What Router are you using?

My broadband and network stuff is a distance from my Naim and is on a seperate ring main.

Thanks Simon.

Does your Chord Hugo charger go into the main hifi supply or different ring main too?

Not Simon, but I do put my Hugo charger on the main ring and not on the hifi supply because it is an SMPS.

I put a linear on the switch that's feeding my hifi and that one is on the hifi ring and also I put a good LAN isolator between the switch and the audio pc that plays the music.

cheers

Thanks Aleg - thought so 

Hi @Mr Frog I do put my Hugo SMPS on the same circuit as the Naim... and I have tried several times to detect a difference whether it's plugged in the mains or not... and I can't hear any difference..

Now I am one of those unfortunates who can hear positive improvements of chokes on SPDIF leads and Ethernet leads, the difference between different UPnP servers and the effect of bad network switch power supplies .. So I have concluded if there is an effect it is so marginal as to be inconsequential for me.

There is no reason that a SMPS can not be designed so as to be almost benign, and in my opinion it's easier to do on low power devices.. and I also have some pricier very low noise high current SMPS... SMPS in my book get a bad name because of bad or cheap designs and missing, badly designed or failed filters, having said I am still wary of them...

Simon

You could put a small linear on the Hugo if you want to and than I would put it in with the rest of the hifi.

I have to box up a DIY linear, but then also the Hugo will be fed with a linear.

Don't expect an improvement in sound, but it will be more easy with the cabling to the Hugo.

cheers

Aleg

Mr Frog - my SMPS's are on the same circuit as the HiFi  

I am making do with this as sometime in the future I will be moving house & chasing out walls & redecorating for such a reason is not something I am willing to go to at this stage.

I have all my SMPS's (phone, BB, NAS & net-switch) on a 4 way power strip

Hifi is on another 8 way that has a 1000VA DC blocking filter.

I've tried to minimize SMPS switching noise with ferrite. I understand the noise (& I believe not all are bad) is in the 30 to 100 MHz range. These frequencies can by-pass (jump) all kinds of filters & chokes, but ferrite cores/clamps are designed for & to be most effective around that range. It might not do much other than help block any problems that I have yet to hear or see any evidence of,  so I don't loose sleep over it.

I have two 100ohm@100MHz clamps on the power strip cable & an addition 80ohm on the non-plug top SMPS cable for the NAS.    

Additionally all my SMPS's are (over) loaded with ferrite on the DC side. 

Thanks Simon and Mike too

Doesn't anyone use a UPS for their server.  I attach my NAS, central switch, BT HH2 & WAN modem all on a UPS.  imo it is very important to use a UPS at least for your NAS, or is it that you are all using one and don't bother to mention it?

I am totally dicing with death at the mo as i have no ups and am to tight to but the tiny forty quid battery for the raid card, one day i am going to be a sad bunny and it will totally be my fault

Same here. A spike took out the logic board in my Mac mini music server a few years back so the NAS and Mini have sat behind a UPS ever since.

Gary I am also a tight git, I have a Jewish Grandmother and a Scottish Grandfather, so I am genetically tight.  The other two were Irish, so I am too illogical to be successfully tight.

Seriously though, for a NAS I do not consider a UPS an option, it is a MUST.

A friend of mine had a very similar experience when a power failure wiped out one of his hard drives on his NAS.  Don't know how that could happen, I guess there was a spike a la James' case.

I have just renewed my contract with BT. The speed tests show it's the best in my area and I get BT Sport thrown in. I shall also be receiving the HH5 which is now a combined VDSL modem/router. It also has the 802.11ac technology with supposedly better wifi range and quality. I'll have to see. 

In a couple of weeks I shall migrate from an HH3 to HH5.

Free upgrade to optical BB, and so the need to change the router. I never found much to gripe about with the HH3. A reboot once a fortnight or three weeks solved any issues with buffering on internet radio, which I use all the time I am in the house. 

I hope the HH5 is secure against buffering in time for the BBC Prom Concerts on Radio Three!

I have no idea why I was honoured with a free BB upgrade except that my BB has been with BT for a good decade. Perhaps they gave a me a bonus for blind loyalty. My one neighbour paid for the upgrade, and is quite jealous!

ATB from George

Hi Steve,  I've no intention of changing from BT,  they own the wires & exchanges & it seems logical to stay with them.

I am waiting for a promised phone call,  I expect to be offered a new hub,  I'm willing to try another HH3 as I know how to quickly test it - upload WAV files for 1hr - if that doesn't work then I am happy to try an HH5 & try the same test.

If that doesn't work without going into meltdown AND if they don't hurry up & respond to my e-mail, I will get an alternative modem/router. 

NB:  I could solve this without BT if I by-pass the hub & connect the temporary ethernet upload cable into the network switch,  but its not so easy to get to & why should I do this to overcome the inadequacies of BT hubs.   

The HH5 is supposed to be much better. I'm sure they'll offer one of these rather than another HH3. I've had a new free HH each year I've renewed my contract. Give them a ring on 150. I sorted everything out in about 20 minutes speaking to a lovely Yorkshire lass.

Steve

Yorkshire lass !!! in Kolkata?  by eck as like. 

I think BT use UK call centres for sales and the Indian call centres for everything else.

Goodness, Gracious Me.

@Simon-in-Suffolk

re your comment: “If using ADSL I am going to recommend that you at least use the modem as supplied / recommended by your ISP. This is important if you are to be confident of getting the maximum performance from your ADSL connection. This is because optimum connectivity will be the DSP and ADSL features matching between the MSAN in the exchange and the ADSL modem at home”.

Nice to know I'm doing something right. I was with O2 until last year and only moved to Plusnet after the Sky takeover. I have been very happy with download speeds which average 14-15Mb/s and it's also very reliable. My only, minor gripe, is the wi-fi coverage is not quite as good as I achieved with the O2 router but after your comments maybe I'll just continue to live with it.

@Mike-B

re your comment “I've no intention of changing from BT, they own the wires & exchanges & it seems logical to stay with them”.

Visiting broadband news and information sites suggests that although providers use the same lines there is a marked difference in reliability, customer service and overall satisfaction. I believe Plusnet is owned by BT and yet is consistently rated higher.

Dave

Hi Dave,  I read the same about PN v BT,  but I've seen different;

a friend - who lives at the end of a 2 miles lane (farm track) had a bad service from BT. He moved over to PN,  but in comparison it was a disaster. After about 2 more years of getting very fed up,  BT replaced all the overhead cables & it completely fixed it. However out of spite he did not renew the PN contract, as he felt out of the two services,  BT did a better bad job & he went back to BT.

Now, as his end of the line location makes his BB speed is so slow,  his area exchange was one of the 1st in the region to get BT Infinity & he's never looked back.

I've had the same crapy HH3 for a few years, changed my BT contract a couple of months ago - they refused me a free HH5, i did ask, and i did ask firmly but they said it would cost me £80 if i want one.

It's strange how BT treat some customers very genourously, and others like complete shite

Still have the same HH3, it seems to work if i reset it about 4 times a day - it this usual?

Debs

It's the exception that proves the rule.

Dave