Setting Up TC with Linksys Switch (EG008W)

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Setting Up TC with Linksys Switch (EG008W)

This is my first post. I just installed a 1TB Time Capsule (TC) and I am trying to integrate it into my existing wired house network. I have successfully connected the TC to my cable modem and directly to my iMac and can get to the internet directly connected to TC and via TC wireless. I am now trying to connect the rest of my Cat5 wired house to the TC via a Lniksys unmanaged switch (model EG008W). I have connected the switch to one of the open TC ethernet port but do not get a green light on the TC or switch for that port like I do for the others and downstream computers connected on the other side of the Linksys switch can't connect to the internet. Any ideas on what I am doing wrong?

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.2)

Posted on Jan 2, 2010 1:33 PM

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Answer 1

Tesserax

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Jan 2, 2010 1:46 PM in response to mcduffstuff

Hello mcduffstuff. Welcome to the Apple Discussions!

Does your Linksys Ethernet switch employ an Uplink port? If so, be sure to run the Ethernet patch cable between the TC's LAN port and this port on the Linksys.

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Answer 2

mcduffstuff Author

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Jan 2, 2010 3:27 PM in response to Tesserax

No, this is an unmanaged 8-port switch with no uplink port. The switch instructions show all ports equal allowing router, PC, or other ethernet enabled device to be plugged into any port.

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Answer 3

Bob Timmons

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Jan 2, 2010 4:29 PM in response to mcduffstuff

Here are a few suggestions:

Disconnect the ethernet cable at the switch from the TC and instead temporarily connect it to your laptop or computer. Turn off wireless on your computer and check to see if you can get a good internet connection. If you can, you know the long ethernet cable from the TC to the switch is good and connections are good.

If you can't, go back to the TC and test the LAN port on the TC with a short ethernet cable connected to your computer to see if you can get a connection that way. If you can, then you know there is a poor/incorrect connection in the long ethernet cable that runs from the TC to the switch. Check your wiring very carefully on the RJ45 connectors.

When you are sure that the long ethernet cable is providing a good signal, power down the entire network. Power up modem first for a few minutes, then power up the TC for a few minutes, then power up the switch for a few minutes and finally your computers.

Any luck?

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Answer 4

mcduffstuff Author

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Jan 2, 2010 7:39 PM in response to Bob Timmons

Well, some luck. I had called my self methodically checking all cables to narrow down the problem prior to your recommendation. However, I tried as you suggested. What I found was that when I disconnected the ethernet cable at the switch and hooked it directly into my laptop it did not work. I tried several cables that I knew to work and other ports to no avail. This configuration was TC to House wiring (long distance) to laptop. I then hooked the laptop directly to an open TC port via short cable and all worked fine. I then connected the TC via short cable to switch and switch via short cable to laptop. This too worked which suggested the problem is in my house wiring. While this is plausable it doesn't seem to make sense because these are the same cables I have successfully been using with my previous router that I was replacing. Further, when I then connected TC to switch via short cable and switch to house wires (long cable) and house wires to computer this worked too. This makes me wonder if the length of the cable from the TC to the switch is the issue as the house cabling is long. As I said though the TC to switch via short cable then switch via house network (long cable) to computer did work. I know this is confusing, but does this make any sense to you?

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Answer 5

Tesserax

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Jan 2, 2010 9:09 PM in response to mcduffstuff

I'm going to have to go with the cable length as well. CAT5 Ethernet has a 100 m (328 ft) limit. The combination of multiple Ethernet patch cables, connectors, and using your house circuitry (I assume you are using Powerline adapters ... correct?) is making length very suspect to be the culprit.

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Answer 6

mcduffstuff Author

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Jan 2, 2010 9:23 PM in response to Tesserax

When I referred to my house wiring I should have been more explicit. My house cabling is all dedicated Cat5 wiring. None of the wiring should be more than the 100m limit as I was aware of that as well. Still it has worked for 10 years with other routers and devices, curious why the TC doesn't work the same.

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Answer 7

Tesserax

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Jan 2, 2010 9:29 PM in response to mcduffstuff

Well, it might be possible that the TC's built-in Ethernet switch is faulty. I assume that you tried each of its LAN ports just to be sure.

FWIW, I currently have an 802.11n AirPort Extreme Base Station (AEBSn) as my main router. Like your TC, it feeds into a (Cisco) 8-port Ethernet switch to provide Ethernet for my house. In turn, I have a number of additional switches attached to some of these circuits to support multiple wired clients or wireless access points. I not had any issues with this arrangement.

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Answer 8

Bob Timmons

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Jan 2, 2010 9:47 PM in response to mcduffstuff

I'm not sure if CAT5 will support Gigabit ethernet over your longer runs. Gigabit ethernet really requires CAT5e or CAT6 cabling to reach maximum speeds. Your former equipment was probably fast ethernet or 10-100, which will actually still work with a few crossed wires and a poor connection or two. But, there's really no margin for error with Gigabit ethernet connections. Your current wiring will work, but you may not be able to reach Gigabit speeds.

Might be worth it and more to have an experienced wire guy come out to test continuity and replace worn connectors and jacks. Could save a lot of headaches later.

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Answer 9

Tesserax

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Jan 2, 2010 10:29 PM in response to mcduffstuff

Two more things came to mind:

1) Typically, you want to use a crossover cable between switches ... especially ones that don't employ uplink ports. I suggest re-reading the manufacturer's documentation that came with your switch to see if their switch was designed to not require MDI/MDI-X crossover cables. I'm pretty sure the Linksys EG008W supports this ... so this shouldn't be an issue.

2) If you want Gigabit bandwidth, regardless of which cable (CAT5, 5e, or 6) that you use, all four pairs (8 connectors) will be required. Some homes, with pre-built in CAT5, also employ running both LAN & Telephony, over CAT5, by installing dual-use outlet plates. If yours is wired this way it would be considered non-standard ... and Gigabit Ethernet will NOT work. In fact, you could cause equipment damage with this arrangement if you try to deploy Gigabit as Telephony runs power (up to 150 volts) over one of these pairs.

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Answer 10

Mar 22, 2010 6:16 AM in response to mcduffstuff

I am having the same problem, with the same switch. All my wiring is cat5e and works fine when I hook everything up using linksys routers and switches. Its when I decided to use my TimeCapsule as the DHCP router, seems the TimeCapsule will not pass out IP address's outside the ethernet ports.

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