IPC-HDW4231EM-AS dropping connection randomly

[trauts14]

my IPC-HDW4231EM-AS randomly drops connection. it is powered by the POE port on my dahua nvr. the cam is approx 250' away from the nvr. all other cams attached to nvr work fine. does the random data dropout seem like a POE issue, or a rj45 connector that is not properly secured? the cam is 60 miles away and i have not had a chance to try out a different POE switch yet.

 

[fenderman]

my IPC-HDW4231EM-AS randomly drops connection. it is powered by the POE port on my dahua nvr. the cam is approx 250' away from the nvr. all other cams attached to nvr work fine. does the random data dropout seem like a POE issue, or a rj45 connector that is not properly secured? the cam is 60 miles away and i have not had a chance to try out a different POE switch yet.

Did you use the 568 standard for the cable?

 

[trauts14]

Did you use the 568 standard for the cable?

yes, i did use that. really crazy how the cam works for a few hours and drops randomly. hopefully, the problem is a half ass installed rj45 connector on my behalf

 

[fenderman]

yes, i did use that. really crazy how the cam works for a few hours and drops randomly. hopefully, the problem is a half ass installed rj45 connector on my behalf

Did you recently update firmware? There is an issue with the update..

 

[fenderman]

Also ensure the cable is solid copper not copper clad aluminum or CCA

 

[trauts14]

i will have to confirm. btw, does the shotty CCA not conduct POE as well?

 

[fenderman]

i will have to confirm. btw, does the shotty CCA not conduct POE as well?

Yes it does not and will also cause packet loss

 

[trauts14]

thx. i just saw this: Not in My Network! Copper Clad Aluminum is a Recipe for Failure

that might just explain my issue since my run is approx 250'.....and POE

 

[fenderman]

thx. i just saw this: Not in My Network! Copper Clad Aluminum is a Recipe for Failure

that might just explain my issue since my run is approx 250'.....and POE

Where did you purchase the cable?

 

[trauts14]

my folks bought it. i do not recall the brand. my guess would be the cable is cheap or mid-grade

 

[PapaBill]

Any update on this matter?

 

[trauts14]

Any update on this matter?

Not yet. I still have not had a chance to go to the location. Next wknd hopefully.

 

[nymphaeles]

@trauts14
I use a simple cable tester to test connectivity. If the cable passes that test, the RJ-45 wiring is correct. However, that doesn't guarantee that data transfer is up to the standard. To test data transfer rate, you need an advanced cable tester or if you can mirror the ports and capture TCP/IP dump to see if packets are dropped. This always seems to be more than what a typical user can do.
To simplify the test, you should take the cam off your mounting location, bring it close to the switch, hook it up with a 6 ft cable, and see if the cam goes on and off again. If the cam works fine with a 6 ft cable, chances are your wiring is faulty.
If your wiring is faulty, check if there are any kinks, bends, sharp turns, and tangles along the way and straight them out. Also remove the two RJ-45 connectors and make new ones. Some times, the contacts at the RJ-45 don't make good contacts with the wires inside the RJ-45 and that causes a bad connection.
Hope this helps.

 

[alastairstevenson]

I use a simple cable tester to test connectivity. If the cable passes that test, the RJ-45 wiring is correct.

For info - continuity by itself is not a sufficient test for correct cable wiring.
The wiring needs to maintain the required twisted pairs in order to achieve signal integrity.

The wires could be connected in any arbitrary way and will pass a continuity test as long as they match at each end.
But the cable signalling won't work correctly if the twisted pairs are incorrect.

 

[nymphaeles]

For info - continuity by itself is not a sufficient test for correct cable wiring.
The wiring needs to maintain the required twisted pairs in order to achieve signal integrity.

The wires could be connected in any arbitrary way and will pass a continuity test as long as they match at each end.
But the cable signalling won't work correctly if the twisted pairs are incorrect.

You may not pass a cable tester if the wiring is not correct. It checks both wiring standard and continuity.

 

[alastairstevenson]

You may not pass a cable tester if the wiring is not correct.

Not correct. Switch 2 wires at each end and the continuity cable tester will not notice any difference.
Think about it.
But if you've then invalidated a twisted pair configuration, the cable is faulty.

 

[trauts14]

i finally had a chance to visit the house and the rj45 adapters look solid with the wires well seated. i switched the cable from the nvr (POE) to a standalone switch. the device worked for a day...and then it went occasionally on/off as it had done.

i forgot to take my POE voltage/wattage tester which was my first mistake. also, i probably should have put new rj45 connectors on as process of elimination. ALSO, i should have utilized the spare redundant cable i ran to the cam as process of elimination. im going back this wknd to try again....the correct way.

 

[trauts14]

BTW, i am using 568B config

 

[nymphaeles]

I use that 568-B standard, too. A simple cable tester is affordable and can save you a lot of frustration. Here's one from Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/EpicDealz-Tester-Crimper-Connector-Network/dp/B012OU6UQG/ref=sr_1_11?s=hi&ie=UTF8&qid=1528219149&sr=1-11&keywords=rj-45+cable+tester

It cost less than $15 and can be delivered same day to my house

 

[truglo]

Yeah I have one of those. They're great for verifying conductivity and termination on installed wiring. However they don't test bandwidth performance, which is very important when it comes to ip cams. For that you need a digital test signal and a high speed daq. You might see the telecom tech guy using such a device when there are problems with internet their customer's house... usually a few $1k's worth of high tech gadgetry in a brick size box with graphic lcd etc. If you ask the tech they can show you the graph that tells them how well the cables transmit at various frequencies (up to several ghz in these days of 1000mbps connections). That cheap but fancy continuity tester won't work if the problem is crosstalk etc.