Gateway Computer + PoE Injector issue

[[BB] Rick James]

I have a weird issue pertaining to Gateway computers. When I say Gateway computers I mean the computers you can purchase from Gateway Computers; the PC manufacture.

I own a small Wireless ISP company. My services work like this. An access point goes on the home some where, from there we run outdoor rated Cat5 down and into the home. Inside the home sits a power injector that runs power up the Cat5 cable. On the other end of the injector there is a standard Cat5 network port that either your PC can plug directly into, or a router and etc.... This port is a “dumb” port, meaning all it does is allow network pass through.

Right now I have 50 users hooked up on my network using my services. 3 of those 50 customers have the Gateway brand computer. All three of them, if they plug their Gateway PC directly into the power injectors standard network port (not the port that sends the power up the cable) the PC won't even recognize that anything is plugged in. Now, if you take these users computers, plug a router into the power injector and then their computer into the router, all is well. The PC pulls down an IP addy and they are able to get online. Remove the router, plug the Gateway brand PC back into the network jack of the power injector, and the computer won't even see that anything is plugged in; it simply says "Unplugged network cable". Won't pull an IP and etc....

This issue is only on Gateway computers. Dell, compaq, Acer, Macs and user built computers can all be plugged into the Power Injector directly and everything works as it should.

Now most users have routers or switches so really who cares. But I'd like to know why Gateway computers don't like being plugged into power injectors? These 3 gateway computers range in age. One is brand new, one is from 2004 and the other is from 2000. All of them have Intel Pro "V" onboard network cards. My laptop has an Intel Pro network card and it works fine. I've even gone as far as putting a PCI linksys nic card into their computers and it still can't be plugged into the power injector.

Thoughts on this issue?

 

[MorfiusX]

I have had a similar issue before and the cause was due to a speed/duplex negotiation problem. When I hard set the speed and duplex on both sides, everything worked fine.

 

[[BB] Rick James]

I have had a similar issue before and the cause was due to a speed/duplex negotiation problem. When I hard set the speed and duplex on both sides, everything worked fine.

Aw ha! I'll have to check into that. That could be it. I didn't think about that.

 

[[BB] Rick James]

Back to the drawing board. That didn't resolve the issue. No matter what the duplex, it still won't recognize a network connection when plugged into the power injector.

Any other thoughts?

 

[Jay_2]

do you mean no connection the icon stays as if there is no CAT5 plugged in or is it searching for the DHCP and never gets an IP?

 

[Dzero]

Weak power supply in the Gateway?

Do you have a spare radio you could test with a short POE run?

 

[[BB] Rick James]

do you mean no connection the icon stays as if there is no CAT5 plugged in or is it searching for the DHCP and never gets an IP?

It constantly states "network connection unplugged" when it's plugged in. but now if you plug it into a switch or router, your fine. This only happens with customers who have Gateway computers. Other computer manufactures are fine.