Solid Amber Light Issue CBS110-16T-D Unmanaged Switch

[Goji]

Hi,

I am currently running a Cisco Business CBS110-16T-D 16 port Unmanaged Switch ona small network. The network was cabled with Cat 6a cable, and ports and connectors added by the installer. A majority of the ports displayed a solid amber light, after some diagnosing it turned out that the connectors did not have all the cores displaying, this was then correct by the installer. All the connections on the switch appear to work, and have an internet connection, however, they continue to display a solid amber light. The light goes away, with both lights on the switch turning green and flashing green when a device is plugged in on the other end. However, when there is no device, the switch again displays a solid amber light, we have be baffled by what this could be and have struggled to find answers online, there are a few cables which do not show the amber light when not in use, which were also setup with the same connectors as the others, so we are struggling to diagnose the issue. It was suggested it could be noise from the other cables nearby as multiple cables go through a conduit together, though I am not sure if this is correct?

Thank You for your help and advice.

[marce1000]

 - Check port configurations, for 'user ports' , use mode access (could be related to invalid SPT negotiations)

 M.

[DoubleDown]

Any resolution to this?  I have the same problem on a couple of ports.

[Goji]

Hey, I never really found a solution for this. Thankfully though, it hasn't seemed to have caused any issues and has been working as it should, and I pray it continues to work okay. One of the theories I heard from someone was that the switch is just very sensitive to noise on the line, and it could be picking that up, where when I plugged in a switch from another manufacturer with the same connections, it didnt seem to show anything.

[liviu.gheorghe]

Hello @Goji  ,

according to the documentation, each port has 2 LED's - left one LNK/ACT and right one POE. 

I'm assuming that you are talking about the right LED. The documentation also states that:

the LED is AMBER if a POE capable device is connected to the port

the LED is OFF if no device is connected

More than that, your device CBS110-16T-D I am almost sure that is not POE capable (almost because I couldn't find the exact model in Cisco documentation, the closest being CBS110-16T) - another reason to have the LED off.

Anyway, it shouldn't influence the normal operation of the switch in my opinion.

Hope it helps.

[DoubleDown]

It is the left LED that turns solid amber with nothing connected to the other end of a cat5e in house wiring. It behaves as expected with a device connected.

Two of the 16 ports have this behavior. The other 14 port LEDs turn off when nothing is connected to the other end of the cat5e cables.

None of the devices connected to the switch are POE.

[liviu.gheorghe]

For the left LED turning AMBER STEADY, the documentation states "Cable has errors".

You are sing this behaviour on just 2 ports? What are the number of the ports?

When you say "nothing is connected to the other end" you mean disconnecting the far end right? Leaving a patch cord connected to the switch port, which patch cord goes to a patch panel, cabling system, another patch panel, patch cord and finally the end device. Correct?

Can you try a simple test?  Switch-----patch cord-------end device

1. disconnect the end device from the patch cord, leaving the patch cord in the switch
2. disconnect the patch cord from the switch

Is the behaviour of the LED the same?

[DoubleDown]

This behavior occurs with only two cat5e house runs. The port behavior follows the cable runs. I get solid amber on whichever switch port I connect the cat5e cable run to.

The ethernet cables were professionally installed and personal tests with an ethernet tester shows the lines are fine. Also, devices connected to these line work correctly and pass internet tests.

By "nothing is connected to the other end" I mean I have nothing connected to the RJ45 jack at the far end right.

This behavior occurs with the house run connected directly to the switch or through a patch panel.

Test behavior:

1) disconnecting the end device (TV) from the RJ45 wall plate, leaving the house run connected to patch panel and the patch cable from the patch panel to the switch connected

port LED turns solid amber

2) disconnecting the end device (TV) from the RJ45 wall plate, leaving the house run connected directly to the switch

port LED turns solid amber

3) disconnecting the patch cable from patch panel to the switch

port LEDs turn off

[liviu.gheorghe]

So, if the switch port has nothing connected, the LED is off as it should be.

If the switch port is connected to the patch panel/house runs, the LED is AMBER.

My conclusion is that, I don't know for what reason, the switch is "complaining" about the cabling - patch panels/house runs. I'm not saying the switch is correct, but this is what I'm seeing.

There is one last and relatively simple test you can perform - if you have a really log patch cord, length under 100 meters - if you have some CAT5e you can crimp the RJ45 connector on it - to connect the switch to the end device and see what happens. This way you completely eliminate the patch panels and cable runs.

[DoubleDown]

The switch LEDs turn off with a stand alone 25' ethernet cable connected to it (with no device connected).

I suspect the switch is detecting some noise along those two ethernet runs and setting an error flag in the software even though the runs work fine.

I could kill the house power (My network gear is on a UPS) and if the amber LED turns off, try individual breakers. But that would just tell me if it's a noise issue, but not resolve the issue.

It would be nice to know what actually causes that error flag to get set and provide a means to adjust its thresholds.