I work in a small organization with three buildings connected through a central server room. One of these buildings is experiencing persistent network connection drops, lasting from just a few minutes to several hours, affecting around 20 devices including VOIP phones, access points, cameras, and Ethernet connections to laptops and desktops. Despite the on-premise switch appearing operational, the connection seems to reset on its own. I've already restarted all devices and tried disconnecting some equipment, but I'm running out of ideas for troubleshooting this issue. Any suggestions?
5 Answers
Have you tried testing different switch ports? Sometimes a specific port can be problematic. Plug a laptop directly into those ports to see if you experience drops, and swap out cables to rule out any physical issues. If it's a managed switch, log in and check the port statuses directly.
It sounds like you're dealing with a frustrating issue! First, make sure you're not overdrawing on Power over Ethernet (PoE), as that can lead to some strange connectivity problems. You should also verify that the network drop is happening at the suspected switch and not further down the line. Checking switch logs and examining physical connections can really help pinpoint the issue.
This could be a BPDU or Spanning Tree Protocol issue. If someone plugged in a device incorrectly, like a phone into a wall socket twice, it can cause these sorts of problems. Just something to keep in mind while diagnosing the issue.
Check if there's a big machine nearby that could be causing EMI (electromagnetic interference). Sometimes heavy machinery can disrupt signals. Also, it might be helpful to monitor what's happening on the switches when the connection drops. Setting up continuous pings or using SNMP with monitoring tools like Zabbix can really shed light on any underlying issues.
Good point! I’ll keep an eye on any machinery around. Monitoring tools sound like a good strategy too.
Starting with layer one is essential! Test all your physical connections, cables, and power supplies. When the connection drops, try plugging directly into the switch to see what devices you can reach—this can help you trace where the issue might be occurring.
The PoE issue is something I hadn't considered. I'll definitely check that along with the logs!