Network connection problems

[comaqc]

I am 70, so please be understanding.

One week ago, when I first connected my new WDTV Live hub in my living room using a 50 foot network cable to hook it up to my router, it connected to the network instantly, giving me access to the weather network. I then tried to access my home network without success. It did not have access to files on my computer but the opposite was Ok. I could see the WDTV on my computer.

In order to determine whether something was wrong with my home network settings, I connected my work laptop to my router. In the process, I unplugged the end of the 50 foot cable from my router because I used the patch cord to connect my laptop to the router. After confirming that my home network was Ok,  I re-plugged the 50 foot network cable patch cord back into the router. This is when my real problems started.

I found when going back to my living room that I had lost internet connectivity. That was 1 week ago and have not been able to get back online. Attempts at Automatic mode of network connecting fails overtime. I tried manually entering all settings manually and that does not work either. I checked the 50 foot network cable using a tester and the cable passes all tests. 

The one comforting thing that I have is that if I take the WDTV box to the basement where the router is located and connect it using a short cable, everything works instantly. This evening, when confirming that the WDTV works when connected to my router using a short cable, I wrote down the network numbers. I then moved the WDTV body back the living room and after confirming by an unsuccessful automatic network login that nothing had changed, I manually entered the network settings that had worked minutes before close to the router. No luck, no internet connection.

WDTV service tells me that the 50 foot cable is too long and that I need an amplifier. But this exact cable worked perfectly initially until I unplugged it and plugged it back.

Could I have damage something in the WDTV hardware by unplugging the network cable form my router with the WDTV ON?

One last comment; the green LED turns on when I plug the cable at the back of the WDTV. The yellow LED then flashes randomly. But no network connection!

[TonyPh12345]

I am sorry that WD techs fed you a bunch of BS. 50 feet is actually quite SHORT. 330 feet is the maximum allowed by standard, but in practice, 500 feet often works. Plus, theres no such thing as an amplifier for network cables. Anyway, did you test using a NTWORK cable analyzer, or some other method? I would suggest plugging your laptop into that 50 foot cable and see if that works.

[comaqc]

Thanks for confirming my own feelings about WDTV tech service.

I did validate that the 50 foot cable works with my laptop. Internet and email works no problem!

[TonyPh12345]

What’s the make and model of your router?

[Frillen]

I’m a bit curious, do you have a wireless router, if so the laptop will most likely use a wireless connection instead of the cable, so you wouldn’t really see if the 50 feet cable works.

[comaqc]

I did turn off wireless when I tested the 50 foot cable in the living room with my laptop. 

Someone at work suggested I use an Ethernet Switch between the 50 foot cable output in my living room and the WDTV to see if the problem is in “cable length or quality” . The switch is a TRENDNet Model TE100-S5/S and cost about $15. If this works, I will probably stop to search for explanations.

[comaqc]

It is a Siemens Speedstream 6520

[comaqc]

NO DICE! The Ethernet switch failed just as all my other attempts (except moving the WDTV hub right close to my router) .

Out of despair,I am buying a commercial 75 or 100 feet cable tomorrow to see whether this will help.

[bryantwc1]

What IP address are you assigning your WD LIVE HUB? Is it in the range of your network?

Also make sure its def not an IP already being used

[comaqc]

As mentionned in my original comments, the WD Live works perfectly when connected to my router via a short cable. I copied the IP address and other settings from the device when it is working and re-entered the same values when I moved the box back to my living room.

Just as a sanity check, I just moved my WD Live from the living room where it does not connect to the network and plugged it in my router in the basement. Everything works perfectly.

I wil test a 75 feet purchased network cable to morrow.

[WhackTag]

As you say you want to try a commercial cable tomorrow, does that mean the cable you currently use is a self-made cable? If so, could it be the cable is not ok?

One reason the laptop works, but not the Hub, is if your laptop and router can still communicate with each other using a cable with one of the wires not connected or broken. It could be the Hub needs a good cable with all wires connected in the right way.

Network tech is not my field of expertise, but I remember something about 10mbit (!) line speed not needing all wire pairs. 100mbit and up do need a proper cat-5 cable.

[TonyPh12345]

10 Meg uses two pairs of wire.    Cat 3 or greater to 100 meters.

100 Meg uses the same two pairs of wire.   Cat 5 or greater to 100 meters.

1 Gig uses all FOUR pair of wires, Cat 5e or greater to 100 meters.

10 Gig (10GBaseT) uses four pairs, Cat6a or greater to 100 meters.

[comaqc]

I tested a new 75 foot cable last weekend and the WD Live works OK with it as its sits in my basement bench with the 75 foot network cable coiled next to it.  I have no reason to believe that the WD Live will not work when I pull the cable from my basement up to the living room. So, at this point I am satisfied, even though I have no explanation why the existing network cable does not work with WD Live.

As a last sanity check, I retested the network cable now installed between the basement and the living room. Results:

• WD Live does not connect to Internet. Green light at the network cable connector is always ON. Yellow light flashes. 
• Connected the network cable to my work laptop with Wireless disabled and it connects OK to Internet at the WD Live location in the living room.
• Connected my wife Net book at the same location and it does not connect to Internet.
• Retested the cable with an automated continuity tester and all 8 lines show OK.

Because the new 75 foot cable works with WD Live, the only only explanation is that, in spite of testing OK with laptop and continuity tester, the existing cable has problems.

Thanks to all who have responded and tried to help. I am moving on. Thanks

[jimmy6567]

I have the same problem as this guy. I called  tech support they were no help and  they tried to tell me I needed signal repeater because the line is too long. It s a Ft run of cat 5, So I told them that that was B.S. Then they tried to tell me that I need to buy a wireless adapter. Which I again informed them was a load of B.S. Then there final answer was that I was trying to push the network cable between its physical limitations. thanx for nothing W.D. 

[agudeladri]

I could not connect my WD HUB TV.
Reading this forum, I found a solution.
I live in an apartment of two floors.
My cable modem is on the top floor and my home theater downstairs.
I have a network cable UTP of 164 feet long.

The automatic network connection was not possible. The manual connection either.

Then I install a generic network switch at the end of long UTP cable and from there a short cable to the HUB WD TV.

Surprise! everything started to work perfect.

Immediately connected to the Internet and with my PC who is located upstairs.

I hope this solution helps those who use a network cable is too long.

Greetings from Argentina!

[kainat]

I am having a similar problem as well, except that mine comes and goes and it only happens if I restart the hub.  My cable is also about 50’.  My router is an Apple time capsule and it uses ip addresses in the form 10.0.1.x.  I noticed when trying to get the hub to connect to the network, after rebooting, that the automatic mode tries to use 169 series of ip address.  After playing around with it for a while it will eventually connect to the network.