GS108 - does it matter where to position in network?

Hi All

I'm new to the forum and cant see anything similar to my issue - so this is more a question of where to go for help rather than a solution ( although that would be great if this is a simple problem) and I must apologize in advance for my limited networking skills, please let me know if I am doing something that doesn't make sense.

My setup is ....

Broadband via a CBN Cable Modem coming in to a point at the front of the house. This has Wifi and also runs via Cat6 to a Comms panel in the laundry room and then cables from there to the rest of the house. This worked fine to connect 2 wired devices. ( 2 cables from modem into wall ports to comms panel in laundry room and 2 connections from comms panel to wall sockets in the rest of the house.

I want to connect more devices over the wired connection and was advised to get a switch ( Netgear GS108) for the laundry room. The Comms panel I mention is just a set of ports in a cabinet on the wall, no power or anything

So...

Modem to Comms Panel to TV works fine; Modem to Netgear to Comms Panel to TV works; . BUT Modem to Comms Panel to Netgear to TV Does not work, no lights on the Netgear. I need this last option to work as all the room cables terminate in the laundry room so have been advised I need the switch in there ?

Any advice greatly appreciated !

Installation

Troubleshooting

PF1
Aug 25, 2016
JohnRo

So the electrician came back and as predicted it was an issue with the wiring in the patch panel. Each jack in the panel was wired incorrectly but was consistently incorrect so when I just patched port 1 to say port 2 in the patch panel this worked ( a case of double negative or two wrongs making a right so to speak).

When I connected the Netgear directtly to port1 in the patch panel it did not work. He had to rewire each port in the panel to standard RJ45 configuration and all was fine.

I now have the switch feeding wired internet to 6 rooms in my house via the patch panel so the issue is closed

Thanks for you support!!

Paul

6 Replies

JohnRo
NETGEAR Employee Retired
Aug 16, 2016
Hello PF1,

Welcome to the community!

The switch should be placed behind your DHCP server. I am not sure how your comms panel work, does it have a model number or a brand name?

Thanks,
- PF1
  Aspirant
  Aug 19, 2016
  JohnRo
  
  Thanks for getting in touch ( and sorry for the tardy reply, we are moving in to this new house ).
  
  It is just a patch panel but it appears from the little investigation I have done since asking the question is that the patch panel is wired differently to the stand RJ45 jacks. The switch works everywhere in the house EXCEPT if I plug it directly into the patch panel.
  
  I have tried my laptop too - works at all wall sockets connected to the internet but not if I directly plug it in to the patch panel.
  
  What got me was if I plug my internet into the wall going to Port1 in panel and then cable port1 in the panel dircetly to Port 2 ( loop on the patch panel) then Port 2 on the wall will work ( beacuse the patch panel is wired consistently but consistently wrong the ins and outs cancel)
  
  I think this is it.... I have asked the guy who wired the box to come have a look.
  
  Thanks again
  Paul
  - JohnRo
    NETGEAR Employee Retired
    Aug 19, 2016
    Hi Paul,
    
    Alright. That was a nice isolation. Come back to this thread and give us an update once they have a look on the patch panel. I'll look forward to your update. :)
    
    Thanks,