Is this a proper type Ehernet Switch for Master/Slave DAW's

[Steve Fogal]

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6833122111

This say's it has auto sensing, which I 'believe' is for automatically sensing different ethernet card speeds, 10/100 or Gigabit My ASUS P5KC boards have built in Gabit, but my old machine has 10/100... not sure what my dual core laptop has though.

What I'm unsure of is, in the pictorial lower on the links page, it says something about needing a Gigabit PCI ethernet adaptor (GA311)...though as I said, my P5KC boards have a Gigabit ethernet built on it.

None of my music machines will be on the internet either.

Yes, I do realize I can just use a cross-over cable from master to slave, but I'm planning ahead for more than one slave machine.

[Steve Fogal]

Also, I read from someone somewhere that even if using just master/slaving with 2 computers via ethernet, that using an ethernet switch box device is better/faster than using a simple single cross-over cable... something to the affect of a cross-over slowing or blocking the signal paths? I don't know if this true, it didn't really make sense.

[DG]

Also, I read from someone somewhere that even if using just master/slaving with 2 computers via ethernet, that using an ethernet switch box device is better/faster than using a simple single cross-over cable... something to the affect of a cross-over slowing or blocking the signal paths? I don't know if this true, it didn't really make sense.

I've never heard that before, and these days the cable doesn't even need to be a cross-over cable. Cat 6 is fine.

As far as your switch is concerned I don't know enough about it to give advice. The only thing I've heard about switches is that so-called "green" switches sometimes cause problems for applications that are streaming high quantities of real time data like audio.

DG

[Steve Fogal]

Oh? You mean the same Cat 6 cable patch cord can be used for either, between 2 computers or between several computers with a Gigabit switch?

I've never heard of a "Green Switch" before ... what exactly does that imply? I know the word 'Green' typically means made from recycled products.

[Jarno]

I've never heard of a "Green Switch" before ... what exactly does that imply?

It must be a switch with a power saving mode.

[JCschild]

how exactly do you intend to network? are you using VE PRO?

[Steve Fogal]

Jarno, the power saving mode makes sense...didn't think of that.

Scott, not sure yet, but does which one make a difference for the choice of Gigabit switch? ...VEP is an eventual possibility, but it could be something other to do some innitial experimenting.

[JCschild]

for real low latency sample slave ability you need to have good equipment.
onboard GB network wont cut it unless working @ 512 buffer is ok for you.

you might be able to get away with adding a good (intel) 1GB network card per system and buying a very good switch.
for lowest latency you would want 10GBe cards and switch.. now you are talking well over $1000 just for 3 cards never mind the switch.

i do a lot of Vienna systems

FYI anything with the word "green" in it no way... the last thing you want is a switch attempting any power saving.
even with the added intel cards you would have to go into the device manager then power management of the cards and make sure all that crap is off...

[Steve Fogal]

Thanks, I didn't know that the ASUS P5KC onboard 1 GB network jacks won't work well, Daem... I would have thought 1 GB is 1GB either way...?...at least the ethernet on the board itself. Though I have read a bit about needing a suitable network interface...saying a 'network switch' is needed, not a 'network router' etc.

So that network switch from Newegg in the above link is NOT suitable for midi only, or midi & audio?

Spending $1,000 just for a 10 GB set up is totally out of the question for a hobby. I do have a spare PCIe slot on my crossfire capable board (only have 1 dual video card installed) and I 'think' 1 space PCI slot (2 of 3 taken up by my Aardvarks) but swear I may have something in that one...? I can't imagine 1GB add-ons are very expensive.

At this point, I'm just in contemplation mode, researching what I'd need to start experimenting with ethernet midi, and/or audio + midi. As I've said in other threads, I do already have 5 audio/midi interfaces to use between 2 or even 3 computers...and was considering a possible hybrid to get the best of each method. For example, if sending midi via ethernet from master is better than 5-pin, yet getting low latencies returning the audio from slave(s) via ASIO sound cards.

The other reason for possible using the networking solution is I wanted to possibly use my dual core laptop in the mix...and it can't make use of any of my Aardvark cards.

[JCschild]

no bodies onboard works right massively limited bandwidth and resource allocation. (too many interupts)

For example, if sending midi via ethernet from master is better than 5-pin, yet getting low latencies returning the audio from slave(s) via ASIO sound cards.


thats the old school way worked 15 yrs ago and still works just a cluster of a mess
moving into todays way
VE Pro and only 1 audio interface
but again minimum is seperate 1GB nics and a good switch.

ideal is as i said 10GBe cards (you can run direct without a switch and if you buy 1 card with dual ports then you could use 2 slaves) a swtich is around 3K+

[Steve Fogal]

Awsome, thanks again Scott.

In my research several months ago, I actually had a passing thought about that possibility of doing away with a Gigabit switcher (if ever using more than 2 computers via ethernet) & looking into dually ethernet cards on the master...totally forgot about that idea

I doubt I'll ever go more than 3 computers total under 'any' method. And my next build (after this 2nd quad build I just did) is going to be an up to date high spec'd machine...which at that point, I'll weigh in the usefulness of either of my 2 current quads as slaves....or not.

And by the way, the old way of 5-pin midi & audio via audio/midi interfaces isn't so much a problem...I only have 1 midi out cable from master to slave, and 1 light-pipe adat coming back as audio...hardly a mess, especially that my all my Aardvark audio/midi cards are stacked/mounted in an open rack. Very short midi/audio patch cables, works well too. My only thoughts of concern is what's better in terms of latency/jitter (which isn't a problem now), and of course ethernet's ability to 'save as' in 'one project' in the master DAW is attractive.