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Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:33 pm
by grasstrimmer
I have a WS 12-250-A. We had it up and running great for about 2 weeks. Then I start getting calls. I went to the tower site and all the radios connected to the switch were offline. I could not log into the switch either, but all the lights were on correctly and the switch apeared to be running. Well after working with it for some time I finally pulled power. When I plug it back in the fan comes on and the power light come on but all the ports seem to be dead. No light come on at all and still no data. Any ideas?

Re: Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:37 pm
by sirhc
Not unless you do some diagnostics first.

Do you have a serial console cable?

If you plug into it do you get a link?

What firmware version were you running?

Re: Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:40 pm
by grasstrimmer
I do, but have not ever used it. I am still kind of entry level on this stuff. I know my way around the GUI but it usually stops about there. When I plug into it there is no respose at all. Can not ping it or get a response of any kind.

Re: Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:40 pm
by sirhc
When you say power lights do you mean power light as in singular or are you talking about the POE leds?

Did you have any storms in your area?

Re: Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:44 pm
by grasstrimmer
Power light singular. Ether ports get nothing. Only light is the Switch power light. There were storms in the area not really any electrical storms but that is a possibility.

Re: Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:45 pm
by sirhc
Well it is almost mid night, do you have a spare switch so you can get up and running and diagnose this back at your shop?

Do you have POE bricks so you can see if your radios are working by plugging into your laptop?

If you did have an electrical surge then your radios may be damaged as well?

You need to diagnose what is what.

You can try defaulting the switch if you do not have a console cable.

If you do have a console cable it needs to be a null modem cable 115200/8/1

Re: Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:46 pm
by grasstrimmer
After switching to the Tough Switches again I had to replace 2 out of 10 UBNT radios on that tower. So the storm could have been a problem. It was running through a UPS but that isn't perfect either.

Re: Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:47 pm
by grasstrimmer
Yeah this was several days ago. I have followed your post on the Resets not being all equal and haven't been able to get anywhere with that route either.

Re: Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:48 pm
by sirhc
IF there were storms in the area and your tower ground is not bonded to your service ground you may be looking at dead radios and a dead switch.

If your new to this I would suggest reading this thread on grounding: viewtopic.php?f=30&t=188

Re: Switch Dead?

Posted: Fri Apr 10, 2015 11:56 pm
by sirhc
grasstrimmer wrote:After switching to the Tough Switches again I had to replace 2 out of 10 UBNT radios on that tower. So the storm could have been a problem. It was running through a UPS but that isn't perfect either.


Well if you lost 2 out of 10 radios and there was a storm in the area there is a good chance your switch is toast.

If this was 2 days ago you should have called me and asked my advice before midnight - LOL

From what your saying I would guess you took a surge and your switch is fried like your 2 radios.

I would still RMA the switch and just be honest about it and state "possible surge damage" as it is easy to tell anyway when we look at them, but even if it is surge damage we offer to repair the switches for a reasonable fee.

And read the post I linked above on proper grounding. I am a WISP too and that is how we do our towers and I have not lost a single piece of equipment in the past 4 years at towers and in the past 6 years I did have 2 DIRECT STRIKES hit 2 towers. In one case blowing off the beacon light at the top and the other fused turkey buzzards to the tower. Now in those direct strikes I lost just about EVERYTHING but hey, it was a DIRECT STRIKE.

If your new to this I would suggest reading this thread on grounding:
viewtopic.php?f=30&t=188