EtherREGEN: Installation, Usage, Difficulty, Questions thread

[Cable Monkey]

I’d go with option 2. 

[Cable Monkey]

OK, an observation. Using my preferred Vandesail skinny Cat8 patch cables, the system wasn’t happy. I had a similar issue when I tried to use an isolator in my system. I had drop outs and skipping tracks in Roon with the ‘network issues’ warnings. This happened via Tidal and locally stored files. I changed to 24AWG cat5 patch cables for server and streamer and my problems have vanished. 
Setup:

Internet>>
                 A>>EtherREGEN>>B Teac NT-505
Server>>>

Previous switch was  TP Link SG-TL105 powered with an Uptone LPS1 @ 7 volts.

Server is fitted with a JCat net card Femto.

[Cable Monkey]

@Superdad What sort of voltages are we looking for at the clock input? 
Clock is the Teac CG-10M, output impedance 50 ohm, voltage 0.5v rms.

[Cable Monkey]

You cannot mitigate someone’s choice to use an endpoint that generates its own noise. But the moat works both ways so at least it shouldn’t impact anything connected on the A side. In short it may not sound (or measure) as good as other devices but at least it won’t be detrimental to other things on the network.

[Cable Monkey]

1 hour ago, vortecjr said:

No one is mitigating anyones choice here. Also we’re not talking about the A side of the device. Clearly anything connected to the A side will have no effect on the rest of the network upstream.

Not so clear to me. If you mean by upstream, back into the network I’d have to disagree. On the A side you are not isolated from the network so any noise you introduce there will have an impact, though that may well be attenuated by Johns work. But if you have something noisy like a “crappy endpoint” on the B side that won’t have any impact back into the network even though it will affect the associated DAC. That was what I was trying to say.

[Cable Monkey]

18 minutes ago, PYP said:

 

Don't want to make this a Roon 1.7 thread, but Roon stopped working during the night (still burning in the eR), so any further information related to what folks think is attributable to the eR vs. the new OS would be helpful.  Last night the playlist was from my library.   Rebooted my DAC and Roon could see my DAC endpoint, so that makes me think the eR isn't involved.  Any suggestions?

 

So far Qobuz, when Roon is working, is fine and 1.7 features are absolutely great.  

If you were having issues before the Roon update, assume nothing has changed. If anything you have to assume that if 1.7 isn’t working, it is the problems with ER that have caused it.
So:

Roll back to your old config to regain network stability.

Get Roon working, engage Roon if necessary.

Apply the ER fix when it is issued (and consider reversing any changes to your server)

Put the ER back in and test.

[Cable Monkey]

The firmware update instructions work if you follow them (using Windows at least). I’m not daunted by undoing some screws and pulling a circuit board out and it does literally take 5 minutes if you read through everything first. But if doing updates isn’t your thing just ask someone who is computer literate to do it for you. Ultimately, there will always be a small subsection of people who need local support. If anyone in the West Midlands, UK needs a hand, drop me a line.

[Cable Monkey]

13 minutes ago, elan120 said:

Ditto...same setup here and identical result.

I use the Jcat card and I get better results with the server straight into the A side rather than back in the network directly off the router. So either the impact of the card is lost across the network or the benefits are cumulative. Certainly close coupling helps.

[Cable Monkey]

I thought the issue with the AudioLinux hacks was that they remove the ability to auto negotiate and force the NUC to communicate at 10Mb/s. Thus you have one stuck at 10 and the other stuck at 100. 

[Cable Monkey]

1 minute ago, Rhed6 said:

I thought the ISO REGEN/ UltraCap lps-1.2 will cleanup any noise after the laptop? Anyways I’m new to real two channel setups. So still learning. My main use is for streaming tidal and iTunes. I’m not going to use any headphones with my setup. It’ll go directly to my front main amps then to my home entertainment speakers. As far as noise, where should I start from? My family all use WiFi in house. And my home system is the only one hardwired to a switch. 2 ports goes to Xbox and ps4. But not always on. And another port is planned for my music stream. Everything else in my system is WiFi. 

The important thing to do would be to make sure the laptop is on the B side and everything else is on the A side. A laptop isn’t ideal, but then what is? 

[Cable Monkey]

I can say a NUC was better than a cheap laptop. An m-ITX build with dedicated network card was better still. I’ve never used a Mac Mini so I can’t comment objectively. But I’d concentrate on ease of use. 

[Cable Monkey]

7 hours ago, ikemi said:

Hi guys,

 

What type of wire and at what gauge are you using to ground the etheregen when not using the supplied power supply. Thanks!

 

ron

It shouldn’t matter as it isn’t actually supposed to be moving any significant current. 

[Cable Monkey]

1G SFP SX Multimode Mini-Gbic Module, 1000Base-SX SFP LC Transceiver, Compatible for Cisco GLC-SX-MMD, Meraki, Ubiquiti UF-MM-1G, Netgear AGM731F, D-Link DEM-311GT, TP-Link, Zyxel, Mikrotik https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DD0Z7D8/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_1MkuEbPGVAKTJ
Gigabit Ethernet Fiber Media Converter with a 1Gb SFP SX LC Multimode Module, 10/100/1000M RJ45 to 1000Base-SX, up to 550m, with a British Power Adapter https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B06XBSZJL3/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_QQkuEbJD4VNXD
10Gtek OM3 LC to LC Duplex Fiber Patch Cable 10m(33ft), 50/125 Multimode UPC Polish LSZH, Application for 1G SFP, 10G SFP+, Media Converter, Length: 1m to 50m, 5-Year Warranty https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01DCYHCA6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_qSkuEb4KNY7F4
Buy one of each. The media converter comes with a SFP module of the same type.

[Cable Monkey]

A few idle moments at work, and suddenly this...

[Cable Monkey]

2 hours ago, Roasty said:

 

Anyone have any clues on this? Sorry for quoting myself.. 

My understanding is that any leakage on the A side is mitigated by having a PSU with the negative tied to earth or grounding the ER. The standard SMPS supplied does this anyway.

[Cable Monkey]

Not everyone is going to deal with the crisis the same. Some will be doom gloom and despair. Others may choose to take a slightly more light hearted approach. Try not to fall out over it! 
As an aside, my colleague went to Spain for his 50th and came back ten days ago. He is now isolated with severe symptoms, as is his Wife. Sometimes staying at home has its benefits.

[Cable Monkey]

  1600 units sold approximately since launch.

[Cable Monkey]

It is normal behaviour. If the clock is lost for any significant time you have to perform a restart with the clock running. Incidentally, a clock should be run 24/7. The whole point of a clock is long term stability as well as accuracy which means leaving them on.

[Cable Monkey]

54 minutes ago, pl_svn said:

Option 2 without the second TP Link Media Converter: buy an SFTP module and place it in ER's slot ;)

He can’t because those are 100mb converters. One would need to be a 1gb converter. 

[Cable Monkey]

Earth the ER and see how that compares.

[Cable Monkey]

It will be in the instructions and may differ depending on where you are. But there is an earth terminal on the ER that needs to go to your mains earth. 

[Cable Monkey]

4 hours ago, Haimsh said:

Are you sure? 

Connected to Mains   earth of just to the wall or to the floor?

In a U.K. household the only way to access mains earth is through a three pin mains plug and socket. I don’t know how it works in other territories.

[Cable Monkey]

7 hours ago, JohnSwenson said:

Hi Cable,

you do NOT want a separate "earth" connection, what you want is the "safety ground", the third pin on the wall outlet. Why is rather complex and I have covered it in detail in several other posts relating to leakage current.

 

John S.

John, I consider the distinction to be no more than the difference between American English and my English but thank you for the clarification. 

 

19 hours ago, Cable Monkey said:

In a U.K. household the only way to access mains earth is through a three pin mains plug and socket. I don’t know how it works in other territories.

 

[Cable Monkey]

21 minutes ago, ikemi said:

Hi guys,

 

Quick question. Can the a side optical port be used at the same time as a side ethernet ports on the etherregen? So can I run optical line to a side as well as ethernet line to a side then out to b side? Sorry for the stupid question!

 

Thanks

 

Ron

Yes, that is exactly how I use mine. Optical to ISP router, A side to NUC (Roon Core) and B side to streamer. Optical has to be Gigabit.

[Cable Monkey]

I run Roon core into A side copper, internet access into the A side fibre port. Streamer is on B side. It is the best way to run Roon (fibre optional). If I move my core upstream to the ISP router so everything comes in via the fibre I think it sounds worse although that is a subjective assessment that dates back a while. Having all active elements hanging directly off the ER is optimal. 
I don’t think I agree with the notion that Roon is at fault when you have high network latency (in my day job I’d fix the latency) but I had issues before I hung everything off a single switch, that switch eventually being replaced with the ER.