Links in the Ethernet chain

Eloise posted:

ChrisSU posted:

I've seen some very cheap Cat5e cables that look pretty dodgy to me, and I would tend to try to avoid them. For example, I have a cheap 10m length bought on ebay for about a fiver, and the round outer casing will not maintain its shape. Trying to bend it neatly round a corner is almost impossible without putting a kink in it, which can't be ideal.

No idea if this is relevant in your case ... but this often happens when you use "installation" cable in a non-installation ("patch" cable) situation.  There is a difference between the cable for installs and the stuff you should be running across the floor, etc.

Eloise - you do have a good point. Ethernet cables are designed differently for their intended purpose. Patch leads are quite flexible but are intended for short, flexible and possibly temporary applications. Infrastructure wiring  - or what you are calling 'installation' is far more rigid and is not designed to be flexed or moved much but would be typically of a more consistent geometry for more accurate operation over longer distances  - and indeed in moving or flexing the cable much it can break the internal cables. I do however think most consumer type ethernet cable and I include so called Audiophile cable in this are of the short flexible patch lead type.

ChrisSU I would not bother about a cables casing not maintaining its shape - in fact for UTP I would expect this and is common in standard professional cables (as opposed to consumer ones with a glitzy appearance)  ... but it shouldn't kink if reasonably bent  - unless the bending radios is just too tight  

ChrisSU posted:

S3 posted:

So I just tried to swap a Cat6 cable in place of my CAT5E cable and the same thing happened. No data getting through at all. Plugged the 5e back in and all working fine. As the same thing has now happened twice (once with CAT7 and now with CAT6) it can not be the case that the CAT6 cable is faulty. Any ideas?

That sounds very odd! Do you have any info on the brand and spec of the cables that aren't working?

As suggested - most ethernet cables are pass through - that is they are designed to connect hosts to switches. However there are also crossover cables where the send and receive pairs are crossed over - this is for switch to switch connections and router to host connections. Now some equipment has  auto detecting hardware so they can compensate for the cable type - but if your equipment doesn't do this and you have the wrong cable type for the particular connection type you won't get any data communicating. 

S

Thanks all. I'll just leave the 5e cable that works in place. I can't be bothered faffing around with this any more. To be honest I doubt it would make any difference to sound quality in any event.

S3 posted:

Thanks all. I'll just leave the 5e cable that works in place. I can't be bothered faffing around with this any more. To be honest I doubt it would make any difference to sound quality in any event.

Hi David, just enjoy the music! If playing with cables makes it better then great, but you have a tricky cable change issue and a system that I think you love, do don't take on stress. Enjoy music and have a great Bank Holiday.

I use Cinnamon between the router and switch, and Vodka between the switch and the 272 and nas. The difference between the Vodka and Cinnamon was greater than that between Cinnamon and £2 cable, so it might be worth looking at that at some point. The Vodkas and a Cisco switch together made a very worthwhile improvement. 

I've got my eye on a Cisco switch. Is there any particular model to look out for? 

S3 posted:

Thanks all. I'll just leave the 5e cable that works in place. I can't be bothered faffing around with this any more. To be honest I doubt it would make any difference to sound quality in any event.

Good decision i must say. i did play around with Ethernet cables and in my system (similar to yours to some extent) i didnt find any benefit to using exotic ethernet wires per se. i settled on extremely cheap but well made German Roline UTP 6a -- and this works mighty fine. i have a meicord cable between switch and US -- but i am using that just because i happen to have it and its very well made -- not because it necessarily makes any sonic impact.

enjoy

ken

Finkfan posted:

I've got my eye on a Cisco switch. Is there any particular model to look out for? 

A nice used 8 port 2960 or 3560 I think work rather well and I really like them connected to my NDX. Go for 8 port versions as they are silent and fanless

Thanks Simon

Simon-in-Suffolk posted:

Finkfan posted:

I've got my eye on a Cisco switch. Is there any particular model to look out for? 

A nice used 8 port 2960 or 3560 I think work rather well and I really like them connected to my NDX. Go for 8 port versions as they are silent and fanless

what do you think of: i put my cisco 2960 between my noisy router and my netgear gs105 with tp ps, from where go my serve.

As you know, i preferred the neatgear with my big linear ps for the more natural sound to my ears. But the cisco had more drive and edge on notes.  I am hearing to this combination and i feel, but not sure, that there is a little more dynamic and in the same time i have the same natural sound as before.  I feel no degrading of the sound but perhaps more dynamic.

Router>cisco 2960>netgear gs105-tp ps( for unitserve)>tp link/fmc(2)linear ps> nds

It seems to be too much but i feel it works.     Do you think i should keep cisco or netgear but no both?  or both is not a problem?