Servers: Are we there yet?

FWIW, my preference with respect to wireless routers is to not use one. Instead I prefer to utilize a wireless access point that is separate from the router, and connects to the router via an ethernet cable. In my case that facilitates being able to locate each device in the location I prefer for each, and I suspect in many cases is likely to make it possible to select a more powerful and better performing access point than the ones that tend to be built into routers.

In my case, for the last several years I’ve been using an EnGenius EAP350 802.11n access point (it predates the latest 802.11ac standard), with the router function being performed by a SonicWall TZ205 hardware firewall that I have protecting my entire LAN from outside intrusion. (The hardware firewall in turn connects to the cable modem supplied by my ISP).  While at this point I don’t utilize a music server, or stream music from a computer, for the past couple of years I have been wirelessly streaming Internet radio to a Squeezebox which connects into my audio system. Although the Squeezebox is located on a different floor than the wireless access point, and there are several walls in between, I have never had a single glitch, drop-out, or other performance anomaly of any kind or duration during all that time.

I also make a point, btw, of operating the WiFi network on a channel that is as far as possible from the channels I’ve determined (via software) that are used by my neighbors.

The bottom line: I see no reason that WiFi can’t be utilized in a reliable manner for audio.

Regards,
-- Al

Interesting and thought-provoking post by Vicweast. To add some perspective, I’ll mention that the log of the SonicWall hardware firewall/router I mentioned that I use shows, on average, an unwanted and in most cases presumably illegitimate incoming connection attempt (that it throws away) approximately every two minutes, 24/7/365. With those requests originating from IP addresses in just about any country one could name, around the world.

I’d imagine, though, that the majority of those attempts would fail to get through even a very basic router, due to the network address translation function routers provide between the user’s external IP address and the internal addresses of each of the devices on the LAN. And while I have no specific knowledge of the Aurender products, I’d expect that more often than not such products are Linux-based, which I suppose is targeted by the bad guys much less frequently than Windows operating systems.

That said, and although I’ve never been accused of being particularly paranoid, I personally would not want to be without a SonicWall or something comparable.

Regards,
-- Al