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What is an ethernet drop and how should you deal with one?
Aside from being a pain, an ethernet drop is also sometimes referred to as a network drop, and occurs when its connection fails, or drops.
These outages can result in a business losing money due to unexpected downtime, so how can they be prevented, and if they do occur, how can they be fixed?
Preventing an ethernet drop
Such is Murphy's law that an ethernet drop often tends to occur at the most inconvenient moment - in the middle of a presentation perhaps, or just as you're about to click 'send' on an urgent email.
However, to prevent this from happening, there are some simple steps you can take. Firstly, make sure the network cables are as free from congestion as possible. Clogged-up cables will never be able to perform tasks as smoothly as you'd like, so try to ensure your networks are streamlined and that there aren't any unnecessary connections hooked up to your devices.
Coding issues can also cause an ethernet drop, so it's important for businesses to make sure all of their connections are set up properly - something they may need expert help with, but the investment spent on a coding specialist will be worth it to prevent downtime and subsequent lost money.
Keeping the ethernet connection in one place at all times can also help. Moving cables around and twisting them can result in damaged links, making a drop increasingly likely.
Yet even by taking the time to iron out these network issues, ethernet drops can still occur.
Fixing an ethernet drop
To troubleshoot and fix an ethernet drop, Glenn Fleishman, author of 'A Practical Guide to Networking, Privacy and Security in iOS 9' recommends that you test each cable to determine exactly which one has caused the problem, as it's likely that the culprit has an electric short.
Writing in Macworld, he explained: "The solution is to run a new cable, tying the new one to the old and pulling it carefully into place, assuming the conduit is wide enough to pass a new cable.
"Internal wiring like this should always use plenum-rated cabling, which is rated for fire resistance and low smoke and off-gassing."
He added that the old cable should be left disconnected for the time being, before being replaced with a new wire to reduce the risk of a repeat occurrence in the future.
