<div dir="ltr">Thought I'd post a follow-up to this message... We got lucky and were able to borrow a decent fluke to test a sample of the questionable runs. Many devices on this brand new network were experiencing various complex issues that might be attributable to network errors. These particular horizontal runs were questionable because the devices were auto-negotiating at speeds below 1Gb and the primary goal was to determine if the physical layer was the likely cause or if these were auto-negotiation issues that might require forcing the ports. I have no direct access to the network switches at this location and must rely on 2nd hand information for switch configuration and logs... in this case I'm informed but cannot verify no line errors were reported.<div>
<br></div><div style>To Mr. Harvey's suggestion:</div><div style>1. These devices were already not auto-negotiating to 1Gb. Putting a different NIC on each end only tells me that particular combination can auto-negotiate and does not confirm the reason the required devices are having issues isn't physical layer. A particular combination of chipsets may very well succeed where another fails when cable doesn't meet spec. Also, a physical layer problem might be experienced intermittently if the cabling is at the edge of 'working', a proper test suite should give vastly superior data.</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>2. Expecting a cabling contractor to return and remediate cables at their own expense will not happen with EIA/TIA based testing. Cabling contractors contracts are written to these specs and giving them evidence of issues that does not include testing to these specs will not result in a productive conversation, just a large bill. There are only a hundred or two runs that need to be checked on this site but consider the cost of a pair of union contractors in a major city testing and remediating a hundred cables... I would anticipate a cost of at least $100/cable if not more. No contractor will provide $10k+ of labor for free without good reason to believe their contract requires it.</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>3. In some large distributed enterprises, one cannot have access to everything directly and must coordinate and work with data provided by another group in that enterprise and sometimes those other groups choose be less helpful than is ideal. This particular project is part of a $2B construction project in a government sized entity on sovereign ground. The nature of that beast requires very careful handling and working to a particular and contracted spec is exceedingly important.</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>Your suggestion implies the inverse. Would you accept a pair of laptops passing some packets as an adequate cable test report on new horizontal cabling? I sure wouldn't... EIA/TIA specs are there for a reason.</div>
<div style><br></div><div style>FWIW, the sample testing I did showed the vast majority of the questionable runs fail cat 6 spec testing.</div><div style><br></div><div style>Thanks, Jon</div></div><div class="gmail_extra">
<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Fri, May 31, 2013 at 3:16 PM, Edward Ned Harvey (bblisa4) <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:bblisa4@nedharvey.com" target="_blank">bblisa4@nedharvey.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
> From: Bob Webber [mailto:<a href="mailto:webber@panix.com">webber@panix.com</a>]<br>
<div class="im">><br>
> If that's your idea of reasonable test gear, it's not surprising that you think<br>
> that you need access to both ends of the cable and that using two laptops is<br>
> better than using proper test equipment.<br>
<br>
</div>I am telling you, after the contractors used professional equipment, it's not uncommon that I still find problems, and the most reliable way to test it is in fact with ethernet cards. Because that's what you care about using anyway.<br>
<div class="im"><br>
<br>
> Will you please do everybody a favour, and particularly do your own<br>
> reputation a favour, and stop posting about network subjects on this list?<br>
</div>> *snip*<br>
<br>
The personal attack is not only complete bullshit, also completely inappropriate and not permitted on this list. Go back under your bridge.<br>
</blockquote></div><br></div>