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I just ran about 20-30 meters of Solid CAT5e F/UTP cable from a switch to a shed where i have a server. About the last 1/3 of the way, its running together with a mains extension cable, that provides the power for the server. That's why i chose F/UTP.

Now when i connect my new cable, i get no signal or lights in my switch. I then tried redoing the connectors, still no luck.

Now i'm not using shielded rj45 plugs, not sure if that makes a difference?

Any ideas? or am i just very unlucky, and need to run new wire?

Christian Bekker
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You simply cannot mix shielded and unshielded parts in a link. The shield only works if it continuous end-to-end and properly grounded on both ends. The actual wires in shielded cabling cannot meet specifications without working shielding. Having unshielded connectors means that the shileding is broken on the link, and it is not properly grounded.

There are documents that explain things for you. For example, Shielded and unshielded twisted-pair cable revisited:

If STP cable is combined with improperly shielded connectors, connecting hardware or outlets, or if the foil shield itself is damaged, overall signal quality will be degraded. This, in turn, can result in degraded emission and immunity performance. Therefore, for a shielded cabling system to totally reduce interference, every component within that system must be fully and seamlessly shielded, as well as properly installed and maintained.

An STP cabling system also requires good grounding and earthing practices because of the presence of the shield. An improperly grounded system can be a primary source of emissions and interference. Whether this ground is at one end or both ends of the cable run depends on the frequency at which a given application is running. For high-frequency signals, an STP cabling system must be grounded, at minimum, at both ends of the cable run, and it must be continuous. A shield grounded at only one end is not effective against magnetic-field interference.

Also, running any cable like this outdoors, there are a lot of things to consider. It is an absolute must that you have proper lightning protection, otherwise you put lives and property in jeopardy. You must use outdoor cable because indoor cable cannot tolerate water. If you bury it, you must bury it at least 24" to the top of the cable, or below the frost line, whichever is deeper. OSP (Outside Plant) is a cabling specialty that many installers will not touch because of all the problems and legal implications.

Ron Maupin
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  • Noted, gonna change to shielded connectors then, but could that be the cause of complete link failure? The cable never gets outside, since the the "shed" is directly connected to the house, so its just run through the wall. – Christian Bekker Feb 03 '17 at 21:07
  • Did you use solid-core wire with connectors for stranded cable, or vice versa? The cable specifications were designed for solid-core horizontal cable (good performance), and most wall plates, patch panels etc. are for those. Solid-core cable is fairly fragile, and there are things like the minimum bend radius and maximum pulling tension that, if exceeded can ruin a cable. Patch cords uses stranded cable (poor performance) that are less fragile. You cannot mix connector types, and you are limited to a total of 10 meters for stranded cable. – Ron Maupin Feb 03 '17 at 21:21
  • Used solid core with connectors for solid core, but i could be maybe bends during the install of the wire. might just have to re do it. – Christian Bekker Feb 04 '17 at 01:41
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Powerlines can increase interferences and lower effective bandwidth (due to packet retransmissions), but I would be very surprised if it cause complete link loss.

I rather thinks your cable/plugs are damaged. Can you test for electrical continuity?

shodanshok
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  • That was my thought as well, right now i cant, but currently working on getting hands on a tester. i'll return when i've done a test. – Christian Bekker Feb 03 '17 at 20:38