Looking for opinions from those that have spent plenty of time staring at switches

[Markverhyden]

I know that looking at the activity lights is more of a qualitative thing for the most part. Was on a call last night that had been having Internet connectivity issues. One thing I noticed was the Netgear switch activity lights were not near as random like I am used to seeing in other switches.

I've run into this a few of times in the past and a power cycle restored the switch to the more random nature of the activity. However that did not do anything. Netgear1 is before power cycle and Netgear2 is after the power cycle. So I'm wondering if there may be something wrong with the switch even though things appear to be OK. Just looking for some opinions. That being said I've not really seen many of those larger Netgear switches so maybe it's just an undocumented feature they have. Thanks in advance.

Netgear1

Netgear2

 

[NYJimbo]

Those lights are not going to show a really granular movement of data, so you are going to get what looks like synced up lights across the panel.

No LED on a front panel will show 100mbit or 1gbit data transfer in a way that will look more random like we expect data to travel.

I would sniff the network or try to find out what the exact complaint is.

 

[wardoursecure]

Is the customer complaining about performance etc.

Last time I saw this was, it was a faulty switch used by the phone system causing the issue

 

[AndyM]

One thing I noticed was the Netgear switch activity lights were not near as random like I am used to seeing in other switches.

I am hoping that you were really tired last night Mark, because those Netgear switches look suspiciously like Linksys switches to me.

How long did you kill the power for?

Is there a firmware upgrade available? (Latest is 2.0.2.4)

Andy

 

[Markverhyden]

I am hoping that you were really tired last night Mark, because those Netgear switches look suspiciously like Linksys switches to me.

How long did you kill the power for?

Is there a firmware upgrade available? (Latest is 2.0.2.4)

Andy

LOL!!!! Great catch Andy. Yes, it had been an incredibly long and tiring day. Firmware is on the table but that will not get looked at until Mon. By 8:30PM the office admin was more than ready to leave.

I did run wireshark and did not see anything out of place. But I was really just there to do testing with the ISP. Almost all of the computers are wireless so the wired stuff is a few VoIP phones, macmini, time capsule and a bizhub. I'll probably be going back to leave a laptop hooked up for testing if they have issues again.

 

[Markverhyden]

Well the EU got in contact late yesterday. Said her IP phone and HP MFP were not working. So someone worked on it remotely with her to no avail. So I get there, cable runs test to CAT6. Lights on the switch ports, still the same synchronous light blinking. Then I find out the NOC did not even know about the Linksys switch.

So I move around to some other ports. The MFP get local access but not outside (they need scan to email). Finally find a port that gets to the outside and, after testing, the IP phone, an Polycom, is defective.

I'm having them replace the switch.

 

[jbartlett323]

Just FYI, at a past job, we ran a bunch of these type Linksys switches. This syncronous blink is quite normal. Personally have seen it on other brands, but Linksys seem more pronounced. Pretty confident there was nothing wrong with the switches as we had ~20 of em and they all looked the same, and nearly blinked at the same rate/time! Pretty sure the network was fine too, seeing as we never had any issues (aside from the ancient 10/100 switch dieing occasionally, these Linksys were the replacements), we monitored traffic regularly, and nobody ever complained (except when we had to swap the afore-mentioned antique ).

 

['putertutor]

Well the EU got in contact late yesterday. Said her IP phone and HP MFP were not working. So someone worked on it remotely with her to no avail. So I get there, cable runs test to CAT6. Lights on the switch ports, still the same synchronous light blinking. Then I find out the NOC did not even know about the Linksys switch.

So I move around to some other ports. The MFP get local access but not outside (they need scan to email). Finally find a port that gets to the outside and, after testing, the IP phone, an Polycom, is defective.

I'm having them replace the switch.

Good find. Hope this is the resolution, because I can't stare at this damned blinking lights anymore. I just noticed a large puddle of drool on my desk and I seem to have lost 3 hours.

 

[BrentfromZulu]

I thought consistent blinking meant there was an issue (speaking on behalf one 1 switch I saw a long time ago, I think a Dell Switch)

 

[Markverhyden]

Just FYI, at a past job, we ran a bunch of these type Linksys switches. This syncronous blink is quite normal. Personally have seen it on other brands, but Linksys seem more pronounced. Pretty confident there was nothing wrong with the switches as we had ~20 of em and they all looked the same, and nearly blinked at the same rate/time!

Thanks jbartlett323. I'll remember that about Linksys switches. As per my previous post I'm still going to have them swap it out do to the issues with the MFP. Moving it around yielded various results and the switch has no management enabled.

LOL 'putertutor. I just shake it off after a while......

 

[Eagle21]

I thought consistent blinking meant there was an issue (speaking on behalf one 1 switch I saw a long time ago, I think a Dell Switch)

Me too. A faulty network device that continuously broadcasts would cause this consistent blinking?

If they are using VoIP aren't these devices on their own isolated VLAN?