Installed new router - having intermittent network issues

[g.herrell]

Hello all,

Our router was very old at the plant (and so is our PLC Equipment & Software)

I am having an issue with my RS View SE connections I think. Everything in the entire network was mapped out, I programmed the new router to replicate it. Installed it, everything came up. The only issue I am having is the RS View Clients keep dropping connection to the server for the screens. IF I leave a screen idle, I come back to question marks and essentially a blank screen. If I just unplug the RJ-45 and plug it back into the client and wait.......it reconnects. Before I installed the new router this was never an issue. Screens were up 24 hours and I never experienced this. I did not touch or move any other equipment around at all. I did wipe all arp tables in all machines for the PLC Network computers thinking that was it....didn't help. I double checked all Power Managment settings multiple times to make sure the NIC was sleeping. I am at a total loss. Everything is working great across the entire network except for the clients to server relationship.

Am I missing a setting in Rockwell Software that needs to know I installed a new router? A new MAC Address association?

Thank you everyone,

 

[James Mcquade]

What is the brand name and model of the router?
james

 

[drbitboy]

are the dropped connections all behind the router i.e. on the LAN side, or do they use the router as a gateway to a different network (different broadcast domain)?

 

[g.herrell]

Thank you for asking more questions.

I am using a Netgear R6700v3. Just inside the LAN. This network is a very simple one. Very small facility, about 5-7 computers.

 

[drbitboy]

Does this happen to all of the nodes, or just between the RS View Clients and the server?


If the latter, the common bit may be the server, perhaps the cable or that router port is, or several router ports are, bad? Does switching the server to another port improve things, even swapping with one of the clients?


Another possibility is a DOA router; can you get an eight-port unmanaged switch and connect everything to that, and connect the eighth port to the router (I assume the router is a DHCP server)? The cost of your time just starting this thread and reading any responses is probably less than an eight- or sixteen-port switch.

 

[g.herrell]

drbitboy

Yes, sorry. I am only using the router from the ISP to the first switch. It is a 16 port switch. Everything locally can ping, and share files and even see the internet. Even when the Rockwell software seems to crash on me. It is a ghost I am chasing I think. I am wondering if a bad cable is in play here and when I switched the routers, did I aggravate an old issue? I know I wasn't super gentle as to not disturb any connections to the switch. I am thinking about just putting new ends on any cable that looks to be suspicious as my next step. Been fighting it since last Friday.

 

[James Mcquade]

I have had this happen before, reseat each cable several times. the connector may be seated correctly/dirty/corroded. reseating will clean the connector. do this at both ends. if you replace the ends, do 1 cable at a time, stating with the cable giving the issue.
james

 

[g.herrell]

James,

Thank you, I am going to start replacing cable ends tomorrow. Some look pretty shoddy as I started putting more time in reviewing them. They were put on 14 years ago. They don't look very professional. This will be my next step. Thank you and I will update everyone as I move forward solving this issue.

 

[James Mcquade]

Keep the old end and leave some cable so you can look at it as a reference. if its that old, no telling what the color code might be or how it was wired.
james

 

[g.herrell]

Update on my issue.

Completely Router related. I reverted back to old hardware after an entire week of chasing cables, NIC replacements, software research and trying anything I could find. Friday at the last minute before I left.....I punted.

Reverted back to old hardware. Not an issue since. Literally plug and play because it is still all programmed correctly.

The router that I bought and took back out was a Netgear Nighthawk AC1750 R6700v3.
I do not recommend this router for anything other than basic internet related items. It worked fine for my DHCP clients, but not for clients hosting other functions.

 

[BryanG]

Not wising to be rude but if you fitted a domestic router in to an industrial facility you deserve to have problems.

 

[Phil Buchanan]

What is the purpose of the router? It sounds like you only need a switch.