Hi all,

Just received yesterday my Efika MX Smarttop, and looks nice... Until i connected it with Ethernet.
Instantly ADSL line drops.

For a couple of hours i got it online, after several hours of tweaking with groundings and wirings, but with poor line speed.

It does not even need to be powered up... Requires only one addtional connection, e.g. HDMI to my TV, or powersupply.

I have used several different platforms at this location e.g. freescale own i.MX51 development board, beagles, 5200 tower etc. connected to the same cables. Actually i just swapped i.MX51 board to smarttop.

Othewise smarttop seems to run ok.

-Kimmo

It's impossible for the efika -or any device actually- to affect the ADSL line. I have several efikas and many other computers here and -as expected- the efika cannot affect the adsl line. I'm being literal with "impossible" here, unless one likes to think of quantum effects or chaotic systems.
You didn't mention if you connect the efika directly on your modem -as some have an builtin switch of 4-5 ports- or on a switch connected to the modem. If the latter, forget it, it's not the efika, it's probably your modem. If the former, the only way I can think that the efika broke your modem is because of a faulty power supply -that somehow carries a higher voltage current to your efika. And that leads again to power supply. Try connecting both to a UPS and see if that behaviour still happens.

Having a UPS is a good advice in any case.

Uh. It is not literally impossible to an equipment to affect operation of another equipment, and no, i'm not talking about chaos theory, just simple EMC, but i assume that is beyond SW.

My workaround solution is to use USB WLAN adapter.

I have to debug the which connection makes it to glitch, but i think this has something to do with ground loops.

Both connection schemes, that you did suggest, were tested.
Through a switch, and directly to the modem, same situation. (modem is not broken) ADSL line will return to normal operation when i disconnect Efika from Ethernet.

Even while powered off? That seems unlikely. Not impossible, but very unlikely.

It sounds to me like a grounding problem.

FYI the ethernet inside the Efika is a USB LAN adapter. It should not (and is not wired to) produce any other effects you would not see on any other LAN adapter on USB (in that it only gets enough power from USB as any other USB device..)

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Matt Sealey

Issue seems to have something to do with ground loop, and as my TV is connected to building antenna network, TV to Efika with HDMI, and Efika to Modem with Ethernet, and modem to adsl.

I might even free Efika from this issue, and start to search fault with building manager from the antenna amplifier.

Good luck to you, I have never had any luck trying to get apartment management to do anything this complicated (they all seem, in any country, lacking the resources or expertise to do anything beyond changing a filter in the air conditioner)

Have you tried hooking up the Efika to another power socket than the one the TV etc. is hanging from? Even with the main unit turned off the transformer "brick" will draw a trickle of power, and it may be causing noise which is interrupting your DSL (without proper ground any surge in the loop is going to cause weird, untracable problems like this). You may just need to change a breaker, or move things around a little.

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Matt Sealey