# Ethernet switch daisy chain not working..



## Calibretto (Nov 23, 2016)

So before I explain my situation, here's how my network is set up:






I have ethernet going to various drops around the house and they work fine. However, I put another ethernet switch at one of the drops and plugged my laptop (MacBook Pro) and 2nd PC (iMac) into it. However, neither are getting ethernet connections. They recognize that an ethernet cable is plugged in, but it just says "Self-Assigned IP" with a yellow dot next to it, and won't connect.

When I plug the second switch into the first switch, the light on the first switch steadily flashes on and off and will sometimes blink for a split second. The other end of the cable that's plugged into the second switch hardly ever lights up.

Furthermore, the lights of the ports that my Macs are plugged into on the smaller switch are lighting up, but they're just staying on all the time with minimal blinking or flashing.

I swapped out new ethernet switches at both locations, as well as swapped out the ethernet cable connecting the two switches together, and had the same problem, so it's not a faulty switch or cable.

To thicken the plot even more, I plugged my MacBook Pro directly into the first ethernet switch (thus bypassing the second switch) and it connects just fine..

Anyone have any suggestions on what I could do? The first switch is a Netgear GS316 and the second switch is a Netgear GS105. Both are auto-sensing.


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## beers (Nov 23, 2016)

Calibretto said:


> as swapped out the ethernet cable connecting the two switches together


Do you happen to terminate your own cables?



Calibretto said:


> I plugged my MacBook Pro directly into the first ethernet switch


Was that using the same uplink cable that was going to the second switch?

Almost seems like they can't negotiate on a rate or similar if you don't see the second switch stay lit.


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## Calibretto (Nov 23, 2016)

beers said:


> Was that using the same uplink cable that was going to the second switch?



Yup.


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## beers (Nov 23, 2016)

Didn't you post this on Reddit, it looks familiar 

Assuming the Mac negotiated to 1 Gbps, there really aren't too many other factors at layer 1 preventing this from working.  The only other thing I can think of is auto MDI/MDI-X not working correctly which you could prove out by using a crossover cable.  Otherwise I would rage quit and junk it for a different brand.


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## Calibretto (Nov 23, 2016)

beers said:


> Didn't you post this on Reddit, it looks familiar
> 
> Assuming the Mac negotiated to 1 Gbps, there really aren't too many other factors at layer 1 preventing this from working.  The only other thing I can think of is auto MDI/MDI-X not working correctly which you could prove out by using a crossover cable.  Otherwise I would rage quit and junk it for a different brand.



Haha yeah I did post this on Reddit 

So yeah, I'm thinking I might try a different brand, but would that make a difference? I already tried two different Netgear switches at both locations and it didn't work. If that doesn't work, then I'll just have to have only one computer in my office on ethernet and just use Wi-Fi on the other..


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## Cromewell (Nov 23, 2016)

beers said:


> The only other thing I can think of is auto MDI/MDI-X not working correctly which you could prove out by using a crossover cable.


Seems most likely to me especially since it's so easy to just put a crossover in there it's worth a try. Failing that, maybe some kind of silly configuration on the switches like mismatching vlans but I don't think either switch supports them.


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## Calibretto (Nov 24, 2016)

Cromewell said:


> Seems most likely to me especially since it's so easy to just put a crossover in there it's worth a try. Failing that, maybe some kind of silly configuration on the switches like mismatching vlans but I don't think either switch supports them.



So replace the ethernet cable between the switches with a crossover cable to see if that works?


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## Cromewell (Nov 24, 2016)

Yes. But it's just a guess since they are supposed to autodetect what's there and switch accordingly.


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