chuckd Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Now when I run my show, my DSL internet connection quits working in my house! The odd thing is that the show computer does not have an internet connection, nor does it have a wireless signal (it's disabled).None of the wires are anywhere near the DSL line, but I can make the DSL work or not work depending on whether or not a show is running.Even weirder, I don't even have to be running any lights.... I can run a completely blank show.This makes my brain hurt!Any ideas? Any at all? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I thought I had some ideas of what was going on, even if I had no solutions to offer, up until the bit about the blank show...One thing that might come into play with the blank show. Do you have any minimum intensity levels configured on any of your controllers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 No, I sure don't. Every box is a stock LOR box straight from the factory (although I do have 53 boxes spread out all over the yard).My blank show is a single sequence with no events (no lights, etc), just a song.I'm investigating further, but any ideas at all are welcome, no matter how weird. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Any easy linkers? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Nope, four separate networks though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 All my LOR network wire is unshielded Cat 5, by the way. Are there any control signals being sent over the network even during a blank sequence? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 With 4 networks, I might start by firing up the network utility on one network at a time, and see if any one network connected to the hardware utility causes the problem...Separately, have you checked that nobody in the house has accidentally removed one of the DSL filters from any of the phone jacks? Are there any long "silver satin" phone cords in use in the house? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 chuckd wrote: All my LOR network wire is unshielded Cat 5, by the way. Are there any control signals being sent over the network even during a blank sequence?Just being cat 5 should cut the radiated signal just like it cuts signal absorption.Yes, any time a show is running, the heartbeat signals are being sent, just like any time the hardware utility is up.I can't think of any other explanation yet, but if this is enough to knock down the DSL, it sounds like it is just on the edge of working anyway... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Will I have to send a signal over the network (light on, twinkle, whatever) with the hardware utility for the particular network to be 'active'? Or will it be active with heartbeats simply by selecting the proper COM port? I've noticed the individual box LED's stay on solid when the hardware utility is up, so there is obviously a different behaviour during this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I have no evidence to support this, but I think just having the hardware utility up, and causing the LEDs to go solid should produce about the same network traffic as having a blank show running....If going through the 4 networks with just that doesn't do it the first try, go through again, and have it refresh the controller list. See if that does it.. I think that is about the most traffic intensive thing you can do from the hardware utility... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 OK, I've been playing around with the system, and I have a bit more info that makes this much more interesting.Turns out my 'blank' sequence wasn't blank; it was running motion sensing security lights. The 1602 box controlling the motion lights gets it's power from an in-ground outlet that runs across the yard (underground in conduit), right across the DSL line to the house. This is the first year I've used that in-ground outlet; last year I ran from an extension cord which is above ground. I'm not sure how close the in-ground circuit is to the DSL line, but I guarantee it is a lot closer than the extension cord is (the DSL line is buried underground too).A question I have is this: has anybody looked at the AC power waveform with a scope when a LOR 1602 is running on the circuit with a load? I'm wondering if there is some high frequency noise being kicked back to the line (many dimmers do this type of thing, creating hum in audio equipment for example). This could radiate right into the DSL line, creating the problem I'm seeing. I'd bet the problem gets worse as a bigger load is applied to the 1602.Tomorrow, I'm going to power this unit from an extension cord and see if the problem goes away. I sure hope so, since it's going to kind of stink if we lose all internet access when the show is running! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 LOR units definitely create electrical noise when dimming, (like any phase angle dimmer) but they should be pretty clean for just on/off. What type of lights are in the motion sensing fixture? And were the lamps on when the issue occurs?If the lights were off, I might think that the power supply for the motion sensor might be what is making the noise...If the lights are CFL's that are on, they are the source... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 They're simple Halogen sensor lights (500 watt lights), however the lights were off (no motion). I'm going to also see if I run a large LED load if the problem happens as well.I'll let you know what I find. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 Well, I found the problem!It's the 1602 box itself! I used an over-the-ground extension cord, and it made no difference at all. So, I swapped the box with a new one, and the problem goes away!This box has to be generating some serious noise. Wonder how LOR will fix this unit? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-klb- Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 I know you said you have not configured any minimum intensities on any of the controllers. Probably the first two things I would suggest trying on that one is using the hardware utility to configure a 0 minimum intensity, in case it left the factory with one, and doing a reset, by turning it off, setting the id to 00, powering it up for a few seconds, turning it back off, and setting the ID again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gizmomkr Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 As a DSL Tech, I would say your signal level is probably on the lower end of the spectrum. DSL is very sinsitive to noise. I have seen may things "knock out" DSL.I strongly suspect your phone line is nicked / spliced / or cut into in the ground. The lor unit could be kicking up some EMI, and maybe another controller has better grounding or something, but I still think a bad junction or cable cut is exposing the telephone line.I'd run another line from the lil green phone box at the street to the house - I bet that also solves the problem. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted November 19, 2009 Author Share Posted November 19, 2009 That's about the third line that we've had run to the house, and it is just over 1100 feet long. I'm sure there's all kinds of possibilities for it getting nicked around.I'll probably look into it after the season, since I'm definitely not getting into that now.Thanks for the advice, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cattlefarmboy Posted December 14, 2009 Share Posted December 14, 2009 chuckd wrote: That's about the third line that we've had run to the house, and it is just over 1100 feet long. I'm sure there's all kinds of possibilities for it getting nicked around.I'll probably look into it after the season, since I'm definitely not getting into that now.Thanks for the advice, though.I have had the same problem, that you been having the last 4 weeks or so. A dsl tech came out to test the lines, everything was fine for him, that was before i found out that the show was causeing the problem. I have tested everything that was in these posts and plus some. I called up the same dsl tech today and told him it was my show that was the problem, he had to see it for himself. He came out a little while ago to check it, it was the first of the kind of problem for him. The only thing he could figure out to do is to put a dsl filter in the box outside of the house. And wire the dsl on a open pair in the wiring. so the dsl and the phone is on different pairs in the house wiring. and it work, so have a tech to try that.good luckjamesoh by the way i'm useing ELL and i had one controller that was causing the dsl to jump off. I didn't told him that tho. but filter in the box fix it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuckd Posted December 14, 2009 Author Share Posted December 14, 2009 My DSL is already on a separate pair (separate line altogether), and nothing else is plugged into it.Also for me, only certain LOR boxes trigger the problem.I'm going to dive into it a bit in the next few days. I'll keep you guys posted if I find anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest wbottomley Posted December 26, 2009 Share Posted December 26, 2009 Digging an old thread up again.I found the source of my problem by accident today.I didn't want to go inside the house tracking mud and ice in so I decided to disconnect the cables from the outside box--image below.After I reconnected them, all sorts of comm problems began. I rebooted the pc, shut the controllers off at the breaker, and tried a few more things.When the show started, still having problems.It dawned on me to check the connections outside under the porch. I made sure they were locked in and firmly seated. After doing this... comm problems went away and my DSL connection only went out twice during the entire night. Usually it's twice a minute.So... a rule of thumb, make sure RS485 connections are firmly seated and well connected. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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