Fustration

Don't you just hate it when things just will not work.

Some time back, I pondered running econet over 2 spare pairs in a cat5 cable that was already runinng ethernet from the ground floor to the atic.

After much discussion on the mailing list over the merits of running econet without the earth connection, I tried it, and it worked, and all was good. However, the Beeb was not really decorative enough to keep out, so has spent almost all the intervening time in the cupboard!

I finally made enough room in the spare room to get it set up on a desk there, but there was no direct cable from the atic where the filesever is to that room. After much swearing, I did manage to run another cable there, and duly crimped RJ45 sockets on the ends, and transferred the Econet DIN-Cat5 cables over. And it didn't work.

All I get on the Master is "Station 10 not present" drat. It's got a clock though...

So I try..

• Adding a crossover (by re-crimping one end) but that made it worse - didn't even see the clock...
  
• Visually checking all the connections at each end...
  
• Spending half an hour looking for the cat5 tester, then a little longer for a battery, just to confirm that the line is absolutely fine...
  
• Added the earth connections to the DINs, now I have enough wires to use...
  
• Set up a Model B in the attic, which also cannot see the server right next to it..
  
• Tried a new drop lead from the server to the econet sockets..
  
• Disconnected all the new cabling and brought the terminate upstairs, still no joy..
  
• Reset the econet station number on the server and tried another version of !Server..
  
• Power cycled the server several times doing all this..
  

And it still doesn't work..

All I lave left I am able to do is disconnect everything, link the B and the server and the clock together using T pieces and open up the server and re-seat the econet board.. it USED to work...

Sigh...