Which Switch, and does PoE make a difference?

Pick a switch that best suits your needs in terms of future requirements. If you have only just filled up the presumably 4 ports on your router then the 16 port one will be fine.

I have a couple of switches in use the main being a 48 port netgear jobby which is managed. I can honestly say I have never used the management interface, and in most domestic environments I would suggest managed switches are not needed. The cost may not be for this element however but more in the capabilities of the switch in terms of ultimate throughput capability, I think its referred to as the backplane. In essence how much data it can move before throttling. Again though in a domestic environment its very unlikely even a cheap switches capability will be exceeded.

'Audio quality' on a switch is preposterous, perpetuated by audiophiles and only the concern of the audiophiles mind. I bet IT types would be giggling at us.

I know it sounds silly, but if you can't listen to the audio from a device connected to a switch first, then I would try and go for the best quality switch. Unless you have the expertise to take advantage of creating a specific configuration there is no benefit in using configurable managed switches. (But if you do have the IT skills you can configure nicely to optimise performance on a 2960 for example )

In my experience cheaper consumer switches (Belkin, Netgear etc) have tended to use base minimum spec SMPS and the electrical noise generated can couple with your connected audio equipment, and you can see this noise on a scope.

Simon

Yes I forgot to say PoE is only of benefit if you need to connect PoE devices like phones or wireless access points to the switch as well.. if not leave it out..

And as far as electromagnetic noise emissions which should not be underestimated IME, I would check the compliance standards..the Cisco 2960 (that I use) complies with the following for example:

47CFR Part 15 (CFR 47) Class A

AS/NZS CISPR22 Class A

CISPR22 Class A

EN55022 Class A

ICES003 Class A

VCCI Class A

EN61000-3-2

EN61000-3-3

KN22 Class A

CNS13438 Class A

In my sitting room right now are two iphone chargers, a wall wart for a harmony remote control a wall wart for a telephone, I think its fair to say for most every user of this forum you cannot get away from cheap power supplies. To suggest one could then hear the difference from a switch which could reasonably be sited faraway just because it has cheap power is a stretch. 

If we are concerned from that view point, then of course we should be concerned with other items connected to that switch, in which case for me at least it would completely fall to bits, I have many many products connected to the switch, each and everyone of them with a cheapo power supply including multiple apple tvs, an amazon tv, two wireless access points, two squeeze box type devices, a couple of servers, etc etc.

My suggestion would be to try and confine hifi neurosis to the hifi (I am not pointing at you Simon, you always sit on the fence and won't actually say if you can actually hear any differences from all of these various threads)

Hi Gary - you are right to point out a sense of balance - but I do segregate devices that I connect to my audio 2960 switch.. and if I am honest I have  arrived at my position through trial and error in terms of SQ and also Apple and UPnP discovery optimisation. . I guess my real point is to not be concerned if you hear sonic differences from your steamer connected to different switch types.

Simon

Simon, would you recommend taking a punt on a used Cisco Catalyst 2960G 24 ports switch 2960G-24TC-L V04 then?

For NZ$350 isn't a hell of a lot dearer than the GSS116!

I'm IT, but don't talk network very well, so will hassle you for configuration hints is I get stuck

ok yes its worth a punt with one proviso - the 24 port I believe has a fan and so will have an acoustic noise footprint. This may or may not matter - it depends where you put it. The smaller 8 port 2960 switches have no fan and so are quiet.

The config changes I do are around the multicast enquirer which helps the Naim app work reliably with streamers or UPnP media servers not disappearing and being always instantly visible - drop me an email if you want to see my config - details are on my bio

Simon

Thanks Simon.  Auction ends in 20 hours so see what happens.

PJT posted:

Simon, would you recommend taking a punt on a used Cisco Catalyst 2960G 24 ports switch 2960G-24TC-L V04 then?

For NZ$350 isn't a hell of a lot dearer than the GSS116!

 

I'm IT, but don't talk network very well, so will hassle you for configuration hints is I get stuck.

Do you have the required RS232 - USB adaptor & Cisco console cable to manage the switch via its console port ?

Has the config been wiped, if not you'll need to do a factory reset.

http://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/s...tches/24328-156.html

Basically press & hold the switch on the bottom left and it will rename the current config & vlan data and store them in flash:

TBH if everything is on a single subnet I'd go for an unmanaged switch.

I use an $80 (Australia) 8 port Netgear switch. It works just fine and I can't see any need for anything costing more, unless you feel you need more than 8 ports at the switch.

The SuperUniti and NAS are both connected to this switch and I suffer no drop-outs.

PJT posted:

Thanks Simon.  Auction ends in 20 hours so see what happens.

Did you get it? Did the seller provide the console leads?

blythe posted:

I use an $80 (Australia) 8 port Netgear switch. It works just fine and I can't see any need for anything costing more, unless you feel you need more than 8 ports at the switch.

The SuperUniti and NAS are both connected to this switch and I suffer no drop-outs.

You might have missed the point.. This is nothing to do with data dropouts or data transmission!! It's about electrical noise and various helpers to allow UPnP and Apple multicast discovery to work more effectively.. Glad no RFI  noise is marring your enjoyment.

Simon,

Yes I won the auction, so will hopefully be here early next week.  Will ask about the console lead, but can easily borrow one from work anyway.

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

blythe posted:

I use an $80 (Australia) 8 port Netgear switch. It works just fine and I can't see any need for anything costing more, unless you feel you need more than 8 ports at the switch.

The SuperUniti and NAS are both connected to this switch and I suffer no drop-outs.

You might have missed the point.. This is nothing to do with data dropouts or data transmission!! It's about electrical noise and various helpers to allow UPnP and Apple multicast discovery to work more effectively.. Glad no RFI  noise is marring your enjoyment.

The original post stated:

"My Xmas present to myself (NDX) has highlighted the fact that I have not only run out of ports on my modem/router, but also have been experiencing the odd drop-out when broadband usage is high."

So I simply thought that the drop-outs were the primary reason for the original post. Did I miss the point?

Sort of.  I need to add a switch into my network, so querying about whether or not there is a hi fi friendly one to consider.

My TP-Link modem/router does seem to be causing dropouts, which to me reinforces the need for a switch to separate traffic.

For what it's worth, my average download rate is about 9.2 Mbps

I dream of that kind of download speed!! At my main home, I'm lucky to see 2Mbps on a good day 
I simply added an inexpensive switch, to which my SU & NAS are connected and it works, no audible noise, no drop-outs 

Yes 9.2Mbps would be nice - I squeeze 3.8Mbps down (if I force a sync just before sunrise) and 412 kbps up on mine - but did have phone cabling rewired - prior to that it was about 2.8Mbps if I was lucky down.

Other than on FM where I was getting crosstalk from the noisy switch, the RFI affects the feel and naturalness of the sound (almost certainly though very low level intermodulation) - kind of like cable dressing type affects. RFI will sometimes give me a slightly glassy or brittle sound - and remove it and the sound kind of breathes more and sounds more lifelike. However if these things are not noticeable or don't bother then you are very fortunate - and  you have clearly mastered your OCD... but I like to squeeze as much goodness from my Naim as I can. I have also over the years developed some experience with RFI and the side effects - from my under graduate days to more recently with Ofcom - and so perhaps I am therefore more sensitised to the effects it can cause and as such  is hard to ignore.

Simon

blythe posted:

I dream of that kind of download speed!! At my main home, I'm lucky to see 2Mbps on a good day 
I simply added an inexpensive switch, to which my SU & NAS are connected and it works, no audible noise, no drop-outs 

BT are never providing fibre to our hamlet. The exchange is in Shipton Under Wychwood and apparently already (only just) fibre enabled. Our cabinet is apparently in Lyneham, 2 miles from where I live.
At 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) from the cabinet, FTTC broadband delivers the same speeds as regular broadband - around 10Mbps.
But that's if the copper cable is in good condition & we're double that distance to the cabinet.
Our copper cable often seems to be underwater and a bad connection at best!
Negotiations have been in place with "Cotswolds Broadband" for some time, who are delivering fibre to the areas BT won't.
They say they will be delivering it within the next 12-18 months - hopefully sooner.
The joys of living in rural Oxfordshire!
I have checked the current speed at the router connected directly to the BT socket with nothing else plugged in and it's still SLOW.... I get the same with the switch and everything plugged in. It's a fully managed switch, a complex "hotel" type system, which I know nothing about! 

blythe posted:

BT are never providing fibre to our hamlet. The exchange is in Shipton Under Wychwood and apparently already (only just) fibre enabled. Our cabinet is apparently in Lyneham, 2 miles from where I live.
At 1.6 kilometers (1 mile) from the cabinet, FTTC broadband delivers the same speeds as regular broadband - around 10Mbps.
But that's if the copper cable is in good condition & we're double that distance to the cabinet.
Our copper cable often seems to be underwater and a bad connection at best!
Negotiations have been in place with "Cotswolds Broadband" for some time, who are delivering fibre to the areas BT won't.
They say they will be delivering it within the next 12-18 months - hopefully sooner.
The joys of living in rural Oxfordshire!
I have checked the current speed at the router connected directly to the BT socket with nothing else plugged in and it's still SLOW.... I get the same with the switch and everything plugged in. It's a fully managed switch, a complex "hotel" type system, which I know nothing about! 

Blythe - if you have not been part of the main commercial roll outs - you need to contact your local county council for where you are in the infill programmes. These are programmes funded by the state and the EU and not commercially by an ISP such as BT.

I have been involved with ensuring my (small) village is incorporated in such a programme run by Suffolk County Council - and we are due superfast 2017/18 now - budgets agreed and tenders won so I am told. The cabinet that feeds our village is 1.5~2 miles away - and although VDSL enabled is just too far away. We have been too small to have our own cabinet.

There are very small VDSL cabinet units now available that make small deployment for upto 60~90 houses more economic for smaller and distributed communities

Simon

Mike - I will look at your link - but underlying chipsets spring to mind...

Thanks Simon - as I mentioned, Cotswolds Broadband are the people "filling in" for our area. They have now secured all of the funding from the government etc.
They are however quite good at quoting a roll-out that seems to move month by month..... 18 months ago, they said "12-18 months". It seems that it's still "12-18 months"...
I'd guess we're well down the list as the population of the hamlet is only about 60 in total...

Blythe, good news then, you will be able to contact your county council and get a date for your deployment, as almost certainly they will have set the details on the infill contract dates with the chosen suppliers for given areas.

Simon

Hopefully good news but still some way to go - my guess is that as it's only just been signed off, it will still need to go out to tender etc. Note "construction is expected to start" doesn't mean the same as "will start"...

Press release, dated December 9th 2015: