Network Frustration - Help Please!

["Julian Stuhler" <julian.stuhler@xxxxxxx>]

Folks,

I need some help from the networking experts out there, please!

On Friday I moved my HA PC from the utility room to the loft to join the
new MV1000. This meant installing another Ethernet switch in the loft
but since then the network has been frustratingly unreliable - I'll have
full connectivity for maybe 5 minutes, then nothing until I unplug the
loft Ethernet switch and plug it in again, at which point everything
seems to be fine for another few minutes. At the point everything goes
wrong, the activity lights for the connections between the three
subs/switches go frantic and stay that way until the reset is performed.

I even went out yesterday and purchased a new switch, with exactly the
same results. I have an Ethernet connection tester, and everything seems
to be fine from a physical connectivity point of view.

Here's how the (previously 100% reliable) network used to look:

Office
--------
3Com OfficeConnect 8-Port Switch
Port 1: Laptop
Port 2: Home PC
Port 3: HP JetDirect Ethernet printer interface
Port 8: Uplink to node 0 (with uplink switch on)

Node 0
-----------
Netgear 4-port hub
Port 1: Connection from Office switch
Port 2: HA PC

And here's the new (and definitely not improved) setup:

Office
--------
3Com Officeconnect 8-Port Switch
Port 1: Laptop
Port 2: Home PC
Port 3: HP JetDirect Ethernet printer interface
Port 8: Uplink to node 0 (with uplink switch on)

Node 0
-----------
Netgear 4-port hub
Port 1: Connection from Office switch
Port 4: Uplink to loft (with uplink switch on)

Loft
-----
(Tried both OfficeConnect 8-port switch and new Giganet 5-port switch)
Port 1: HA PC
Port 2: MV1000
Port 3: Connection from Node0 hub

Any ideas/suggestions gratefully received!

Many thanks,

Julian






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