Optical Network Configurations

[wklie]

Here is another subjective SQ comparison of copper Ethernet from GS105 vs a pair of TP-Link FMC + LPS vs Lumin X1 optical network input:

https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/lumin7/2/

 

Quote

The third configuration involved the Lumin X1's optical network input. Basically I expected a comparable result to using one TP-Link Gigabit MC210CS instead of two. But the sound quality increased with more extended treble, better transients and higher dynamics.

 

[jabbr]

On 2/21/2019 at 10:19 PM, wklie said:

 

Lumin did not test any simplex BiDi SFP at all.  Everything we tested are duplex.  I also do not see a simplex non-SFP FMC offering from TP-Link, making it hard to advise customers how to migrate from a copper Ethernet to fiber network using a non-SFP FMC with a well-known brand that is compatibility proven and in use by other audiophiles.

Agreed, the referenced SFP is of type 1000base-BX — don’t use

 

Use either 1000base-SX (multimode) or

1000base-LX (singlemode) “SX” is short range and “LX” is long range

[gordec]

I'm thinking about setting up a bridge optical connection to my Pro iDSD DAC.

 

Right now my setup is Windows 10 PC -> Ethernet to Network switch -> network switch to Pro iDSD.

 

I'm thinking about getting a Mellanox Connectx2 card in bridge mode -> Optical fiber SFP cable -> Fiber Media Converter -> Ethernet cable to Pro iDSD.

 

This should work right? I haven't seen anyone trying to use a SFP 10G NIC and putting it into bridge mode. 

 

1. Mellanox Connectx2

2. Optical Module for Mellanox 

3. Optical cable

4. 10Gtek Fiber Media converter with multimode SX module.

[jabbr]

On 3/19/2019 at 4:05 PM, gordec said:

I'm thinking about setting up a bridge optical connection to my Pro iDSD DAC.

 

Right now my setup is Windows 10 PC -> Ethernet to Network switch -> network switch to Pro iDSD.

 

I'm thinking about getting a Mellanox Connectx2 card in bridge mode -> Optical fiber SFP cable -> Fiber Media Converter -> Ethernet cable to Pro iDSD.

 

This should work right? I haven't seen anyone trying to use a SFP 10G NIC and putting it into bridge mode. 

 

1. Mellanox Connectx2

2. Optical Module for Mellanox 

3. Optical cable

4. 10Gtek Fiber Media converter with multimode SX module.

 

I’d  recommend reducing variables first. 

 

The most important thing  is to get compatible SFP modules on each side of the connection. Some modules  are dual 10g/1g. Most SFP(+) ports will accept 1g SFP modules.

[mourip]

I have my server configured with a network bridge. One copper cable goes to a Roon endpoint and the other goes by way of two FMCs to the LAN .

 

This has been working really well and adding the bridge was a big hit. Unfortunately in the course of tuning the network settings I seem to have stopped my ability to communicate across the fiber link. I am using suggestions that came with my new JCAT Femto NIC card. Among other tweaks it suggested unchecking all networking properties except "Internet Protocol Version 4". It also makes some changes under the bridged network adapter settings. Previously I had this working with my old Intel NIC which was bridged with my on-board port. Something has changed but I do not know what it is.

 

I was using the FMC's to isolate my audio "clean side" which the server is part of. For now I have to use a regular ethernet cable for this connection. If I hook up my laptop to the fiber connection as a test it links immediately.

 

Can anyone think of a setting or property or protocol that is essential for communication across two FMC's?

[bobfa]

22 minutes ago, mourip said:

I have my server configured with a network bridge. One copper cable goes to a Roon endpoint and the other goes by way of two FMCs to the LAN .

 

This has been working really well and adding the bridge was a big hit. Unfortunately in the course of tuning the network settings I seem to have stopped my ability to communicate across the fiber link. I am using suggestions that came with my new JCAT Femto NIC card. Among other tweaks it suggested unchecking all networking properties except "Internet Protocol Version 4". It also makes some changes under the bridged network adapter settings. Previously I had this working with my old Intel NIC which was bridged with my on-board port. Something has changed but I do not know what it is.

 

I was using the FMC's to isolate my audio "clean side" which the server is part of. For now I have to use a regular ethernet cable for this connection. If I hook up my laptop to the fiber connection as a test it links immediately.

 

Can anyone think of a setting or property or protocol that is essential for communication across two FMC's?

Pull the FMC and run a wire to see what happens.  It will give you a faster route to find out where the problem actually is.

[mourip]

1 hour ago, bobfa said:

Pull the FMC and run a wire to see what happens.  It will give you a faster route to find out where the problem actually is.

 

Thanks. That is what I have been doing since the FMC route failed.

 

Works fine with a regular ethernet cable and the FMCs work fine to my laptop, just not FMCs to server.

[Oscarhuge]

1 hour ago, mourip said:

 

Thanks. That is what I have been doing since the FMC route failed.

 

Works fine with a regular ethernet cable and the FMCs work fine to my laptop, just not FMCs to server.

Some FMCs don't support 100m, like my D-link one. I can only set the speed of my Nuc's network interface to 1000m to make it work with the FMC. 

[asdf1000]

On 3/20/2019 at 7:05 AM, gordec said:

I'm thinking about setting up a bridge optical connection to my Pro iDSD DAC.

 

Right now my setup is Windows 10 PC -> Ethernet to Network switch -> network switch to Pro iDSD.

 

I'm thinking about getting a Mellanox Connectx2 card in bridge mode -> Optical fiber SFP cable -> Fiber Media Converter -> Ethernet cable to Pro iDSD.

 

This should work right? I haven't seen anyone trying to use a SFP 10G NIC and putting it into bridge mode. 

 

1. Mellanox Connectx2

2. Optical Module for Mellanox 

3. Optical cable

4. 10Gtek Fiber Media converter with multimode SX module.

 

I'd recommend considering Sonore's upcoming (not yet but soon to be released) opticalModule (their name for FMC). My recommendation is based on knowing it's designed by John Swenson.

 

I believe @vortecjr can recommend the compatible switch to use (featuring SFP port), so you may get away with just a single Sonore FMC? But JR will confirm / correct me if I'm wrong.

 

 

[mourip]

7 hours ago, Oscarhuge said:

Some FMCs don't support 100m, like my D-link one. I can only set the speed of my Nuc's network interface to 1000m to make it work with the FMC. 

 

Thanks. I do have the link set to 1G.

 

Probably time to start rolling back my JCAT tweaks one by one!

[mourip]

I received my JCAT FEMTO card, and at Marcin's suggestion, bridged the two outputs and used one to go to my FMC. That works fine.

 

Not sure why my internal NIC stopped working with the FMC.

 

Sound great, especially once I hooked up my LPS to the JCAT card.

[wklie]

11 hours ago, mourip said:

Not sure why my internal NIC stopped working with the FMC.

 

Is your internal NIC enabled in BIOS?  Have you tried Reload BIOS Defaults?

 

Is it 100Mbps (which won't work with some FMC) instead of 1000Mbps?  Does the internal NIC LED flash properly when connected to a switch or router?

[mourip]

5 hours ago, wklie said:

 

Is your internal NIC enabled in BIOS?  Have you tried Reload BIOS Defaults?

 

Is it 100Mbps (which won't work with some FMC) instead of 1000Mbps?  Does the internal NIC LED flash properly when connected to a switch or router?

 

Thanks for the troubleshooting suggestions. The on-board NIC is enabled and still works fine when bridged and using a regular ethernet cable to the switch so I do not think that it has an issue. I briefly had the previous bridge set to 100Mbps to test that for sonics and it worked. With the new bridge I tried setting the FMCs for both auto and forced but that did not help.

[bodiebill]

I recently installed an Intel X520-DA1 ethernet (fiber) card. It got recognized immediately by Linux, however I have not been able to get it to work so far with Windows 2019 core. Has anyone else been successful with that? Or if not, with any other version of Windows? Advice welcome!

[jabbr]

https://downloadcenter.intel.com/product/68669/Intel-Ethernet-Converged-Network-Adapter-X520-DA1

[bodiebill]

Thanks. I did find that, but the exe file did not install the drivers. Nor could I install them manually with the device manager. In the device manager the card keeps having a yellow exclamation mark.

Or should I install the drivers before finishing the OS installation? 

[jabbr]

I use Linux & OS X mostly and when I installed in Win 10 it works ... I don’t know about Win 2019 core ... maybe try Win 10?

 

or https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28396/Intel-Network-Adapter-Driver-for-Windows-Server-2019- 

 

? 

[plissken]

On 2/16/2019 at 1:06 PM, Superdad said:

 

$1,000 SFP modules? Yikes!

So then what is your opinion of the Foxconn or Finisar modules that can be had from DigiKey for $22-32?

 

Yikes indeed. I just setup two Catalyst 9300's and the entire cabling bill came to $675.

[One and a half]

5 hours ago, bodiebill said:

Thanks. I did find that, but the exe file did not install the drivers. Nor could I install them manually with the device manager. In the device manager the card keeps having a yellow exclamation mark.

Or should I install the drivers before finishing the OS installation? 

I wonder if the correct card is recognized. There is the method in device manager in the hardware id which can be googled to find the correct variant that the device reports to windows.

[Solid-State]

On 6/6/2019 at 5:11 PM, bodiebill said:

I recently installed an Intel X520-DA1 ethernet (fiber) card. It got recognized immediately by Linux, however I have not been able to get it to work so far with Windows 2019 core. Has anyone else been successful with that? Or if not, with any other version of Windows? Advice welcome!

or that you have bought a China copy,
There are many of these on Ebay

 

I just bought one for o test,
and had many hilarious problems with it,

[bodiebill]

7 hours ago, jabbr said:

I use Linux & OS X mostly and when I installed in Win 10 it works ... I don’t know about Win 2019 core ... maybe try Win 10?

 

or https://downloadcenter.intel.com/download/28396/Intel-Network-Adapter-Driver-for-Windows-Server-2019- 

 

? 

 

Thanks, I did try that latter link also. When I get back home in a week or so (now on holiday), I will start with trying it with Windows Server 2019 Desktop Experience (not core).

[bodiebill]

5 hours ago, One and a half said:

I wonder if the correct card is recognized. There is the method in device manager in the hardware id which can be googled to find the correct variant that the device reports to windows.

 

Thanks, I will try that.

[bodiebill]

1 hour ago, TubeMan said:

or that you have bought a China copy,
There are many of these on Ebay

 

I just bought one for o test,
and had many hilarious problems with it,

 

The one I bought has the Yottamark holograph.

By the way, Windows says that the card is recognized, but that it does not work. I forgot the exact error message but will check when home.

[Solid-State]

change Pci slot on MB if  possible

[bodiebill]

46 minutes ago, TubeMan said:

change Pci slot on MB if  possible

 

Only one PCI-e slot I am afraid. Thanks all for helping out!