Junk Switch exploding with RFI.

[RedPenguin]

I was wonder if there is anything that I can do, so that my scanner and my switch will play nicely without having to buy a new switch.

I at this time can't really buy a new switch, but I want all my computers to run in 100MB mode so the network is not super slow and gets lock ups under normal use then when I am in 10MBs only.

See so far the only way to make the switch not screw up my scanners is to make every machine use 10 because at 100 the switch beings to radiate and just ruin almost all VHF-Lo, making me unable to listen to much of the fire departments in my area, they use the 33.xMHZ range, and it sometimes even ruins much higher freqs, like some 154.x MHZs.

See I think also, that my house must cause some problems, because if I use a RH77CA antenna, I don't really get that well of reception, I mean I can hear the police and EMS fine, but I have to laugh, because I have a wire wrapped around the frame of my window on the outside, that I had for shortwave, and when I put it on my scanner, many frequencies actually come in clearer, funny how in this case, a free piece of wire, gets better reception then a $20 antenna.

 

[pogbobo]

do you have a buddy or someone that you could borrow another 10/100 switch from and see if it still causes interference? it may just be your particular switch ... you might just have to get a new one (~$25 these days lol) ... or maybe just go wireless ...

 

[RedPenguin]

Hmmm

Well, I know when I use a Linksys Router instead it doesn't really do it, but the router only has 4 ports and I need more then that which is why I use my 8-port.

Since a wire outside the window works so well, can't I somehow shield the wire only on the inside so it can't get the switch or since the switch is in a closet, can't I shield the switch somehow?

EDIT: Oddly enough, I found out something weird. I have my scanner across the room from the switch, and what I did was, I ended up putting on the Radio Shack antenna cause I figured, might as well try the radio in the closet to see if it doesn't get the interference, and oddly enough when I put the scanner back where it was, with the radio shack antenna on instead of the RH77CA, all of the interference was gone but also, Fire Dispatch was coming in clear as day, something I never got on the RH77CA.

I'm starting to wonder if the RH77CA is just way too much for indoors sometimes or something. The Radio Shack antenna, not sure of the name but it's not the huge whip one, it's the actual think looking antenna, and I am picking up Southeast operations in my area now, and I swear I couldn't get that before, even with my best antenna the RH77CA. I don't know if the RH77CA is as good on VHF-Lo as I heard it was.

 

[shaft]

Move your switch to a different room. You can run up to 300ft of cable for ethernet.

 

[RedPenguin]

Hmmm

Well, I figured since I have two 4 port switches that for now I would just hook them up, together and get rid of the Linksys 8-port, and amazingly, even though it's two switches together instead of one, it's actually going faster then the 8-port alone did, I maybe might have to take the 8-port back to the store, I think it may be defective, I can see the RFI, but not it being slower then two switches together.

EDIT: I take this back, I'm going for Linux switches/routers instead, they never ever give me RFI problems.

 

[bezking]

If you are looking for a switch (not a ROUTER) get a Netgear. I have placed my PRO528 directly on top of my FS116 with no interference on virtually all bands.

Aside from the Linksys WRT54G, the only *nix based routers and switches are actual COMPUTERS!

 

[Thunderknight]

If you are looking for a switch (not a ROUTER) get a Netgear. I have placed my PRO528 directly on top of my FS116 with no interference on virtually all bands.

I know this is an old thread, but I found it while searching. I have been having horrible RFI on HF and today I found one of the worst offenders in my house was my Netgear FS116 switch. The switch is at least 25 feet from my wire antenna. I disconnected all of the ethernet cables and it's not being radiated that way. I think I might try grounding the metal case to see what that does.

 

[iMONITOR]

More often it is cheap, or incorrectly made network cables that radiate the interference, rather than the switch, or router itself.

I have a Netgear WiFi 802.11n gigabit router, and a Netgear 16-port gigabit switch within four feet of my scanners, with all antennas in my office, not outside, and they do not cause any problems.

 

[fourthhorseman]

curious,,im not getting any interference either

4 notebooks,1 using 802.11ABGN,2nd using 802.11ABGN and 802.16WiMax. on the 1st floor,
the other 2 802.11BG and a desktop o a LAN and WLAN(also802.11bg)

the router,Linksys wrt54gs pushing about 75-80%power with a scanner & printer networked..

scanners within 6feet,coax Xing over Cat5,AND behind barred 1st floor windows..LOL..
(Nooo,,not in the precinct,just here in West Philly!)

wondering what the environmental variables could be..you got a hidden Faraday cage?