[Elecraft] slightly OT -- acceptable network switch (aka Linksysproduces birdies)

[Bob McGraw K4TAX]

After reading all of this, I investigated my system here.  First, no 
birdies found on any of the bands.  WHEW!   Noise on the 160M center fed 
wire w/balanced feed line is about S-3 this morning, noise on the coax 
fed 75M inverted V is S-2, and noise on the coax fed  40M inverted V is 
S-3, and noise on the coax fed 20M inverted V is S-3. These seem to be a 
bit higher then normal but it is Saturday and everybody is home in the 
neighborhood.

Our system arrives with fiber underground to the box the TELCO provided 
on the end of the house.  Out of that box runs a CAT5E cable up the 
wall, into the attic, across the attic and drops through the ceiling, 
then around the bookcase desk to the modem/switch sitting under the 
desk.    The modem/switch is a CISCO LinkSys EA4500.  Two of the ports 
are being used, printer and laptop,  and the other two are open.   The 
power for the modem/switch, power for the computer, the printer, the CLF 
lamp on the desk along with the radios all come from one power source 
being a dedicated 20A service back to the main breaker panel, again at 
the far end of the house, on the inside wall, being the same wall the 
CAT5E cable runs up to the attic.   The run from the TELCO box to the 
station is about 75 ft.  Same from the breaker panel to the operating 
position for station and amp power.  Those feeds are #12-2 w/ ground and 
#10-3 w/ground respectively.  Being in the middle and upstairs of a 2 
story house there is no station ground to the outside world, other than 
the provided safety 3rd pin ground as required.  I do have a dedicated 
240V 20A service for the amp and that service is in the attic back to 
the main breaker panel.

Antennas are all above the roof, no more than 50 ft and less with the 
tower at the corner of the house, and mostly less with a couple, 40M 
wire and 20M wire actually having the ends terminated at the eve of the 
2nd story.  The point being, there is not a lot of physical separation 
between the CAT5E cable and the antennas and power wiring.

To me it is very puzzling why so many seem to have issues and a few do 
not.  I could elaborate about station equipment connectivity.  It would 
most likely start a controversy as to what is correct and what is 
incorrect.  My point, if one is having issues, this should trigger a 
thought to investigate how and what is configured with the station.  In 
some cases, I'm sure certain equipment is more prone to generate 
noise/birdies than others.

73
Bob, K4TAX



On 2/6/2016 11:24 AM, Larry Gauthier (K8UT) wrote:
> John
>
> I think I have been mis-understood; or perhaps I mis-spoke. ;-)
>
> I could not migrate to gigabit ethernet from 10 MBPS because the CAT5 
> cable I was using only had two available pairs. I replaced the CAT5 
> with CAT6 with 4 available pairs, but that alone would not have solved 
> my birdie problem. The real "fix" was in the move from 10 -> 1000. I 
> do not believe that changing cables alone will solve your problem.
>
> -larry (K8UT)
> -----Original Message----- From: John Shadle
> Sent: Friday, February 05, 2016 10:14 AM
> To: David Ahrendts
> Cc: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [Elecraft] slightly OT -- acceptable network switch (aka 
> Linksysproduces birdies)
>
> Thank, all. I may have to look into that. It may just involve changing 
> out
> some runs of the cable. I used either CAT5 or CAT5e in all my runs. Just
> odd that the noise is coming from the one location and not the others,
> though. Ah well!
>
> -john NE4U
>
> On Fri, Feb 5, 2016 at 8:15 AM, David Ahrendts <davidahrendts at me.com> 
> wrote:
>
>> John, I’ll concur with Larry. I have several D-Link gigabit switches 
>> using
>> CAT6 cable with no apparent noise, and I believe their “green” 
>> technology
>> actually shuts off unused ports when not in use. Amazon.
>>
>> David A., KK6DA, LA
>>
>> On Feb 5, 2016, at 1:48 AM, Larry Gauthier (K8UT) <K8UT at charter.net>
>> wrote:
>>
>> John,
>>
>> I had a similar situation here with a LinkSys switch. Tried a NetGear
>> switch and the birdies moved - but were still present. Solved the 
>> problem
>> by moving all networked devices from cat5 10 mb to cat6 1000t gigabit
>> ethernet.
>>
>> -larry (K8UT)
>> -----Original Message----- From: John Shadle
>> Sent: Thursday, February 04, 2016 1:07 AM
>> To: elecraft at mailman.qth.net
>> Subject: [Elecraft] slightly OT -- acceptable network switch (aka
>> Linksysproduces birdies)
>>
>> I just completed my K3S build and initial configuration. Woohoo. I was
>> tuning around the bands, and I noticed birdies *everywhere*. Every 
>> 20-30Hz
>> on 40m there was one -- and it was LOUD. I thought that something was up
>> with my build, but then started doing an internet search for "K3 
>> birdies".
>> I saw one person (from a 2010 post on this list) note that the birdies
>> could be coming from network devices (routers). A-ha!
>>
>> Initially, I thought it had something to do with my ASUS wireless router
>> being extremely close to my operation location. I unplugged it, and the
>> noise went away. Then I plugged it back in and removed, one by one, the
>> connections to various devices (network storage, my shack computer, 
>> and the
>> line that runs to my upstairs office). It just so happens that I had
>> installed a network switch recently (produced by Linksys, and on sale at
>> Best Buy last week). I unplugged the cable going to that switch, and the
>> noise went away. I then plugged it back in, and went to the office and
>> disconnected the power from the Linksys switch. Noise is gone again.
>>
>> So, I'm looking for a new network switch. Does anyone have advice on 
>> what
>> has worked for them?
>>
>> Alternately, any idea on how to get the network switch from producing 
>> these
>> awful birdies?
>>
>> I'm *not* looking for a new router -- but just a switch.
>>
>> Thanks.
>> -john NE4U
>> Madison, WI
>> ______________________________________________________________