You would probably be better off getting a gigabit switch - like a basic netgear 4/6/8 port which are reliable and small and pretty cheap - and connecting devices via that. Then run a cable from one port of the switch to your router for connection to the Internet. I don’t know that router, but depending on your DHCP settings etc, it’s usually trivial to setup.
Yes, this should be the basic suggestion for anyone using the telcom/cableco provided hardware in their Roon network path. The provided equipment is usually borderline sketchy.
Sometimes it is not optional, as in with FIOS.
Steve,
I connect this Netgear gigabit switch to my Cable Company router/modem?
I plug a CAT6 out of the netgear into the Cable Company modem/router slots.
Then a CAT6 from the netgear gigabit switch into the microRendu.
This will reduce the dropouts for DSD files?
Thanks
Paul I can’t say as I’m not in a position to diagnose your setup and I don’t know where the dropouts are coming from.
However, if the router is a probable weak spot, connecting your HQPlayer machine and the microRendu to a switch (cat 5e would be sufficient), would remove the router from the equation. In my experience even a basic switch is superior to a broadband providers hub/router type thing. The one you linked should be fine.
It would be four cables plugged into the switch ideally - your HQPlayer machine, the rendu, your NAS, and the existing router. Although the important link is HQP to rendu as the upsampled data needs greater bandwidth/reliability.
Obviously it’s better if you can diagnose what’s causing the issue. A cheap switch gives you a way to eliminate the router and is simple to try so it would be where I’d start if you think the upsampling should otherwise be ok. Im not an HQP user but I’m assuming you’ve already checked cpu usage isn’t being maxed out? And network logs etc for issues?
Hi Steve,
Thanks for this.
My Cable company has this all in one box
it is the Modem, Phone and Router.
I connect the coaxial cable from wall into this box. One CAT6 goes to my computer. One CAT6 goes to my NAS BOX. Final CAT6 goes to microRendu.
I tried connecting the Music Files SSD to the NAS BOX and DSD drops.
I tried connecting the Music Files SSD to the computer and got less drops.
If I get the Netgear Gigabit Switch https://goo.gl/8jpe3y
Should I connect CAT6 from Arris all-in-one to Netgear?
Then the computer, NAS BOX and microRendu to Netgear?
Does this sound right?
Thanks
Yes (but you don’t need cat6)
Most cable company modem/router combo units can be setup to work as just a bridge modem. in other words not as a router. They will then output the internet signal to a higher quality router of your choice. The better router then controls your network and provides better performance.
1 Like
This is exactly what I’m doing. The cable company supplied Modem router is bridged with a second higher performance ASUS router managing the ethernet and wifi network. The cable company can walk you through the bridged setup process.
True, however in the case of Verizon you cannot go into bridge mode without forgoing TV functionality. In this case, you can still get a good switch and plug all the computers into it.
Hi Steve,
Is it bad to use CAT6, that’s all I have now. Should I order CAT4 or CAT5 and try those?
Thanks
I went and order the Netgear https://goo.gl/8jpe3y discussed.
I am not sure if my all-in-one Arris TG1672G can go bridge or not.
Some on the Time Warner Cable forum said in 2013 that it can. Damn, my box is old.
I will try to bridge it but if I cannot, will try what you suggest.
one wire into the new Netgear and then put everything else (macbook, Synology NAS Box and microRendu) into it.
The microRendu just sounds so much better than going straight into my DACs from either computer or Aurender music player.
Right now, i get perfect microRendu playback with spotty DSD playback.
Thanks
Cat6 is totally fine if that’s what you have. Good luck.
Don’t worry too much about bridge mode. I’d suggest getting it all setup as discussed and powering everything up (not sure where your DHCP server is, probably the router) and then to isolate it just unplug the router from the netgear once everything works. You won’t have Internet access at that point but will be running purely on the gigabit switch so can see if it cures the problem. If it does you can sort out bridge mode etc afterwards.
1 Like
Be careful though, if your router is serving dhcp then unplugging it may cause issues
1 Like
Blue Jeans Cable recommends CAT 6.
DSD256 requires a lot of heavy lifting. I’ve got a powerful i7 cpu & get dropouts on DSD256. DSD128 is fine though.
Yes. I have a Blue Jeans CAT6 from router to microRendu at the moment.
I am using a 2014 Mid Macbook Pro wuth 2.8G i7 with 16GB RAM and Apple 1TB SSD.
At first, I thought my DSD file download from Native DSD Music may have been corrupt.
That did not make sense as the dropouts happens at different points of the track.
I do know that my DAC plays DSD256 files perfectly under Windows when directly connected to my MBP with DSD tracks on the MBP.
But this does not sound nearly as good as the microRendu. This is really the only motivator.
Thanks
The Netgear gigabit switch arrived yesterday and the dropouts persist with DSD128 and DSD256 tracks with the microRendu.
In fact, with some DSD256 tracks, the duration of certain dropouts are much longer.
@paul_chiu ----- Thank you for your feedback and I am sorry to hear that this issue is continuing. Can you please describe, in detail, the topology of your current setup with the newly integrated Netgear gigabit switch.
Also, I’d like you to run a very simple test. Could you please move some files that have been giving you an issue over to your core machine onto the internal hard drive and try to play them back? Are you getting the same results?
-Eric