When connecting two unmanaged switches together, the use of a straight-through Ethernet cable is typically incorrect unless the switches support auto-mdix (automatic medium-dependent interface crossover), which automatically adjusts the connection to allow for different types of cables. Older or more basic unmanaged switches often require a crossover cable when connecting similar devices (switch-to-switch or hub-to-hub) to ensure the transmit pins on one end match the receive pins on the other end. This allows data to flow correctly between the two devices. Since the uplinks are not on, it suggests that the correct pin alignment is not being achieved with the straight-through cable, and a crossover cable should be used instead.