can't connect to router via ethernet switch

firbyfred

Mr_Oink wrote: »

The reason I mention security features - and I'm going to admit this is a stab in the dark - is because other than faulty cables/speed/duplex mismatches - it looks like some kind of security 'feature' is stopping data flow when the switch comes into play. Without having that switch and your setup right here, it's hard to see what else could be wrong.

I'm suspicious because ports 3 / 4 don't 'work' on your router and you've tried two identical switches now. A simple switch like this is bread and butter and just 'works' as a rule.

You've not done anything unusual to the MTU settings on either machine in the past, or played around with the networking setting in the clients?

Personally I think I'd plug both machines into the switch WITHOUT plugging the switch into the router, power cycle the switch and then observe the indicators. Solid green with little blips should be the order of the day. On a good day the machines may even assign themselves 169.254.x.x 'APIPA' addresses and allow you to browse shares on each machine. That would rule the switch, nics and machines out of the issue - but other than for troubleshooting it won't fix the issue beyond pointing a finger at the Netgear gateway device.

I can't see how any internet security type firewall software would interfere with layer 2 packets. Appreciate that some terms may be a bit Greek to you. but others reading the thread may get a flash of inspiration and spot the missing key that solves this.

To be clear, with the switch in place neither machine acquires an IP address via DHCP, but you have three green switch lights on and steady with the occasional blink? (One for each pc and one for the link to the switch) ? ?

Thanks
I'm slowly making my way through a Netgear forum I found on their website for this model, and many more people have had the same problem with ports not working, seems to be some sort of overheating problem, someone got a replacement as it was under a 2 year warranty, I'm currently trying to find out when I bought ours.
Thanks again

Phantom_Flan_Flinger

firbyfred wrote: »

.......and many more people have had the same problem with ports not working, seems to be some sort of overheating problem, someone got a replacement as it was under a 2 year warranty, I'm currently trying to find out when I bought ours.

That's exactly what happened to mine.

The router always ran hot and until the ethernet ports failed, I'd had no others issues. I'd also Googled the problem when it occured and as you say, it seems to be an inherent problem with that model.

Mines was out of warranty, so it went in the bin and I bought a Billion BiPac.

ian2211

Have you got UPnP enabled on your router? If so turn it off. I had the same issue with my live box and a switch, and after a lot of head scratching and trying different settings switching off UPnP did the trick.