Lost Signal After Whole House Fan Install

Coolio

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So today we had a whole house fan installed in our attic, plus a bunch of insulation blown in. When they were blowing in the insulation after the fan install, I lost signal to one camera. Five minutes later, I lost signal to my remaining 3 cameras all at once.

All four cameras are HDW5231R-Z plugged into a BV-Tech 16 Port PoE+ Switch via cat6 cable. All of my connections at the switch look good, just no green status port light. I haven't been in the attic yet to check my wires. Other than my cables being cut, any other suggestions? Interference?

Thanks,
Mark
 

awsum140

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awsum votes the insulation guys cut the cables somehow. No link status on the switch says, plainly, no connection to the device.
 

Coolio

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I’ll find out today when I go into the attic. If the wires were cut, what’s the best way to patch them?
 

Coolio

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They have not been paid yet. Any suggestions on what I should charge to repair the 4 wires?

What’s frustrating is that I installed the whole system about 5 weeks ago and it has been flawless. :(
 

awsum140

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I wouldn't patch them, just replace all the cut ones. If that is not an option, then I'd trim the cuts back a few inches, install RJ45s on each end and use couplers, double female RJ45s. Not the best way, but if the runs are short, say under 100 feet, losses shouldn't effect things too much. If you do that, use some conductive silicon grease on each RJ45 just to be safe and tape or heat shrink them up.

I've got to wonder exactly what those guys did to cut that many CAT6 cables. They don't cut all that easily, it takes a lot of force to get through one, let alone more than one. They sound like shoe makers rather than contractors.

Oh yeah, have fun finding the cuts after the blow in insulation has buried everything. Wear a dust mask, minimum when working up there.
 

TonyR

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I’ll find out today when I go into the attic. If the wires were cut, what’s the best way to patch them?
Ah, yes.....attics in July with blown-in 'glass...been there, done that.

If they do it, new cables. If you do it, you might decide to do something quick, like this ==>> here.
And as @awsum140 said, wear a GOOD dusk mask.

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TonyR

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Wear a dust mask, minimum when working up there.
yes, tell me about it.
After doing just that for years, last year in Feb. I short-cutted and went up in an old bank's attic to pull a CAT-5e, was up there for 10 minutes max, no mask.
Long story short...within 2 days I'm coughing, then another 2 days bronchitis, within 1 week from the trip into that attic I had pneumonia in my left lung. I was 68 then, haven't smoked for over 30 years but makes me cough thinking about it.

Never again. :smash:
 
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Coolio

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So I went into the attic, and could not find a break in the wire anywhere. (I wore a mask)

Any other possible reason the wires are not making the connection to the switch? I have solid connections at the cameras. My internet cable that is run through the attic is making a good connection at the switch. And the cable between the switch and computer is working fine.
 

TonyR

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So I went into the attic, and could not find a break in the wire anywhere. (I wore a mask)

Any other possible reason the wires are not making the connection to the switch? I have solid connections at the cameras. My internet cable that is run through the attic is making a good connection at the switch. And the cable between the switch and computer is working fine.
1) Where is this switch at?
2) Are you sure it's got power?
 

Aengus4h

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do you have access to a LAN RJ45 cable tester?

A basic one at least would show if any pairs have continuity but to find any break you'd need a much more sophisticated one, they're pricey so probably cheaper to just re-run the cables than go get one of those unless you know someone who already has one.

Other Q would be - is the switch working properly on all ports?
 

awsum140

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The switch would be a fairly serendipitous failure but not impossible. I'd use a simple cable tester or, if you have some spare cable, run a known, good, test cable to one of the cameras that is not connecting.
 

Coolio

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Switch is mounted next to the computer via a UPS. The switch shows power to my internet and computer inputs. The port lights to the cameras are off. I’ll try the tester. Amazon, Home Depot?
 

awsum140

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Amazon, I don't know if Home Despot carries them in store. After some experience with cameras and cables, I keep a 200 foot test cable around just for these kinds of problems and in case I want to do a temporary install to watch something specific.
 

Coolio

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So I plugged in a spare HDW5830R-Z directly to the PoE switch, and it does not power or detect the camera. No light at all on the port switch. If I move the ethernet cable from the computer to the port of any of the dead cameras, the port lights up. So basically, it will not detect or power a camera.
 

mat200

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Hi Coolio,

As you're already checking other issues....

the remaining issue which appears to not yet have been brought up is EMI related.

Did they install any electrical lines by your cat5e/cat6 run?

You can test by turning off the circuit breaker for the newly installed fan.
 
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