[mythtv-users] Zotac IONITX-B-E Network Issues

[Brian Wood]

On Sunday 10 January 2010 09:17:23 am Greg Grotsky wrote:
> On Sun, Jan 10, 2010 at 6:59 AM, Ramon Redondo <malinon at gmail.com> wrote:
> >  I know you've already RMA'd it, but did you check your ethernet cable?
> > When I first started using gigabit ethernet I found that some cards were
> > less forgiving than others when the cable was questionable.  If you get a
> > new box and it still has a problem, you'll probably want to look there.
> 
> Thanks Ramon,
> 
> Actually, I did check the cable... it was straight through (pin-for-pin)
>  and all the wires touched the end of the plug on both ends.  I checked it
>  because I thought exactly what you thought.  Someone recently told me that
>  it's part of the gigabit-ethernet spec that the gigabit device detect
>  crossover/straight cables and work with both no matter what.  I haven't
>  checked this on my gigabit devices.  Really the only other thing I could
>  blame it on is the driver, and it's the same driver that all you guys are
>  using: forceware.

I'd also suggest that a visual inspection is not sufficient, you need to make an 
electrical test of the cable, and make sure that the proper "natural pairs" 
are used properly, merely having continuity does not prove the cable is 
"good", you might have split pairs, or even shorts between conductors that 
would not show up in a simple continuity test, after all, if all the 
conductors were connected to each other you would have "good" continuity.

Probably the easiest way to test a cable is by substitution with a known good 
one.