AirFiber 24 Ethernet port erros

[sundial]

We hare having problems with WISP switches and AirFiber 24. After power outages the WISP switch comes up first and then the AirFiber. The link on the WISP switch will start accumulating errors which then may or may not stop by unplugging/replugging the Ethernet cable. If unplugging/replugging the Ethernet cable doesn't fix the issue, rebooting the WISP switch fixes the issue.

Firmware AF.v3.2 and switch version 1.4.7
Esperiencing this problem with WS-12-250-AC and WS-6-MINI

[sirhc]

Well simple diagnostic skills are important:

Possible causes:
Port in switch got damaged possibly from ground current?
Port in AF got damaged possibly from ground current?
Cable or Ends?

To see if it is a port in the switch simply move the AF to another port. If the problem follows the cable to the new port it is probably not the switch port.

What's left is bad or damaged port in AF or Cable.

Check all ends and clean any dirt and re insert all ends.
At this point you are down to replacing cable or swapping AF unit.

If it is the AF Ethernet port the good news is RF Armor now offer AF repairs: viewtopic.php?f=21&t=2827#p19482


If after switching to a new switch port the problem remains and if you swap cable then your down to AF Ethernet port damage most likely from Ground Current.

Ground current is the #2 cause of damage to WISP Equipment. Ethernet Surge protector are useless against ground current.

#1 damage we repair on AF / MIMOSA / And other equipment is GROUND CURRENT where the Ethernet Transformer or PHY is blown. Sometimes ESD protection diodes.

Here are some good posts on grounding:
http://forum.netonix.com/viewtopic.php? ... 279#p19279
http://forum.netonix.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1816
http://forum.netonix.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=188
http://forum.netonix.com/viewtopic.php? ... =30#p13447
http://forum.netonix.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=1429

[sundial]

Only happens with AF24. Mikrotik hAP, SXT, and DynaDish as well as Uniquiti Nanostation, Nanobeam, and AirGateway do not experience this problem although they are plugged into the same switches. Netonix to Netonix so not experience this issue. AF24 less than 30 days old. The cable tests are clean. The site is properly grounded.

[sundial]

At one site we are using the factory power supply for the AF24 and a WS6. At the other site we are using the Netonix 48vh on port one of a WS12.

[sirhc]

Does not matter if the AF is new out of box, ports are sometimes bad.

Plus this is not a new AF and I think you said this started happening so port could have been damaged in switch or AF.

If port was damaged in switch or AF then most likely it is from ground current hence I provided the grounding posts.

I do not know how many times people tell me their grounding is grounded properly then I get them to go over their grounding system and it is not right.

Since there are tens of thousands of switches out there powering AF units just fine then there is something wrong here at this location, you need to narrow it down to fund it. By the way ground current can cause Ethernet Errors. I know you say grounding is done properly but just saying ground current can cause Ethernet errors. Could be bad wire/end, bad port in switch or AF but if it is a bad port in either chances are ground current did the damage. You're going to have to do some swapping out of stuff to find which one.

But if you swap port in switch and swap AF unit and errors persist then it is cable/ends or interference on cable, or ground current on cable.

But anyway I provided what I would do to test what the issue is;

Well simple diagnostic skills are important:

Possible causes:
Port in switch got damaged possibly from ground current?
Port in AF got damaged possibly from ground current?
Cable or Ends?

To see if it is a port in the switch simply move the AF to another port. If the problem follows the cable to the new port it is probably not the switch port.

What's left is bad or damaged port in AF or Cable.
Check all ends and clean any dirt and re insert all ends.

At this point you are down to replacing cable or swapping AF unit.


If after switching to a new switch port the problem remains and if you swap cable then your down to AF Ethernet port damage most likely from Ground Current.

[sundial]

In one instance the copper network is plugged into a single WS-12-250-AC which is plugged into building ground. There shouldn't be any rogue ground currents and definitely not through the AF24. Rebooting the WISP switches fixes the issue so I will put different switches between the AirFiber 24s and see what happens.

[sirhc]

In one instance the copper network is plugged into a single WS-12-250-AC which is plugged into building ground. There shouldn't be any rogue ground currents and definitely not through the AF24. Rebooting the WISP switches fixes the issue so I will put different switches between the AirFiber 24s and see what happens.

Where is the AF24 mounted?

How long is the cable between the switch and the AF?

[sundial]

Here is a screenshot of the cable diagnostics:

Cable is just under 70 feet CAT5E. AF24 is on the 3rd floor commercial roof and WISP switch 12 port AC is in the 2nd floor utility closet.

[sirhc]

In the future please upload screen grabs, instructions are in my post signature. I edited your post and uploaded the pic. The reason you do this is someday you may delete that pic from your site and will no longer be on the forums.

OK, I get that cable diagnostics reports fine but that does not confirm the port in the switch or the AF is not damaged.

Easiest thing to test is port in switch. Switch AF cable to another port and see if problem persists. If it does it is not the switch port.

Now if you switched cable to another switch ports and problem persists it is one of following:
Bad port in AF
Bad cable or end
Noise on cable from running ethernet cable in parallel to electrical wires or near a fluorescent light or such.
Ground current on Ethernet cable where ground at each location (radio and switch) are NOT bonded sharing the same ground rods. Now if ground cable from AF to ground rods is shorter than switch to ground rods then service ground current may be traversing your Ethernet Cable.

So we get that the switch is plugged into the electrical service.
What is the AF mounted on and is it grounded and if so is that ground the SAME ground as the electrical service ground? (SAME GROUND RODS).
Is the distance from AF to ground rods the same or longer than switch to ground rods?