Switch Question

[Dianne C. Tillman]

I have a very old 3com switch and the port lights are flashing in unison and the computers running through this switch cannot access the network.  Any ideas as to what the problem might be?  Thanks in advance for your assistance.

[Brian Norman]

old and 3com, I think that says it all... I would unplug everything and reboot. If the lights flash in unison with everything unplugged you are probably out of luck.

Brian

[Dianne C. Tillman]

Yeah, well, that's what I was thinking as well (I think they are the original switches from back around '93 probably? Yeesh....) Just to be clear, when you say unplug everything, do you mean unplug all the patch cables and see if the lights continue flashing? I have already unplugged the switch itself and plugged it back in.

Brian Norman said:

old and 3com, I think that says it all... I would unplug everything and reboot. If the lights flash in unison with everything unplugged you are probably out of luck.

Brian

[Brian Norman]

Unplug the patch cables, then then reboot the switch. I've seen switches go crazy when one patch cable is bad or over the summer a room has been plugged back in incorrectly and the switch is feeding itself.

Dianne C. Tillman said:

Yeah, well, that's what I was thinking as well (I think they are the original switches from back around '93 probably? Yeesh....) Just to be clear, when you say unplug everything, do you mean unplug all the patch cables and see if the lights continue flashing? I have already unplugged the switch itself and plugged it back in.

Brian Norman said:

old and 3com, I think that says it all... I would unplug everything and reboot. If the lights flash in unison with everything unplugged you are probably out of luck.

Brian

[Randy Dahl]

I know all about some one pluging in a loop into your switch not good, it can bring you're network to halt. Is it a switch if it's that old? I bet it's a hub, not a switch. Can the computers that are plugged into it see each other? if you have DHCP running you would have to give each one a IP address and then see if they can talk to each other.

[Dianne C. Tillman]

It is a switch, not a hub. It isn't as old as I thought. We have static IP addresses. How do I identify a loop? Is it a cable that goes from one port in the switch to another port in the switch?

Randy Dahl said:

I know all about some one pluging in a loop into your switch not good, it can bring you're network to halt. Is it a switch if it's that old? I bet it's a hub, not a switch. Can the computers that are plugged into it see each other? if you have DHCP running you would have to give each one a IP address and then see if they can talk to each other.

[Dianne C. Tillman]

So I will unplug all the patch cables, reboot the switch and then plug all the patch cables back into the switch and see what happens. Thanks.

Brian Norman said:

Unplug the patch cables, then then reboot the switch. I've seen switches go crazy when one patch cable is bad or over the summer a room has been plugged back in incorrectly and the switch is feeding itself.

Dianne C. Tillman said:

Yeah, well, that's what I was thinking as well (I think they are the original switches from back around '93 probably? Yeesh....) Just to be clear, when you say unplug everything, do you mean unplug all the patch cables and see if the lights continue flashing? I have already unplugged the switch itself and plugged it back in.

Brian Norman said:

old and 3com, I think that says it all... I would unplug everything and reboot. If the lights flash in unison with everything unplugged you are probably out of luck.

Brian

[Brian Norman]

Dianne C. Tillman said:

It is a switch, not a hub. It isn't as old as I thought. We have static IP addresses. How do I identify a loop? Is it a cable that goes from one port in the switch to another port in the switch?

Randy Dahl said:

I know all about some one pluging in a loop into your switch not good, it can bring you're network to halt. Is it a switch if it's that old? I bet it's a hub, not a switch. Can the computers that are plugged into it see each other? if you have DHCP running you would have to give each one a IP address and then see if they can talk to each other.

Possibly, or more likely a patch cable in a classroom that has been plugged into both jacks, creating a loop.

[Dianne C. Tillman]

Okay. I will check it all out. Thanks.

Brian Norman said:

Dianne C. Tillman said:

It is a switch, not a hub. It isn't as old as I thought. We have static IP addresses. How do I identify a loop? Is it a cable that goes from one port in the switch to another port in the switch?

Randy Dahl said:

I know all about some one pluging in a loop into your switch not good, it can bring you're network to halt. Is it a switch if it's that old? I bet it's a hub, not a switch. Can the computers that are plugged into it see each other? if you have DHCP running you would have to give each one a IP address and then see if they can talk to each other.

Possibly, or more likely a patch cable in a classroom that has been plugged into both jacks, creating a loop.

[Randy Dahl]

that's what happened to me, Janitor saw a cable hanging from the wall and pluged it into the 2nd port. Walking buy and not seeing the complete cable it looks OK. Try what Brian suggested. or unplug one cable at a time until the lights quit flickering. then you'll know the one that is bad.

Brian Norman said:

Dianne C. Tillman said:

It is a switch, not a hub. It isn't as old as I thought. We have static IP addresses. How do I identify a loop? Is it a cable that goes from one port in the switch to another port in the switch?

Randy Dahl said:

I know all about some one pluging in a loop into your switch not good, it can bring you're network to halt. Is it a switch if it's that old? I bet it's a hub, not a switch. Can the computers that are plugged into it see each other? if you have DHCP running you would have to give each one a IP address and then see if they can talk to each other.

Possibly, or more likely a patch cable in a classroom that has been plugged into both jacks, creating a loop.

[Dianne C. Tillman]

I unplugged each of the patch cables on the switch. As I unplugged each one, the light for that port went off. When all the patch cables were unplugged, all the port lights were off. I then rebooted the switch. I plugged the cables back in and the lights came back on, flashing in unison once again. Ugh.

Dianne C. Tillman said:

So I will unplug all the patch cables, reboot the switch and then plug all the patch cables back into the switch and see what happens. Thanks.

Brian Norman said:

Unplug the patch cables, then then reboot the switch. I've seen switches go crazy when one patch cable is bad or over the summer a room has been plugged back in incorrectly and the switch is feeding itself.

Dianne C. Tillman said:

Yeah, well, that's what I was thinking as well (I think they are the original switches from back around '93 probably? Yeesh....) Just to be clear, when you say unplug everything, do you mean unplug all the patch cables and see if the lights continue flashing? I have already unplugged the switch itself and plugged it back in.

Brian Norman said:

old and 3com, I think that says it all... I would unplug everything and reboot. If the lights flash in unison with everything unplugged you are probably out of luck.

Brian

[Randy Dahl]

How many ports are on this switch. HP has 1g 24 ports switch for 300ish.

Dianne C. Tillman said:

I unplugged each of the patch cables on the switch. As I unplugged each one, the light for that port went off. When all the patch cables were unplugged, all the port lights were off. I then rebooted the switch. I plugged the cables back in and the lights came back on, flashing in unison once again. Ugh.

Dianne C. Tillman said:

So I will unplug all the patch cables, reboot the switch and then plug all the patch cables back into the switch and see what happens. Thanks.

Brian Norman said:

Unplug the patch cables, then then reboot the switch. I've seen switches go crazy when one patch cable is bad or over the summer a room has been plugged back in incorrectly and the switch is feeding itself.

Dianne C. Tillman said:

Yeah, well, that's what I was thinking as well (I think they are the original switches from back around '93 probably? Yeesh....) Just to be clear, when you say unplug everything, do you mean unplug all the patch cables and see if the lights continue flashing? I have already unplugged the switch itself and plugged it back in.

Brian Norman said:

old and 3com, I think that says it all... I would unplug everything and reboot. If the lights flash in unison with everything unplugged you are probably out of luck.

Brian

[Dianne C. Tillman]

It is a 48 port switch. We were hoping to wait until the end of this next school year and then replace all four switches...perhaps that will happen sooner.....
$300 you say?