Why a network switch?

Posted by: True Blue on 27 May 2014

As the title really.  Currently got my on loan ND5XS (to be replaced by NDX this week) connected directly to the back of my Virgin superhub thingy with 10m of cat 6.  Also connected with 0.5m cat 6 to the super hub is my NAS drive.  Everything works, including internet radio.  Also connected to superhub is Main PC and PS3 (both hard wired).

 

What benefit is adding a switch local to the ND supposed to bring? 

 

I am not trolling or anything like that just want to know what's the logic behind it before I shell out £20 on a switch.

Posted on: 28 May 2014 by True Blue
Originally Posted by Mike-B:

Yes - no probs

 

If you do get a Netgear ProSafe GigaBit switch it is just so easy to set up,  but an easy to overlook part of the process is to connect up all 3 ethernet cables & have the NAS & ND5 both powered on before you power on the switch; this formally introduces it to the MAC addresses & it will only exchange relevant data packets with them.  

 

 

Mike Excellent tip many thanks.  NDX received from dealer today ,  Currently running wireless.  Plan tomorrow is to do 1st run of cables under the floor (luckily have a cellar)m then final connections tomorrow afternoon before "going live"

Posted on: 29 May 2014 by Mike-B

Getting back to the BT HH issues,  I said yesterday that a router does not work like a true network switch. That remains as so,  but last evening I stumbled on a feature in my BT Hub settings called "port forward",  which if I understand it right is a  sort of a managed switch function. 

Do any of you BT experts know anything about it ??? – I know what it does but what are the pro/cons.   

I selected HTTP Server (World Wide Web) in the Application list to be forwarded to my NDX IP Address.  It seemed to make the iRadio connection speed a bit faster, its does not change SQ, it didn't fix the variable buffering issues with stations like BBC R3 HiDef & Linn Radio, but no obvious bad stuff. 

So the question(s)

Is HTTP (WWW) the right Application for iRadio

Is it worthwhile (or not) connecting from/to to improve hub traffic or iRadio functionality.

Does the same feature exist in other hubs.

Posted on: 29 May 2014 by True Blue

Thanks to everyone all setup and running now. Virgin superhub set to modem only hard wired to wireless router. Hard wired to network switch in hifi room with nas and ndx attached to it.

 

sound is incredible. Nothing else to describe it really.

 

Thanks again