On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:27:59 -0700 (PDT),
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.

If the laptop works plugged directly into any of the router ports I'd
get the wiring and socket outlets checked again. You can make a cheap
test kit by cutting a patch cable in two and shorting out each twisted
pair. Plug it in and stick the other half in the appropriate socket
and use a continuity tester on each twisted pair on that cable. Either
you have faulty wiring connections or the sockets are duff. That does
happen. I have two needing replacement ATM because the RJ45 plug
waggles about in them.