Cheap device for checking internet connection?

[treezleef]

Hi,
Supposing you have a device in the field that is connected to the household router via an ethernet cable (may also be TP links in the path back to the router) . The devices were all sucessfully connecting to the internet at installation time. Some of the units then suffer disconnection from the internet for whatever reason. So you want to check that the ethernet connection to the device is good.

So you want a cheap little device that will plug into the ethernet cable and send pings back via the router. What form would such a device take? (small and cheap as possible).

So in other words, you would unplug the ethernet cable from the device, and plug it into the “ping” thing instead . This would be to show up cable faults etc…(ie, no pings if cable broken).

The "ping" thing would be sent out to those customers who suffer internet disconnection.

 

[UNG]

Thanks, but sorry i cant tell what the equipment is as i would be sacked.
We use a VPN to connect to the equipment.
Its only about 5% of customers who get this problem......often we get them to solve it by simply turning on then off their TP link wireless repeater thingy.

Are you the head of IT by any chance and a bit out of your depth

 

[Strima]

Anything to do with this thread you started?

Or this thread?

Or what about this thread?

Sounds like you're trying to cobble something together using the cheapest possible option hoping it works?

 

[plugsandsparks]

What i cannot understand is if he can VPN out why not just VPN in, go to device and ping it.

I remote into to numerous installations and never had to buy some product to prove internet.

Hand in pocket, get some Dyndns accounts, one per customer, set them up when you are at install, customer has trouble, you remote in and take it from there.

If you dont have the skills to set this up, learn on your home network, most home broadband routers can do the basics of what you need.

 

[treezleef]

Thanks, i hope we dont need single ethernet cable back to the household router as then that router has to be fixed in place, pretty much.
I hope we can keep using TP links if poss.
We're going to start going round to these customers houses next, so want to go armed with info.

i am going to take a pice of ethernet cable (two pieces in fact), a spare i/o board, and a LAN cable tester, and a laptop with RJ45 port...do we need anything else?.

First we will see if we cant connect back to the household router with the laptop used in place of the equipment..then we will go from there.....we have hundreds of customers who have no problem.....also, all customers had a working system at install time.

(We usually find the customer had their router changed, and just didnt realise to plug the etherent cable into the new router.....then when our installer finds this, they deny it, so they dont have to pay callout)

Thats interesting about upload speed...and of course, we are uploading data.

 

[snowhead]

(We usually find the customer had their router changed, and just didnt realise to plug the etherent cable into the new router.....then when our installer finds this, they deny it, so they dont have to pay callout)

Then the Ethernet cables need clearly labelling at the router stating what they're for and to reconnect if removed.
Same with the T.P links.

 

[Simon47]

Thanks, i hope we dont need single ethernet cable back to the household router as then that router has to be fixed in place, pretty much.

No, it just means that if the customer wants to move their router, they have to move an ethernet cable as well as the phone cable. Realistically, the majority of people never move the router outside the limits of the supplied cables away from the phone socket - and those that do, tend to be the more tech savvy type.
Label the cable, if they unplug it then it's not your problem. If they move the router and don't move the cable - not your problem.