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Question regarding audio network switches


beerandmusic

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16 minutes ago, beerandmusic said:

Do most people that buy "audio grade" network switches use that directly off their modem?  Or do they just feed it from another network switch in their home network?

 

Mainly, i am curious if it matters the quality of the network switch that feeds it?

Your modem would have to be a router also if you connected the switch directly... otherwise your devices wouldn't get an IP address assigned

(DHCP) when they turned on.

I try to keep my server & NAS on the audio switch

Regards,

Dave

 

Audio system

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1 hour ago, davide256 said:

Your modem would have to be a router also if you connected the switch directly... otherwise your devices wouldn't get an IP address assigned

(DHCP) when they turned on.

I try to keep my server & NAS on the audio switch

 

so does the audio switch connect your main network or do you have 2 networks or does your audio swtich connect to your home network?

 

 

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The question you are asking is difficult to answer because there are an almost limitless number of ways to configure a home network, based in part on how your house is laid out and in part where your modem/router comes into your house. For instance, my modem/router is in the second story office while my music system is on the main floor. So my music system connects to the modem/router via WiFi.

 

It also depends if you are using one or two computers setups. For instance, I have a two computer setup with a Linux server (HQP) and a Linux endpoint (Sonore opticalRendu - HQP NAA) that connects to my DAC. If you are using an "audiophile" switch, it would probably sit between the server and endpoint.

 

If you are using one computer, then the "audiophile" switch would probably sit just before your computer.

 

In other words, you probably want the "audiophile" switch as far downstream as possible.

 

Here is simple schematic that @Miska put together to show how all the pieces (modem, router, switches, servers, etc.) typically fit together in a home network. Note that the modem, router and firewall are often contained in the one box that your ISP provides.

 

590585493_HomeNetwork.jpg.e489c4f2de04f569fc6f95eb0ae50b5a.jpg

 

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1 hour ago, ericuco said:

The question you are asking is difficult to answer because there are an almost limitless number of ways to configure a home network, based in part on how your house is laid out and in part where your modem/router comes into your house. For instance, my modem/router is in the second story office while my music system is on the main floor. So my music system connects to the modem/router via WiFi.

 

It also depends if you are using one or two computers setups. For instance, I have a two computer setup with a Linux server (HQP) and a Linux endpoint (Sonore opticalRendu - HQP NAA) that connects to my DAC. If you are using an "audiophile" switch, it would probably sit between the server and endpoint.

 

If you are using one computer, then the "audiophile" switch would probably sit just before your computer.

 

In other words, you probably want the "audiophile" switch as far downstream as possible.

 

Here is simple schematic that @Miska put together to show how all the pieces (modem, router, switches, servers, etc.) typically fit together in a home network. Note that the modem, router and firewall are often contained in the one box that your ISP provides.

 

590585493_HomeNetwork.jpg.e489c4f2de04f569fc6f95eb0ae50b5a.jpg

 

ok, thanks for the info... so in this diagram you only have one network, and whereever the audio switch is, it is connected to a non-audio switch.  Question was basically does one need to consider any potential noise from the first switch....but apparently not if the audio swtich connects to the main switch.

 

At one point, i was contemplating putting together multi-homed computer where the switch used for audio was on it's own network.

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thanks to jabbr, i bought some cisco routers and fiber hardware and cables, and was planning on putting together a network for network audio, and shortly thereafter, i got sidetracked, and then after that moved, and i have been out of the picture for a couple years....looking for threads to see if i can back to where my head was at back then (grin).

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also before i get too much into this, is there any network/dac solutions that utilize fiber under $1500.  I read about the sonore fiber solution but for streamer only of $2k, that is over my budget.    I am looking to spend $1500-2000 MAX including dac.  I have cisco switches and fiber transcievers and cabling already.  I don't want any DIY stuff like Jabbr has.  Is there anything else that has fiber->usb or should i just go fiber back to twisted pair.

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35 minutes ago, ericuco said:

Perhaps a Sonore opticalModule > Sonore microRendu (no longer available new but probably find used) > Toppings D90 DAC

thanks...i wasn't aware of that product, and that actually may be a good idea to make sure i have minimal noise...since it was designed with audio in mind, i could probably swap out one of my transciever modules for it....not sure if that would be any better than just using a regular transciever though with a better ps??  Jabbr would probably be excellent at answering that question.

 

I haven't looked at the toppings either...since i have been off market for a couple years....actually i just looked it quickly..it doesn't have a network port so that wouldn't work....i would need a dac with an enet port or fiber port...i am sure there aren't any fiber dacs in my range? so will have to decide on an enet dac to pair with the fiber xceiever.

 

 

 

 

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13 minutes ago, ericuco said:

Good luck finding a DAC with a Ethernet input, regardless of price.

 

regardless of price, there are probably 100 of them and the number keeps growing...and that is not counting bluray players and avr's....the one that comes closest to what i believe i am looking for is auralic altair G1, or even the original model that came out years ago.   I was using a sony bluray player to stream DSD over 5 years ago for around $80.

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4 hours ago, beerandmusic said:

 

so does the audio switch connect your main network or do you have 2 networks or does your audio swtich connect to your home network?

 

 

I use a wireless router off the cable modem and Gb POE to remotely connect the EtherRegen switch where my audio gear is located to the Ethernet  ports on the router.  Running two IP network segments can be a PITA, devices on different segments sometimes won’t talk to each for audio protocols

Regards,

Dave

 

Audio system

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A few days after adding some switches around the house I notice that the system was not sounding normal. I then re-routed the switches so that the switch at my stereo system was fed directly from the PC used for audio, and then I ran the rest of the lines from that audio switch. Bang, sound quality restored to where I remembered it.  Of course, many who have never heard my system and were not present at the time know better than I that this did not happen.🙄

 

None of these are audiophile switches, just whatever $20 thing I picked up.

 

 

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If any help, I have......

 

Vigor modem-Edge X SFP Router- 

 

- Edge 16 port switch (all other ethernet & wifi devices) Ethernet coming in to Edge router had JCAT lan isolator

 

- Edge Router fiber - EtherRegen 

 

- EtherRegen A-Side - NAS

- EtherRegen A-Side - Server

 

 

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i was hoping for an audio engineer to respond to tell me if it would make any difference what the hardware is for a dnla server if the only thing i am using it for is to feed a switch upstream....my thinking is that it will not, and i saw someone responded that it does not make a difference, and just looking for confirmation.   For now i just decided to install minimserver on the NAS....

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