in the GS108 can give you a connection and an IP.
Thanks,
7 Replies
Hi Kras4,
Welcome to the community! :)
Let's isolate the problem. Kindly answer the questions below:
a. Is the Surfboard 6121 a modem-only device or a combination of modem-router?
b. What is the behavior of the port LED lights on the GS108 switch?
c. Disconnect the GS108 switch from the Surfboard 6121 then connect a PC/laptop directly to the Surfboard 6121, are you able to go online just fine?
I look forward to your response.
Regards,
DaneA
NETGEAR Community TeamThanks for the reply. I didn't see that I had anything so sorry for the late reply. The answers to your questions:
A. Just a modem
B. The port that has the cable from the modem to the switch and the one switch port that is working on the other end, are both blinking (both ports and both lights on each port)
C. Yes I am able to get online just fine.
I also just did another network test on all of my ports yesterday. Each port is now showing as Auto (meaning Auto MDIX). So in my above mention where I sstate that I have a router working, that port is auto. However if I move that router that works on that port to a different port in my house, it no longer works.
Hi KRas4,
Since the GS108 switch is directly connected to the modem, I recommend that you should have a router in between the modem and the GS108 switch. It is because the router will provide private IP addresses to your networking devices so that you can access the internet at the same time.
You already mentioned on your initial post that you have a router wherein it is connected to 1 of the 5 ethernet wall jacks in your house and the devices connected to it can go online just fine. Also, does the 5 ethernet wall jacks connected to one patch panel? If yes, then it would be best that you to connect that router directly to the modem. Then, connect that patch panel to the router so that you if you will conenct any device to any of the 5 ethernet wall jacks, you will be able to go online just fine. You amy aslo conenct the GS108 to one of the ethernet wall jacks to extend your local network giving you extra ports so that you can connect more devices.
Regards,
DaneA
NETGEAR Community Team
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