Ethernet cable wiring for PC-AZBox

[AcWxRadar]

Can anyone confirm the proper crossover wiring connections to connect the AZBox with a PC?

I need to recover an AZBox through the back door and I don't have the proper Ethernet cable to assist in the project.

I looked up the Ethernet crossover pinouts on the internet, and I tried a couple variations, but there are multiple standards for a crossover cable cited. I need to know which standard is absolutely correct for this specific application.

This recovery process is unsure at best, but I must be sure that the cabling is correct first off. I can Google for the information, but there are too many variations out there on the web for different applications. I don't know which standard to apply for the AZBox-PC communication link.

I can fabricate my own cable, but I hate to waste too much time doing so. I just want to know the right pinout for the cable and then move on to other areas of concern.

Please understand that I cannot proceed with the recovery process of a failed AZBox with the uncertainty of Ethernet connection in the back of my mind, haunting me. I do have one working AZBox and one failed one. If I know that the cable is proper, I can troubleshoot my connection setup parameters with my good box and prove everything to be functional before I move over to repair the failed box.

Someone here must be using an Ethernet cable between your PC and your AZBox (not between your router and the AZBox). If you have a direct Ethernet connection between your PC and your AZBox, and it works, that is the cable that I need and I need to know the precise wiring of that cable. This would be a crossover Ethernet cable.

I would be very grateful to you if you can inform me of the precise wiring of that cable (which pairs are crossed).

Thank you,

RADAR

 

[putney]

My Mac crosses over auto(magically). Don't PCs?

When I needed a cross over cable in the past, I just picked up a small ethernet connector, broke it apart, and crossed over the pins. Then I used two standard RJ-45 cables.
The pin out is just the opposite of what you see. Just arrange left to right instead of right to left.

Amazon.com: RJ45 Ethernet Connector Adapter, Light Beige: Electronics

 

[mr3p]

LWD - How To Make a Crossover Cable



http://www.duxcw.com/digest/Howto/network/cable/cable5.htm



http://www.google.com/images?q=cros...mIJLAsAOooJ3DBA&ved=0CC4QsAQ&biw=1378&bih=867

 

[putney]

Yeah, I forgot. The pairs cross over, not individual legs.

Link 2 above

 

[Yurek99]

connector 1 from left to right looking from the top and holding cable in you hand:
White-orange
Orange
White-Green
Blue
White-Blue
Green
White-brown
Brown

Connector 2:

White-Green
Green
White-Orange
Blue
White-Blue
Orange
White-brown
Brown

 

[AcWxRadar]

Thanks mr3p, Putney and Yurek,

I wanted to confirm that I had my cable absolutely correct. Now I know that it is as I can obtain a "CONNECTED" status between two PCs and between one PC and the AZBox.

However, now my next trouble is that I cannot actually communicate with the AZBox. Are any of you directly connected between your PC and the AZBox with the Ethernet cable?
How did you set this up and what communication programs are you using? Can you use PuTTY for this? How about MaZEDIT and FileZilla? I am not getting a response with any of these here, so I do not have something setup properly.

RADAR

 

[AcWxRadar]

Update on this...

I have always used my AZBox and my PC BOTH as wireless setups just fine.

If I connect my AZBox to my router with an ethernet cable, and set it up for a WIRED network (WiFi disabled) and connect my PC to the router with an ethernet cable and disable the wireless connection, I can talk between my PC and my AZBox using MaZEdit or FileZilla or ACC/AZBox Edit.

I also find that I MUST use a crossover ethernet cable in between my router and my AZBox to be able to use the WIRED network setup. If this is the case, do you suppose that I need to use the straight ethernet cable between my PC and my AZBox? That would be contrary to my thinking. But the straight cable does not work between AZBox and router, but the crossover cable does.

I am absolutely certain of the crossover ethernet cable's connection and quality. But, the straight through cable has me doubting it. I may have to cut the ends off and do it my self (this cable was not made by me, I got it from work) and maybe it isn't good or it isn't what I think it is. I cannot tell easily by just looking at the wiring colors (they used blue tinted connector ends and so I cannot see the wire colors clearly).

However, I cannot talk to my AZBox if I run either ethernet cable in between the PC and the AZBox. Now what am I doing wrong here?

RADAR

 

[mr3p]

If you want to connect your Azbox directly a PC, without a router, you do need to use a crossover cable. I keep a crossover (orange ethernet) cable because I'm too lazy to build one but sounds like you were able to confirm yours is working properly.

If you want to connect your Azbox to a PC going thru a router, you use a regular ethernet cable. If you aren't getting this working the only possibilites are that your ethernet cable is bad or your router isn't configured properly.

If your homebrewed crossover cable is working when connected thru the router, something isn't right. What ports are you using on the router to connect your PC and Azbox? When connecting devices to the router always use the LAN ports which there are typically 4.

 

[Keith Brannen]

Some routers (especially broadband routers) can detect and handle crossover cables, AcWxRadar check the specs on your router. However, the fact that a straight cable won't work with the router is very strange.

 

[AcWxRadar]

I erred when I stated that I could not connect my AZBox to my router with a straight through ethernet cable. It works as well as does a crossover ethernet cable. (With my Linksys WRT54G router.)

What I discovered was a little unique in a way. If I set up my wired connection to the router using one cable type, then I cannot swap to the other cable. That will not work.
However, if I switch back to WiFi first, and then change the ethernet cable and repeat the set up for a wired connection then that ethernet cable functions fine.
Furthermore, if I again switch back to WiFi and swap to the other style of ethernet cable and again repeat the set up for a wired connection, then THAT cable type will function fine.

Now, the WRT54G router specifications does list that it does have AUTO MDI/MDI-X capabilities. This allows either cable type to be applied regardless of the device. It automatically switches to the necessary connection for communication. But, it seems that the device (my AZBox) must reestablish this demand in a specific way for it to take effect.

There may be other avenues which would implement this resetting function, like a reboot. But, switching back and forth between the WiFi and the WIRED is so quick and easy and does not require the time to wait for the unit to reboot that I see no logic in testing further. Besides, once your system network is set up once, you are unlikely to change it. The only reason I have done this was because it was a part of troubleshooting my cables and end connections.

Now, I am back to trying to get my PC and my AZBox to talk directly between eachother without the router.

RADAR

 

[Cadsulfide]

Check your dhcp settings on the pc, and maybe give it (pc) a fixed ip address for the repair job.