Date   : Sat, 02 May 2009 10:02:49 +0100
From   : robert@... (Rob)
Subject: Econet over UTP ?

OK...

I had a pile of old cat5 patch leads where one or both of the clips on
the RJ45s had been broken off, which I had, at one point, put aside to
be chucked out as they would invariably pop out of the sockets if I
tried ot use them,  So I picked two where one end was still good,
chopped off the other, broken, end, and soldered a DIN plug in it's
place.  Boy, I'd forgotten just how much I hate soldering DIN plugs -
heat them up too long and the blooming pins wander about!

Anyway, made up the cables, found the Cat5 splitters (takes 4 pairs
and splits out to 2 pairs each per two sockets) behind the TiVo, and
connected it all up to the cable going upstairs.

Econet Station 1 No Clock,

Drat.

BUT.. after
1. doing a continuity test on all the cables, and checking no shorts
between pins
2. trying to see if RiscOS would tell me if there was a clock present,
on the fileserver.
3. visibly checking everything, and finding the PSU connection to the
clock box was loose and so there was no power to the clock.  Thank
goodness for power LEDs !
4. still getting No Clock downstairs...
I finally swapped over at the splitters which pairs were being used
for econet and ethernet...

and it works!

I have no idea why that made a difference.. the ethernet worked
throughout, and since, so the wiring would seem to be OK, and proves
that I had definitely not got them cross connected.

So finally, the Master downstairs can see the A5000 running Level4 in
the attic.  First thing I try?  *I AM GAMES hehe. And then I discover
I've no colour on composite video.. and no handy link on a Master,
apparently. Other than that, Meteors on a 37" LCD looks quite nice,
and I can cope without colour on that game.  Guess I'll be getting the
soldering iron out again..

Now to find some pre-school educational software, quickly, so I've got
an excuse for it still being there! lol..

Rob