POE Network cable connection issue - maybe length of cable

[markharro]

I have an odd issue - I recently terminated one of my longest cables that runs half the house length and then into the drive to feed an eventual PoE camera. One end is plugged into the POE switch and as I have yet to buy the camera I am installing I have plugged in a couple of things to test the connection - an AP and another camera. Both are powered using POE. All the kit is Ubiquiti. When I plug them in they light up as expected but then they dont show up properly in the App. The camera doesnt show footage and the AP doesnt show as connected. WHen I use both bit of hardware elsewhere in the house they do work.

 

I have tested the cable with a tester and it shows all 8 lights flashing in order for a good test so the cable and terminations looks good.

 

WHat could the issue be - its CAT6 cable and I thought that was good for long runs and its not even that this is a really massive cable run? thanks

[joth]

Do you have any non PoE device you can plug in there to test the data connection on its own?

Have you tried different switch ports or poe injector? Presumably you're using the exact same port as works when used on a shorter run. Just how long are we talking?

 

If there's a poor quality termination then it can pass the light flash test but not work at speed. A professional cable tester will give signal quality reading for a cable too.

 

[garrymartin]

29 minutes ago, joth said:

Do you have any non PoE device you can plug in there to test the data connection on its own?

 

That would be my first guess - the cable termination is passing power but not data.

 

The other thing to be aware of is that there are different PoE standards and power levels, and they can be affected by cable length, but I would expect "half the house length" to pose any significant issue to any of them.

[Alan Ambrose]

Maybe double check that the lights run correctly in sequence - otherwise agree with the others - test data only and/or re-terminate.

[markharro]

Thanks for everyones suggestions. I have connected a laptop and it is not showing an internet connection so as people are saying it seems that data is not flowing. Its very weird as all lights show in sequence when testing. 

The switch is a 500w 48 socket Ubiquiti 

Will need to think of some more trouble shooting to try

[garrymartin]

What sort of tester are you using Mark? Are you using the correct "port" in the connector for the standard you have wired to? What connection standard are you using (568A,568B) and is it matched to all the other cabling in use?

[markharro]

Hi Garry - I forget now if its A or B but this has thrown up something to check...have I wired the plugs the wrong way around!? I will have a look tomorrow!

[Alan Ambrose]

Believe they’re always B for some reason.

[garrymartin]

21 minutes ago, markharro said:

Hi Garry - I forget now if its A or B but this has thrown up something to check...have I wired the plugs the wrong way around!? I will have a look tomorrow!

It's not so important that they are A or B (but they should really be B), only that both ends follow the same standard. If you've wired one end as 568A and the other as 568B then I think (been a while and this is from memory) that you'd get PoE but data pins would be reversed and would not work. Of course, you'd have to plug the cables into the wrong ports on a tester too, but that's my best guess at this point.

[MikeSharp01]

8 hours ago, garrymartin said:

It's not so important that they are A or B (but they should really be B)

Because A is the telephone network standard and B is the Network standard. In the end though as long as both ends are wired the same it will work it's just 'not the done thing'. Get a decent push down tool is my best advice as the cheaper ones don't do the stub cutting well , and there can be RF implications if they are not cut cleanly - although I doubt this is the problem being discussed here, in my experience.

[Post and beam]

12 hours ago, markharro said:

switch is a 500w 48 socket Ubiquiti 

If the port is not passing data even on a very short cable then is the port shut down. It sounds like its more than just a home office switch, where did it come from and is it second user?

[Alan Ambrose]

Assume you’ve tried with an off-the-shelf pre-formed network cable?

[markharro]

Gary you were right - one plug I wired in reverse. Chopped it off and put on a new one and problem solved. Thanks for all the help in fixing what was an annoying problem

[garrymartin]

1 hour ago, markharro said:

Gary you were right - one plug I wired in reverse. Chopped it off and put on a new one and problem solved. Thanks for all the help in fixing what was an annoying problem

Great news. Glad you got it sorted.