Ethernet Cable (again...)

I simply built a wireless bridge to NAS and NDX when I had this issue. It works perfectly.

Ah, interesting - thanks!

I'd always rather assumed from talk here on the forum that a wired connection is preferable.

I would certainly stick with wired if you can. As long as it's certified Cat5e or above, I would go for the flat stuff if it makes the installation straightforward.

Stick with a wired, you can run it around the room, close to the skirting boards - CAT 5e and above are certified up to 100 meters or so per run. CAT 5e is more flexible, CAT 6 is a bit more stiff.

Let me clarify. I have my NAS on the same side of the room as my NDX. Both are wired to a wireless bridge which then connects to the outside world. So the connection from NAS to NDX is wired.

Bananahead posted:

Let me clarify. I have my NAS on the same side of the room as my NDX. Both are wired to a wireless bridge which then connects to the outside world. So the connection from NAS to NDX is wired.

I ran my streamer like this for a while before installing a fully wired network, and it can be a good option. It does still require an additional wireless access point attached to the switch though, along with another SMPS, and might still be less reliable for web streaming. Also Cat5e cable is a much cheaper option (if you want it to be!!!)

I have flat Cat-6 to the TV,  its easy to install,  but I would not run it across the room under the carpet, foot fall on the carpet does erode & damage cable.   Its (maybe) OK if its part of the room with little or no foot traffic,  but thats 2nd choice in my book, I would only run it under the carpet around the room edges.  

I am using the Tera Grand 'CAT-7 10 Gigabit Ultra Flat Ethernet Patch Braided Cable' and love it. Its looks usability  price and performance are extraordinary.

Brilliant posted:

I am using the Tera Grand 'CAT-7 10 Gigabit Ultra Flat Ethernet Patch Braided Cable' and love it. Its looks usability  price and performance are extraordinary.

Seconded.

The non braided version is also slightly thinner, if you need to make it go under a carpet. 

Carpet?  How very 1970s....................

Bananahead posted:

Carpet?  How very 1970s....................

Strange things, carpets, aren't they? Sort of sit flat on the floor and seem to do nothing - but they can make quite a significant (positive) difference to acoustics in a room, they keep the floor warmer (nice in non-hot countries), are less noisy to walk on, and trap dust and fluff to stop them moving around between cleaning. And they are still made in the 21st century, though you wouldn't believe so given modern fashion pictures (the same source of fashion that builders subscribe to when they build houses with lounges only 10ft wide, no doubt) But then, I was never a follower of fashion...

nickpeacock posted:

A quick one:

New flat. I need a length of ethernet cable across the floor from one side of the sitting room (router) under a rug to the other (switch into NAS, NDX etc).

Cat 6? Other?

It'll need to be flat. Unless someone absolutely says not and explains why in noddy language (me being a bear of small brain).

Any other do's or don't's?

 

You can get cat 6 and cat 7. I would prefer cat 7 as its much better than cat 6

SFCable posted:

You can get cat 6 and cat 7. I would prefer cat 7 as its much better than cat 6

I only have Gigabit Ethernet (not 10GbE), so for me there's no real difference.

I use cat 6a rather than 5e, because it wan't any more expensive, it may be a bit tougher mechanically, and a little more tolerant of abuse before it falls below the Cat 5e requirements (which is the highest requirement my system has at ANY point).

Thanks, chaps - in the slight gap between posts I had already bought some flat cable by meridian at a discount from the nice people at Grahams...

SFCable posted:

nickpeacock posted:

A quick one:

New flat. I need a length of ethernet cable across the floor from one side of the sitting room (router) under a rug to the other (switch into NAS, NDX etc).

Cat 6? Other?

It'll need to be flat. Unless someone absolutely says not and explains why in noddy language (me being a bear of small brain).

Any other do's or don't's?

 

You can get cat 6 and cat 7. I would prefer cat 7 as its much better than cat 6

Hmm, unless you are using 10Gbps port speed then Cat5e is totally sufficient. There is more benefit in  running multiple runs of Cat 5e Ethernet cable for better performance than a single run of Cat 6, 7 or 8  using Etherchannel or equivalent for supporting network devices.

Regarding Mike's point, I use under carpet/underlay Ethernet cable, but route near the edge of rooms. Agree that the sonic benefits of carpet with deep underlay is immense... just waiting for audiophile underlay to start to appear..

Shamefully, I cannot recall what Cat the cable is - it was flat, long enough, Meridian-branded, nicely discounted and I needed it at short notice.

Oh, and it works. Yay!

Unlikely to be less than 5e - ergo: Sufficient.

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

... just waiting for audiophile underlay to start to appear..

...............   No need to wait Simon,  Advanced Acoustics supply underlay tiles - 600mm x 600mm x 11mm are £7.36 ea,  or if that not audiophile enough then Silent Floor Ultra Acoustic Underlay - 0.6m x 1.2m x 11mm are £19.96 ea.   

I've just calc'd my room & non-audiophile underlay will be around £120,  the Ultra tile is £888.  At that price it must be good,  I will experiment with bi-layering.

Price is no guarantee of being good...

A. It of a digression, but the best underlay depends on the flooring - carpet or laminate/wood etc. - with hard flooring the issues are often more to do with either sound transmission to a room below, or the sound of impact noise in the room itself, the latter being the only experience I have myself, and I found a proprietary underlay that did the job well and was worth the cost as I can't stand 'noisy' floors. But in listening room I wouldn't entertain anything other than carpet.

 Of course you could use carpet on underlay on laminate on acoustic underlay, with a benefit similar to bi-wiring...

Mike-B posted:

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

... just waiting for audiophile underlay to start to appear..

I've just plumped for Axfelt 65. Fitting a week today.

C.

Innocent Bystander posted:

Price is no guarantee of being good...

Just in case peeps are missing a joke button .............  my post is a sarcastic poke at all things audiophool.   

Poke all you like, Mike, I'm glad I discussed this with my carpet supplier and hope to be happy with my choice.

A nation waits...

Best, Chris

Mike-B posted:

Innocent Bystander posted:

Price is no guarantee of being good...

Just in case peeps are missing a joke button .............  my post is a sarcastic poke at all things audiophool.   

Yeah, I wasn't quite sure so started with that response, leading of course to my entirely serious    likening to bi-wiring... 

Christopher_M posted:

Poke all you like, Mike, I'm glad I discussed this with my carpet supplier and hope to be happy with my choice. 

  yeh but,     using my same room size costing comparison Axfelt 65 works out @ £255 vs £888 for the stuff in my post.  At that price it's obviously unworthy of achieving audiophool levels of underlay luxuriousness & you will be buying a broken sounding carpet.     

Mike-B posted:

Christopher_M posted:

Poke all you like, Mike, I'm glad I discussed this with my carpet supplier and hope to be happy with my choice. 

  yeh but,     using my same room size costing comparison Axfelt 65 works out @ £255 vs £888 for the stuff in my post.  At that price it's obviously unworthy of achieving audiophool levels of underlay luxuriousness & you will be buying a broken sounding carpet.     

Haha, excellent!

You do realise the yarns for the wool layer are hand spun by east Devon maidens, none of whom are over 25?

(I have just realised this is a thread about ethernet wires....)

C.