Cable test question

User avatar
RebusCom
Experienced Member
 
Posts: 111
Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2014 9:42 pm
Location: Washington
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 11 times

Cable test question

Sat Nov 21, 2015 2:32 pm

For my own edification, on a cable test to a Fast Eth radio, if the results are Okay, Okay, Short, Short, as normal for Fast E, but pairs 3 and 4 show as precisely half the line length of pairs 1 and 2, what would be your best guess as to cause, e.g. near end crimp, far end crimp, cable damage, or any of the above?

User avatar
sirhc
Employee
Employee
 
Posts: 7421
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 3:48 pm
Location: Lancaster, PA
Has thanked: 1609 times
Been thanked: 1326 times

Re: Cable test question

Sat Nov 21, 2015 3:13 pm

RebusCom wrote:For my own edification, on a cable test to a Fast Eth radio, if the results are Okay, Okay, Short, Short, as normal for Fast E, but pairs 3 and 4 show as precisely half the line length of pairs 1 and 2, what would be your best guess as to cause, e.g. near end crimp, far end crimp, cable damage, or any of the above?


Run the test once powered up.
So long as the cable diagnostics does not detect "cross-short" it is safe to power up with the "correct" POE option.

Cable diagnostics can be affected by a device that is not powered up, this depends on how the manufacturer designed their equipment.

Personally I feel UBNT designed the airFIBER 24 and airFIBER 5 correctly and if you run a cable diagnostics on it when un-powered you will see OPEN, OPEN, OPEN, OPEN. Once the unit is powered up you will see OK, OK, OK, OK.

If you look at the old 10/100 airMAX radios you will see either OPEN, OPEN, SHORT, SHORT or OK, OK,SHORT, SHORT. In my "personal opinion" the POE Ethernet circuits were not designed correctly but rather to save money.

I was upset to see that the new aiFIBER X radios test out as SHORT,SHORT,SHORT,SHORT when un-powered. I was really hoping they would follow the design they used on the original airFIBER 24 & 5.

However if pair lengths show different on a powered ON device and there is not an Ethernet Surge protector in the loop as they can affect this test then the cable was probably damaged during installation where it was either stretched or kinked which damages the cable electrical characteristics such as cross talk and or attenuation between pairs.

RebusCom wrote:what would be your best guess as to cause, e.g. near end crimp, far end crimp, cable damage, or any of the above?


YES!
Support is handled on the Forums not in Emails and PMs.
Before you ask a question use the Search function to see it has been answered before.
To do an Advanced Search click the magnifying glass in the Search Box.
To upload pictures click the Upload attachment link below the BLUE SUBMIT BUTTON.

User avatar
RebusCom
Experienced Member
 
Posts: 111
Joined: Sun Nov 30, 2014 9:42 pm
Location: Washington
Has thanked: 13 times
Been thanked: 11 times

Re: Cable test question

Sat Nov 21, 2015 10:49 pm

Thanks. The scenario above is when powered up (Rocket N). It seems to be working okay but the problem is indicated.

User avatar
sirhc
Employee
Employee
 
Posts: 7421
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2014 3:48 pm
Location: Lancaster, PA
Has thanked: 1609 times
Been thanked: 1326 times

Re: Cable test question

Sat Nov 21, 2015 11:34 pm

RebusCom wrote:Thanks. The scenario above is when powered up (Rocket N). It seems to be working okay but the problem is indicated.


If it is a short jumper cable on my bench (3- 12 feet) I sometimes see that but not on my longer production cable runs unless they are damaged.

CLICK IMAGE TO VIEW FULL SIZE
avatar.jpg
avatar.jpg (204.76 KiB) Viewed 6068 times
Support is handled on the Forums not in Emails and PMs.
Before you ask a question use the Search function to see it has been answered before.
To do an Advanced Search click the magnifying glass in the Search Box.
To upload pictures click the Upload attachment link below the BLUE SUBMIT BUTTON.

Return to General Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Google [Bot] and 114 guests