I had a cisco switch that was sort of dying (In any event, I suspected it of causing buffer underflow issues in my NDS).
I put in an Airport Extreme (configured to act just as a switch) as a stop gap measure. Surprisingly enough, it didn't sound as good as the dying Cisco Switch.
A replacement came in today - a $50 Netgear switch (GS105Ev2).
The system sounds better with it than with the Airport Extreme or the Cisco switch.
System: Synology NAS + Airport Extreme hooked to cabling in the wall which goes through a few different cables and switches and lands to the wall ethernet socket in the music room.
From there into the new switch, which connects the UnitiServe and NDS together.
I must say I can't detect any issues due to the SMPS PSU that powers the switch.
Posted on: 14 August 2014 by Simon-in-Suffolk
MM switches don't tend to die they tend to totally die (unless they are complex managed devices and you can start to get bad memory/ NVRAM or the filters on the SMPS start to fail)
What switch were you using? And now what are you using.
I have no problem with my Cisco shielded SMPS switches (2960) . I did have noise issues affecting my audio devices from a little Netgear SMPS.. Most noticeably causing intermod birdies on FM.
Simon
Posted on: 15 August 2014 by MangoMonkey
It was a cheap $20 cisco/linksys switch. I'll keep an eye out for bufferring issues.
If I see it again, some other component in the chain is to blame.
The new one is Netgear GS105Ev2 - a 5 port (semi-managed) switch.
Posted on: 15 August 2014 by Simon-in-Suffolk
MM, ok I think Cisco bought Linksys and let it run as a separate subsidiary and has since sold it on... I don't think there was much Cisco technology / quality in the Linksys products when they owned it. I understand they have now sold Linksys to Belkin... Perhaps a better match. But that aside, I suspect a Linksys consumer switch is more likely to work or not work at all.
Simon
Posted on: 16 August 2014 by Arun Mehan
Yes SImon, you are correct. Cisco did own Linksys but hardly any Cisco tech was incorporated into the products that emerged during this time even though they slapped a Cisco name on them. My router is actually a Linksys product with a Cisco badge on it. Now Belkin owns Linksys and so far, the products still retain Linksys badging. I wonder how long that will last.
Also agree, from my experience switches work or do not.
Arun
