Gigabit ethernet

yep.

Gigabit Network is o.K -but remember, Naim streamers use only 100Mps.

You are fine as 100bps connections only use 2 of the 4 pairs of wires, and will automatically negotiate to 100mbps or 10mbps if that is all the connecting equipment can support, and as said most if not all Naim equipment supports 100mbps.

Simon

Thanks all.

I need more LAN ports so I've bought a switch anyway. It is a Gigabit one (Netgear GS105) though I understand I won't necessarily use the Gigabit speed.

Your system will work better with a switch whatever,  ISP routers don't manage data packets that well,  & you never know,  you might detect better SQ.

All my system is Gigabit, router port, switch (GS105 also) NAS & all cables are Cat7 (10gb), the  NDX is, as already said, is 100mb.   I just think of gigabit capability as lots of headroom.

If you have the Netgear GS105 you will be able to see whether any of the connected devices have Gigabit connectivity as both lights on the switch adjacent to the device's ethernet patch cable will be lit assuming that you are using cat5e cable or better. If only one is lit the device only supports 100Mb.

Yup and for the cost (peanuts) why not?

+ 1

I have just recently bought the GS208 from the usual online store. £12!! 

So for that reason you would recommend having my NAS and my Mac Mini connected to the GS105 (as opposed to either/both connected to the router) ?

Everything should be on the switch, with just one cable from switch to/from router

The switch needs to be the networks centre (hub), the router is just one of a number of other devises 

Agree with Mike, routers are not meant for distributing data on a local network, that's the task of a switch.

The router is meant for sending & receiving data between the  world wide internet and your local network (via a switch). It manages the traffic between two separate networks (the WAN and the LAN)

Ahh ok then.

My Sky router has four LAN ports which are currently used for :-

Sonos Bridge

Sonos Connect

NAS

Sky Box

I am overhauling my system and adding a Mac Mini which I want to send music to from the NAS (as opposed to using the Mac's HD).

So I was just thinking to add the 5 port switch and keep Some connections direct to the router.

However if I should put everything on the switch then I need more than 5 ports - all the gear listed above plus the router ? I.e. Maybe the GS108 ?

Ok thanks. 

One last question - most of the gear that I want connected is by the main phone point and tv where the router is. However, the Sonos Connect and Mac Mini will be on the other side of the room with my hi-fi system. I currently route an Ethernet cable around the room to the Sonos Connect, but with the addition of the Mac Mini I will need to route two Ethernet cables to the hi-fi. That's not a big problem, but I was wondering if I could avoid this by having a switch over with the hI-fi just for the Sonos Connect and Mac Mini and a single Ethernet cable routed to this switch from the main switch by the router ?

Hope that makes sense - effectively I'm asking if I can daisy chain switches.

Yes "daisy chaining" as you call it is OK

Hi you can daisy chain switches, but ulitmately you are inviting points of failure if excessively done (with consumer switches).

A good model would be to have a core switch with a little edge switch for each room feeding off it.

To the point of routers, routers are designed to connect networks, whether it is your own subnets or your local LAN subnet(s)  to the Internet. Most consumer routers have usually four or thereabouts switch ports built in and can be quite effective and completely able to switch accurately. The devices to be wary of, are those broadband routers which have switchports controlled by software, this perhaps is where issues creep in.. And the cheaper the device, and including some ISP bundled devices, the more this appears likely to be the case. However a quality router with switch ports built in, such as a Cisco 800 series device will absolutely be fine.

Simon