Servers: Are we there yet?

The point is, all Aurender servers and players require a wireless network, and an access device (Ipad).

I believe it is.

I own the Aurender N10, and I'm content with it. However, without a functional IPad and Wifi connection, you might as well be listening to a brick.

Yes, but I wasn't referring to streaming. I'm talking about the music that is now stored on the server's hard drive. It cannot be accessed without a working Ipad and a wireless network. If my wifi is down, the server is as dead as a doornail. My understanding is that this is the current state of the art for music servers.

Just saying, is all.

"Yes. It's like if your CD player broke, your entire CD collection is rendered useless."

Not quite. If your CD player breaks, you can use another one. Or you can use your laptop, if it has a CD drive. On the other hand, if your wireless network is out of action, it doesn't matter how many backup servers you have- none of them will work.

I think servers should function regardless of the availability of Wifi. As it now stands, I don't consider it an unqualified advance over a good CD player.

True, the system would probably work fine without internet, at least until the lack of internet updates started to affect performance.

"Why lack of internet updates should affect performance?  Performance is always the same if nothing is changing."

Upgrades need to occur, for both the Ipad and server operating systems.

Here's an analog analogy: There's a room in your house where you store all your LPs and CDs. The door is locked by default, so you need to use an electronic key fob every time you wish to enter. The charger for the key fob is a bit unreliable, so you don't always have access. Not many audiophiles would tolerate such an arrangement, but we have to accept it when a computer is involved.

Ok, in that case I will disconnect my system from the internet. Thanks for the help.

All of these products are designed to have a working internet connection in one way, shape, or form. What's the point in bickering over the details?