Fluke Networks White Paper Sample

Symptom: A PC, phone, access point or printer is connected to the wall jack and the connection is not activated. The switch port does not show a link light, nor does the network adapter. Cause: Dead drops are commonly simple problems that occur when a connection is not patched through to the wall jack. In many organizations, only those connections that are actively being used are patched. When offices or meeting rooms are moved around, sometimes the network jacks are not tested for the new users, or drops that are intentionally left disconnected may not be properly documented. Additionally, the switch port may be administratively disabled.

Resolution: Check to be sure the switch port is activated and that the connection has been properly patched. When any devices have been physically moved in the office, be sure to test the new connections to ensure they are working properly. In the case of an IP Phone, it may also be that power is not being sufficiently supplied to the phone.

Problem 2 – Can’t get an IP address Symptom: The network appears down or inoperable. The operating system may alert that an address was not received from the DHCP server. After checking the network adapter status, no address may be configured.