I just had a customer replace his Linksys 8-port switch because the server/PC that was connected to the old one couldn't be pinged by the network test guy (it COULD be seen if I connected the server directly to the LAN jack in the wall, so I knew that connection was good). The new one comes in, we swap out the patch cords and he still can't see it when we use the new switch. Network guy (off site) says, "Is it in port 8, or the UPLINK port?" I say "uplink." (Isn't that normal?) He says to plug it into port 8; I do. It works. What? Why not UPLINK? (I'm not an IT guy, so...)
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Uplink port vs Port 8
- Thread starter exverizon
- Start date
jimbopalmer
Programmer
In general network gear comes in two flavors, end user gear (Computers, Printers, Cameras, etc.) and network infrastructure (Routers, switches, hubs, firewalls, etc.)
To connect end user gear to infrastructure gear takes a straight through cable. To connect PCs to PCs, or hubs to hubs takes a cross over cable. To avoid needing two kinds of cable, (which WILL be confused*) some vendors put in Uplink ports, which act like user ports on infrastructure gear, so you can plug in a hub to a hub without a crossover cable. But to plug another end user device in the Uplink, you need a crossover.
As part of the gigabit ethernet standard, they encourage auto polarity gear, which never needs a crossover, so in time we never need to learn this stuff.
*For years I used pink cables to mean cross over (I have some even today) My engineers thought they looked 'cute' and bought a bunch of straight through cables in pink. Sigh.
I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.
To connect end user gear to infrastructure gear takes a straight through cable. To connect PCs to PCs, or hubs to hubs takes a cross over cable. To avoid needing two kinds of cable, (which WILL be confused*) some vendors put in Uplink ports, which act like user ports on infrastructure gear, so you can plug in a hub to a hub without a crossover cable. But to plug another end user device in the Uplink, you need a crossover.
As part of the gigabit ethernet standard, they encourage auto polarity gear, which never needs a crossover, so in time we never need to learn this stuff.
*For years I used pink cables to mean cross over (I have some even today) My engineers thought they looked 'cute' and bought a bunch of straight through cables in pink. Sigh.
I tried to remain child-like, all I acheived was childish.
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