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Effectiveness of Short Run of Fiber Optic cable.


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Have you considered doing a WiFi connection between router and music room?

 

Perhaps, Router WiFi > WiFi endpoint > Ethernet > Sonore opticalModule (FMC) > fiber > EtherREGEN (switch) > Ethernet > Antipodes


This would isolate your music room. If you are streaming from Internet or pulling music files from a NAS located elsewhere on your network then you need to pull data across the WiFi which might or might not be an issue.

 

My music files are on a NAS in another part of my network and have no problems pulling files across WiFi. 

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Personally, I would get the WiFi system in better shape if you are having dropout in rooms next to each other. I use Google WiFi (now replaced by Nest WiFi) and can pull HD TV material and my music files through the same WiFi access point and rarely, if ever, have a dropout and that is going from one floor of my house to another floor.
 

There are other WiFi mesh systems like Ubiquiti AmpliFi Instant and eero. 
 

In general you want place the most emphasis near the end of the chain, so near your music system. You don’t want to clean up the signal then run the signal though the CAT5 run where it can pick up noise.

 

To that end, you could (if no WiFi):

 

1) Wall plate > Ethernet > FMC or opticModule > fiber > FMC or opticalModule > Ethernet > Antipodes

2) Wall plate> Ethernet > EtherREGEN > Ethernet > Antipodes


I have two TP-Link MC220L units with Jameco LPS as well as matching SFP modules that I no longer use and would be willing to sell cheaply. You would need to buy a fiber optic cable.

 

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If you go with option 2, then perhaps

 

Wall plate > Ethernet > FMC or opticalModule > fiber > EtherREGEN > Ethernet >Antipodes
 

At that point, the fiber would help remove noise from the CAT5. One possible stumbling block is that CAT5 is only rated to 100Mbps from what I understand. No chance upgrading to CAT6?

Good luck.
 

 

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As long as you stick with SX (short range) Multimode SFP modules, you should not have issues with a short (1M) cable. I run a 1M cable from my 10GB NIC to my 10GB switch without any issues.  I have used different length cables up to 15M and can’t say I heard a difference. That said, fiber cable is cheap.

 

Also, highly recommend opticalModule. It was an improvement over a TP-Link FMC. My opticalRendu essentially has a oM built-in.

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6 hours ago, Confused said:

 

Maybe it would be better to keep my existing 6 port switch and get a dedicated fiber transceiver, or even something like the Sonore Optical module?  

 

I do like the idea of having a switch with an SFP port - this gives me the electrical isolation of fiber without additional boxes of complexity.  (I have enough of that already)  I am open to ideas or suggestions though.

 

Another route could be to abandon the sMS200ultra, replace with an opticalRenu, and run this via fiber to the EtherRegen?


If you want to get a switch with SFP port, Mikrotik makes several inexpensive ones that are fanless and decent quality.

 

That said, the Sonore opticalModule is terrific but means yet another power supply and bit more money.
 

The opticalRendu is even a bigger step up - has what is essentially a built in opticalModule. Really happy with mine - top quality endpoint with fiber connection.

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11 minutes ago, NYCEnglish said:

The opticalRendu is good but I don't think it has a built-in opticalModule or equivalent - don't you still need an opticalModule to convert to optical in order for the opticalRendu to work?


Per email from Small Green Computer “... the opticalRendu is the opticalModule + ultraRendu.”
 

You usually need some device to convert from Ethernet to Fiber.  That device can be a FMC (e.g. opticalModule, TP-Link MC220L) or a switch with both SFP and Ethernet ports (e.g. EtherREGEN, lots of Mikrotik switches).

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I would replace the in-wall Cat5 with Cat6 (or 6a) cable and not do fiber optic cable given you are not doing this yourself. The reason is that fiber optic cable comes in different flavors (multi-mode, single mode, LC, SC) so you will be “stuck” with whatever you initially choose. If you were able to easily swap out cables then might be a different story.
 

As such, I would recommend Plan B.
 

I don’t know what adding two additional Buffalo switches add to improving SQ, they are just additional potential sources of noise plus two more power supplies to the mix and even more Ethernet connections and cables. Overly complicated IMHO. I know that some seem to think that the more devices you add the better but I try to minimize the number of devices as each has the potential to add noise either itself or it’s power supply.

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