Connecting streamer via ethernet ( not via wi fi )

Posted by: Louis-Andre on 02 April 2013

Hi guys,

 

i have a very basic question: when people say that streamers sound better when connected via ethernet cable, do they mean connecting the streamer to the modem only? Or do i need to also connect my computer also to the modem via ethernet?

 

sory for the stupid quation, but i am a bit confused. At the moment both my Squeezebox Touch and my Mab Book Pro are on wifi... Connecting the streamer to the modem makes sense, but connecting also my Mac via a cable feels odd.

 

and does it make a big difference in sound by the way?

Posted on: 02 April 2013 by garyi

Depends if your mac is the server?

 

the main issue with wireless is its robustness. Ethernet is far more robust, rarely falling over, hence the recommendation. This would go for the server and streamer side of things.

 

for devices simply controling the streamer (technically referred to as the control point) all they are doing is sending commands so wireless is usually fine and preferred

Posted on: 02 April 2013 by RaceTripper

Both my Mac and my ND5XS are connected via ethernet to a network router (Apple Time Capsule). I get dropouts playing 24/192 files over Wifi. I am currently moving my files from the Mac to a NAS and that will still be a full ethernet connection from source to streamer.

 

The Naim website info for the ND5 XS even states ethernet for reliability, wireless for convenience.

Posted on: 02 April 2013 by dan-r

When Emmanuel from Plurison visited shop I work at to give training on Naim network players, it was made clear that you need ethernet connection for playing 24/192 files. Wifi ok for iRadio or 16/44 cd files ...

My network is setup with cable modem to Apple Extreme wireless router connected to Netgear ProSafe Plus 8-port Gigabyte Ethernet switch.

 

Computers, network printer, NAS unit, Naim network player connected to ports on the Ethernet switch

 

Dan

Posted on: 02 April 2013 by rjstaines
Originally Posted by dan-r:

My network is setup with cable modem to Apple Extreme wireless router connected to Netgear ProSafe Plus 8-port Gigabyte Ethernet switch.

 

Computers, network printer, NAS unit, Naim network player connected to ports on the Ethernet switch

 

Dan

 

Way to go, Dan  !!

 

 

(in fact the only way to go IMHO)

Posted on: 02 April 2013 by PinkHamster

Gentlemen,

 

you are confusing reliability of operation with SQ. Louis-Andre was asking for the latter.

 

Please do me a favour: Pull the ethernet pug, while you are playing a track. What do you hear? - The track continues to play for a while and then stops.

 

This is because the streamer is playing from its buffer, not from the network.

So the question of whether it is better to wire things up instead of using wifi is exclusively a matter of will it work or will it not. For 192/24 material a wired connection is indeed more reliable, if not mandatory.