wrote
When we had our extension built recently, I took the opportunity to
install a Cat5 LAN. Well, to be more accurate, the electrician ran
the cabling in but said he didn't do network wiring so the tails sat
there for a while until eldest son got his new laptop. I got a friend
who is an experienced network engineer with his crimping tool to
install the face plates for the network points.

A diagram of the network is he

http://www.flickr.com/photos/30588773@N04/2864919945/

The engineer had a wee gizmo that he plugged into the individual
points and then another into the 4-gang which lit up to show that the
wires were correctly connected. Everything seemed fine and dandy and,
as I say, he's an experienced engineer.

Unfortunately the network doesn't work. A laptop plugged into any of
the individual 1-gang outlets can't see the network. However, if it's
plugged directly into the back of the router, all is fine.

Anyone any thoughts? I bought the cable from work (we do network
installations, though I'm a software engineer myself) - it's
unshielded twisted pair, and it's what we have in our work LAN.

Thanks

Edward

When you plugged the laptop into the router direct, did you use one of the
patch leads or another cable?
Just a check to make sure you haven't got "cross-over" cable by mistake for
the patch leads.

Phil