Are your boards losing connections randomly? going red, black or blinking green Need your help!

[Diana]

We have a major problem with boards that were purchased last spring and this summer.  They will randomly drop connection, go red, blink green, or even black.  If we disconnect the cable from the dongle at the controller box it will come back on but then it will go off again later.  There seems to be no consistent pattern, it is on both XP and Windows7 OS, different brands and types of USB extenders and cat5 cabling,  different models of Dell( but they are all Dell). 

 

We are being told by Smart Technologies that we are one of 2 districts in the US that have this issue and they want to say it is our Dell computers. It very well might be that. But I want to know if any other areas around the country are experiencing this dropped connection issue? Your input is so valuable!!!

 

Thanks so much Diana

[Debra Foley]

Make sure your firmware is up to date.  This can sometimes cause the board to loose connection as well.  To get to it go to your C: Drive\Program Files\SMART Technologies\SMART Product Drivers\SMART FirmwareUpdater.  You will need to be connected to the board at the time and it will check to see if the firmware is up to date.  As a reseller I have seen a number of boards have this issue...  Hope this helps.

[Obe Hostetter]

I would try a usb hub that is powered by electricity.  This can help give more power to usb devices including the SMART Board.

[Diana]

We have tried every port on the computers, and sometimes that works for a little while but then it just drops it again.  We definately think this is USB related. We are not using laptops only desktops so maybe this is an issue as well.  We have looked at the SmartBoard Services running and it is. I think the USB is the issue but what exactly we don't know.  Today they told us it is most likely BIOS issues on our Dell computers but our district techs don't think that is what it is.  OH well anymore ideas would be great.

[Jennifer Harper]

Obe, you are correct, with the USB ports.  I have told all my teachers to always plug into the top USB port on the MacBook Pro, as it is the more powerful port.  Once the pen tray cycles fully and they have the solid green light, they then can connect their projector.  Works like a charm in our building.

[Obe Hostetter]

The SMARTBoardservice software need to be running for the SMARTBoard to work on Windows or MAC.  Sometimes, double-clicking on this will fix the problem.  Other times, plugging the SMART Board into a different usb port on the computer seems to help.  Not all usb ports are equal and SMART Boards like the usb ports that have more power.

[Jennifer Harper]

Interesting.  I had to replace my box 2 years ago on my board, so perhaps that is why I'm not having that issue.  I completely forgot about that.

[Diana]

Thank you so much Rae Ann, Jennifer and Mary.  I have some questions. Rae Ann is this effecting just your board of alot of them in your school?  They told us that as well and we have replaced several, sometimes it has helped and sometimes it hasn't.  Are your boards directly connected to your computers via the black USB cable that they come with?  I am assuming that you are Windows? But interesting to hear that it is also happening on Mac as well.  Thanks for your help in this matter!! It is so valuable.

[Rae Ann Vandrovec]

We were told by SMART that it is the gray controller box behind the serial number that is responsible. We are still checking it out!

[Jennifer Harper]

Our school is all MacBook Pro, OS 10.6.6 running Notebook 10.6.238.3 and we have not had this issue at all.  I have some teachers who leave their laptops connected to their boards for more than 2 hours and it never loses the connection.

 

Our boards are the SB680 and our teachers are wired from the board to the laptop. 

 

The only time we seem to get the flashing is if we plug the projector in first and then the Smartboard.

 

Jenn

[Mary Fran Lynch]

I have been having this problem too. I have a Mac, so it is not your Dell. The connection seems to drop randomly in the middle of a lesson. I also notice that if I disconnect my laptop or close it during the day, I lose connection with the SmartBoard. The only thing I have figured out to do is restart my computer. It is hard to keep the lesson going, the kids on task, and restart the computer all at the same time.