Very Sporadic pinging

**mystic98802** · 06-09-2017

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I have a hospital with 20 sharps like MX-M465 or MX2640n The machines were all put in with no issues new a couple years ago. All of a sudden now a couple weeks ago I start having issues on all of the machines some more then others. Basically lots of jobs are getting stuck in print ques, I am having issue with Twain scanning dropping, one machine will have the print jobs disappear only to come out hours later or to come out once you have restarted the copier. My sharp service rep, and the tach line are not being much help because this is a network issue, but I need to know what may have changed so I can offer suggestions to the IT guys.

I hooked my laptop up to the Copiers cat5 cable and then issued my laptop the IP address that that copier was on and then issued a ping from one of the workstations and all the pings are <1ms all of the copier have these crazy pings though, sometimes over 1k ms for long blocks in a row.

I have tried disabling the normal unused ports, My next step is to try using the soft switches to change the link speed, does anyone have any experience with that? My customer is two hours away so I want to have as many ideas as possible before I head out next week.

Link lights on the machine is Solid green and Blinking Amber

**KenB** · 06-09-2017

Try connecting your notebook with a direct connection to one of the MFPs (you don't need a crossover with most modern NICs, as it will be handled by your notebook automatically), and give yourself a similar IP address.

If the pings are all good, I would suspect an issue with their network equipment (most likely switches) that the copiers can't handle.

This was a problem with Fiery and certain Cisco switches some years back. At that time, the fix was to put a small hub or switch between the Cisco switch and the Fiery. The problem was that the Cisco switch was running a newer version of NDS (a Layer 2 protocol) than the Fiery was. The intermediate switch acted a a translator.

Could it be that the switch was replaced, or even updated recently?

**mystic98802** · 06-09-2017

For sure the switches have all been changed in the last few months for much higher end 10Gbps units.

With cross over the ping is fine, I realize it is a network issue, I am just trying to figure out what needs to be changed to fix it. whether it be a setting on the MFPs or something they need to do on the switches.

We tried turning off EEE on the switches with no change.

Since I am amber that means 1000Mbps right? Do you know on the newer machines what soft switches to lock that down into 100Mbps?

Do you think it will still be sim 55-03 SW6-1 to 1 SW6-2 to 0 or is it different now that the nics can do 1Gbps?

Would I want full or Half duplex SW6-3?

I asked their IT to lock it down using the switches and they wont be able to do that until Monday.

**mystic98802** · 06-09-2017

Oh Ip 6 is off already as well.

All cables int he buildings were replaced before my problems as well. so everything even in the walls is CAT6

**KenB** · 06-10-2017

Sorry, I know nothing about Sharp.

Try that intermediate switch I mentioned, if you can get your hands on one. Definitely make it a gigabit switch.

One HUGE word of caution: Some switches will shut down a port if it detects another switch.

Make sure you get that make and exact model number of the switch(es) the customer is using. Firmware versions of the switch(es) would be a plus.

I would definitely escalate that issue to Sharp support, and provide all the detail. I would think that once they understand the circumstances, that they wouldn't just write it off as a "customer network issue".

**blackcat4866** · 06-10-2017

Originally Posted by KenB

Try connecting your notebook with a direct connection to one of the MFPs (you don't need a crossover with most modern NICs, as it will be handled by your notebook automatically), and give yourself a similar IP address.

If the pings are all good, I would suspect an issue with their network equipment (most likely switches) that the copiers can't handle.

This was a problem with Fiery and certain Cisco switches some years back. At that time, the fix was to put a small hub or switch between the Cisco switch and the Fiery. The problem was that the Cisco switch was running a newer version of NDS (a Layer 2 protocol) than the Fiery was. The intermediate switch acted a a translator.

Could it be that the switch was replaced, or even updated recently?

I had this exact issue on Copystar MFPs 7 or so years ago. With my laptop on the MFP's network cable, pings back to their print server would drop to 500ms or more intermittently. Reducing communication speed won't help you here. Packets that don't get through won't get through at any speed.

I think I would bring a roll of Cat6 wire to the customer site and crimp a connector to one end. Run that cable out as far as you have to to plug into a new/different network port, and crimp on another connector. Do that same ping test from the end of your new cable to the new port. I think you'll be able to find at least one port that has a good connection. Save that ping screen just like you did before. Hand it over to on-site IT and say "Here you go. This is a good connection, therefore not my equipment. Please feel free to keep the cable until you figure it out."

It could be just about anything. Maybe a bad switch port (yes new switches can have a bad port). Maybe someone hanging drywall drove a screw into the cable. Maybe there's a cut in the insulation, and when it rains the water runs into the cable. It's really really not your problem, and the more you act like it is, the more it will be.

=^..^=

**KenB** · 06-10-2017

Since multiple (if not all) the machines are affected, I would think it's something they all have in common, such as a switch.

However, I do agree...it could be anything, so don't be to quick to rule anything out.

**mystic98802** · 06-10-2017

There are several switches through out several buildings, the switches are very high end ciscos 10Gbps units thier the nicest I have seen being Im in montana. My laptop on the mfps cable has zero latency only the mfps are haveing crazy pings. This is happening to 100% of my 20 mfps.

I feel like it has to be a setting on the new routers, or a setting common to all the mfps.

The reason i wanted to look at slowing the speed is because some of the old switches were not 1Gbps, so i was trying to figure out what diffrence would be with the new switchs vs the old.

Thanks for your brainstroming guys. Since im in Montana it would take months before they would send my regional service rep, and the tach sujested, like always to replace the mfp pc board... I bet they would like me to order 20 of those.

**blackcat4866** · 06-10-2017

Originally Posted by mystic98802

... like always to replace the mfp pc board... I bet they would like me to order 20 of those.

Didn't you know? Firmware, and replacing the MFP board fixes everything, according to the hotline. =^..^=

**KenB** · 06-10-2017

Again, this sounds like a compatibility issue between the new switches and the MFPs.

This sounds almost if not identical to the Fiery issue I previously mentioned.

MFP manufacturers tend to be a bit slow to respond to industry changes in comparison to the folks who make network equipment. I'm sure that Cisco and similar companies don't check with every other company to see if it's OK to make changes.