synology dual lan question

[udis]

I am trying to sort out my new setup with synology ds214+. I plan on connecting to my Aries via Ethernet from the nas, leaving one open port. can I plug a patch cable from my switch into the open port and have this nas available on my network? if not, how can I do both direct connection to Aries and rest of my network?

[baddog]

I am not an expert on this and have never tried a direction ethernet connection between the Synology NAS and the Aries. Mine is setup with Synology NAS connected to router, and accessed by the Aries via wireless ( I have also had the Aries connected via ethernet and didn't hear any difference versus the wired connection ).

 

I don't know whether the Aries will see the NAS if it is not first connected to your network ( router/switch ). Please let us know if it does.

 

I believe the intent of dual LAN ports on the Synology NAS was for link aggregation ( to increase throughput ) this of course requires a switch that support link aggregation.

 

FWIW.

[Audio_ELF]

You can bridge the network using a Synology ... but if you are having to ask here (rather than just searching google for the answer) ... I would respectfully suggest that you do not have the knowledge to do it and support it if/when you have a problem.

 

This is not a supported option on Sinology os (iirc)

 

See -- http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f7-disk-storage-music-library-storage/has-anyone-tried-bridge-two-ethernet-ports-dual-port-network-attached-storage-22283/ for a similar question thought I'm unsure what the outcome was.

[Cebolla]

The other thing to consider is the more you complicate your network with unusual configurations, the more likely you'll run into UPnP device discovery issues. Your proposed configuration requires the Aries's controller app, Lightning DS, to connect wirelessly to the router then onto the network bridge within the the Synology NAS in order to 'see' the Aries and vice versa.

 

Each one of those network interfaces has to manage and forward the UPnP discovery data properly for this to work and it's not known how well the network bridge within the Synology NAS is able to do this.

[udis]

I am not an expert on this and have never tried a direction ethernet connection between the Synology NAS and the Aries. Mine is setup with Synology NAS connected to router, and accessed by the Aries via wireless ( I have also had the Aries connected via ethernet and didn't hear any difference versus the wired connection ).

 

I don't know whether the Aries will see the NAS if it is not first connected to your network ( router/switch ). Please let us know if it does.

 

I believe the intent of dual LAN ports on the Synology NAS was for link aggregation ( to increase throughput ) this of course requires a switch that support link aggregation.

 

FWIW.

 

I have tried the Wifi vs. usb, and prefer USB. I would now like to compare wifi vs. ethernet. I'd like to drive to avoid my switch (feeds my entire house and very active). The Aries is already set up and running on a dedicated wifi, which i am able to control via the app.

 

You are correct, they are designed for link aggregation... but i was curious if aries will accept a direct connection from nas.

[udis]

You can bridge the network using a Synology ... but if you are having to ask here (rather than just searching google for the answer) ... I would respectfully suggest that you do not have the knowledge to do it and support it if/when you have a problem.

 

This is not a supported option on Sinology os (iirc)

 

See -- http://www.computeraudiophile.com/f7-disk-storage-music-library-storage/has-anyone-tried-bridge-two-ethernet-ports-dual-port-network-attached-storage-22283/ for a similar question thought I'm unsure what the outcome was.

 

I appreciate your input. I find that asking/searching the CA community is far more effective than searching google. Moreover, i've discovered the CA site search isn't very accurate. Ironically enough, i make a living working with search algorithms.

 

Thank you for posting the link to the previous CA thread. it was very helpful. I think i will route through my switch and implement the fiber media tweak to clean up the signal.

[kennyb123]

but i was curious if aries will accept a direct connection from nas.

 

I would think so. You would need an Ethernet crossover cable and the ability to set IPs on both the Aries and the NAS. Not sure if you could set a static IP on the Aries - if not running a DHCP server on the NAS would do the trick - the NAS would just need to be configured with a static IP.

[baddog]

If one were able to connect the NAS both directly to the Aries via ethernet and to your LAN, I suspect the Lightning DS application will only see the NAS and corresponding music server on the LAN. If that is the case I suspect it will stream music from the NAS via the LAN and not directly to the Aries via the ethernet connection. That all being said, I am just speculating, please give it a shot and let us know how you fair. BTW what are you using for music server software on the Synology?

[Cebolla]

Hence Audio_ELF's suggestion that it would require the NAS to bridge the router side of the network to the Aries side (and my mention of risk of relying on untested network bridges for UPnP discovery to work properly). Of course, as you suggest it's certainly worth testing out.

 

If nothing else, it may help those with a limited number of ports on their router or a way of cutting down on the number of long cable runs to it.

 

BTW, it's not the LDS control point that does the streaming, that's the Aries renderer's (aka streamer) purpose. The LDS tells the Aries what to stream and when.

[Audio_ELF]

As I say, almost anything is POSSIBLE to configure, you just have to decide if the configuration is actually worth the effort. The problem as Cebolla alludes to is getting traffic from one "network" to the other; the Synology software is just not set up to allow you to do that.

 

You could try getting a standalone switch and WAP (wireless access point) connect these and the Aeries to Ethernet 1. Set up static IP addresses (on a different IP range from your normal network) and you will need to connect your iPad to the "audio" WAP for controlling the Aeries. You should then be able to connect the second Ethernet port to your main network and be able to access the NAS from other computers, though there will be no access from the devices on the Audio network to the Main network and vice versa.

 

Another way of achieving a reduction in network traffic would be to replace your network switch with a managed switch and create an audio VLAN. Chris alluded to this in his recent Computer Audiophile - Network Audio Refresher

 

One resource I will also draw your attention to is DS Network Setup - LinnDocs -- its perhaps a little out of date though and there may be better options these days.

[udis]

 

Another way of achieving a reduction in network traffic would be to replace your network switch with a managed switch and create an audio VLAN. Chris alluded to this in his recent Computer Audiophile - Network Audio Refresher

 

Thank you. I am going to try the VLAN approach (i do have a managed switch)

[baddog]

Udis - out of curiosity, what music server software are you running on the Synology?

[udis]

Udis - out of curiosity, what music server software are you running on the Synology?

I've tried Synology Media Server and working on getting MinimServer configured. From what i've read, it appears that MinimServer is superior.

[baddog]

Minimserver is a good choice, I have been using it on the Synology NAS paired with my Aries since last August.

 

Once you do get it set up, be sure to check the Minimserver log file to see if there might be any meta data corrections you may need to make to your music file.

[udis]

Out of curiosity, what type and make of drive are you using?

[baddog]

I have 6 Western Digital RED NAS drives in my Synology. The first four are in a RAID configuration, the other two are not part of the RAID configuration and are used to back up various folders on the NAS itself.

 

Regardless, whether I had a two drive Synology or the larger one I currently own I have been quite pleased with the performance of the WD RED NAS drives. I know Jason uses Seagate drives in his. My music collection is close to 4 TBs in size these days.

 

Oh as to the WD RED NAS drives, the first 4 are their 3TB models, then I have for backup on 4TB and one 6TB.

 

And I have yet another 6TB I use for external backup via USB.

 

If my needs did not require this much storage and disks I would certainly have considered the Samsung 1TB SSD drives.

[udis]

 

If my needs did not require this much storage and disks I would certainly have considered the Samsung 1TB SSD drives.

Are you referring to the pro or evo? If pro, these don't seem to be on the synology compatibility drive list (the 256, 512 are). Have tried the pro or evo 1tb ssd drive?

[baddog]

I have only used Samsung SSDs in my Mac Mini and my Macbook Pros. I have only used up to the 840 series and have had both Pros and EVOs. Maximum storage for the SSDs has been 512 GB to date, later in the year I do plan to buy a Samsung 850 EVO 1TB as a second drive in my Mac Mini. The Pro version of the same size from Samsung is ~ $140 more.

 

Samsung gets consistently good reviews from all I have read.

[Paul R]

First question - why are you worrying about a direct connection to the Synology, and what exactly does that mean to you? What is the rest of your LAN connected to?

 

The two LAN ports on the Synology are intended to be connected to your LAN, and serve either as failover ports or as a aggregated (combined) connection to your LAN. This provides much better throughput to the device than a single connection.

 

I don't know if that is two adapters in the Synology, or a small switch embedded in it, but in either case, you may be asking for a lot of trouble for something I do not believe will give you any advantage.

 

-Paul

[udis]

First question - why are you worrying about a direct connection to the Synology, and what exactly does that mean to you? What is the rest of your LAN connected to?

 

Patch cable from NAS to Aries. At this point, i do not need the audio files available on my network. I have two NAS, one is for music and another is for backing up all computers via time machine. These run all day and do not want to interfere with my listening (hence dedicated NAS for music) I was hoping to eliminate the managed switch (reducing components in the chain).

[Paul R]

Patch cable from NAS to Aries. At this point, i do not need the audio files available on my network. I have two NAS, one is for music and another is for backing up all computers via time machine. These run all day and do not want to interfere with my listening (hence dedicated NAS for music) I was hoping to eliminate the managed switch (reducing components in the chain).

 

As far as I can see then, you won't be able to put your NAS on the network with that configuration, and honestly, it isn't recommended. If you have a managed switch, you can get the same effect, isolate your NAS and Aries, by using a VLAN. That would be a much better choice for you I think.

 

There are some reports that ethernet and switches cause some sonic degradation, but I have never ever heard that with my own ears. You might want to test that theory out with your own ears. I really strongly suggest using a VLAN if at all possible.

 

-Paul