Wifi vs ethernet revisited

Hello OP and friends,  So interesting all the different ways to improve digital!  Good discussion.  I have gone to much effort to improve my digital front end.  Many have contributed ideas I have used:

Verizon Fios > Verizon Modem (with wifi disabled) Powered by Sean Jacobs LPS.

From this I run all ethernet feeds to non audio as well as Eero Pro 6 Mesh wifi (three units wired around house).  I also run short ethernet into JCAT M12 Gold Switch (also powered by Sean Jacobs LPS) this will feed only my two audio systems >

Short run into GTT DeJitterit Switch and Clean Modem.  So I have stacked two nice switches in line and found it further improves sound.  The DeJitterit Switch / Clean Modem creates  a separate 'CLEAN NETWORK' that only serves my audio systems.  From this 'Clean Side' I run a quality ethernet cable feed to each of my 2 streamers. I use no wall plate couplers, instead using JCAT ethernet couplers if needed.  I run my long cables through the wall plate to reduce couplings.

The GTT DeJitterit also comes with a 'Clean Wifi' Router, designed to be quiet and use minimal bandwidth, purely for Remote Roon or Streamer Access.

So I have eliminated all the other internet traffic from entering my clean music side of things. And thee is significant internet traffic on most of our homes!

Each and all of these things have enhanced my digital sound.  I have also demo'd the NA Tempus switch, and that is also nice.  But I owned the JCAT switch, which is very comparable, and then chose the GTT Dejitterit switch / clean modem as the best sound.

Also agree strongly with keeping all computer / wall warts etc away from audio and on different circuits.

Take care! 

Hi @debrajray ,  

 if your baseline Verizon modem/router is generating two different LANs (for audio and non-audio) on the same subnet, can't you get Roon to discover across LANs and turn off the non-Eero wifi that you've mentioned? 

So it may not have this  all correct but here goes: 

The Verizon Modem is only generating one LAN.  But the audio only feed, exiting the Verizon modem, is cleaned first by the JCAT switch, then it enter the DeJitterit unit.  Here the DeJitterit creates another wired LAN, and outputs to its included wifi router to spin off a separate wifi network so that I have control over my 2 streamers on this clean network.  My Roon core lives on my Grimm MU1, and it can only be seen on the clean network.  If I search for my Roon Core while on my main LAN, it is not seen.

This 'clean network' really improved my sound.  Taiko does something very similar.

@debrajray I am getting a headache!  I surely don't know.  but it seems to me that ANY additional traffic on the clean side is detrimental. Of course it is easy, say on my phone or laptop, to jump to cleanwifi to control my audio if my ipad is awol.

A Verizon compatible modem that can split out two LANs is interesting, but isn't that essentially what I have done?  Plus I do use wired outputs on the main non audio LAN to feed my TVs as well as the Eero units.

I certainly did not design my front end from the ground up, but implemented many improvements one at a time over years.  I read a good switch makes a big difference, tried it and found it to be true.  No skepticism from that point forward.  But I did find less expensive changes were harder to appreciate, including the Bonn 8 switch and the Ether Regen. Good power supplies for the modem and switches make a huge difference.

Good Morning @debrajray ,   I certainly concur that any wifi on the audio LAN can  create noise.  But the Clean Wifi (wifi on the clean network) is designed to have minimal impact by its designer Chris at DeJitterit.  Also, there are no other appliances on it to chat with except my one ipad, so minimal traffic.  I would refer you to DeJitterit to further cull this thought, Chris is great, brilliant and approachable if you are interested.   He helped me get it all set up.  I keep my ipad on this clean network, so there is not much switching back and forth.  Everything else in my home weather wired or not, is on the main LAN.

I think this is simpler that trying to get my Eero wifi to jump over to the clean network every time I want to play / search with Roon.

I also have some Sonos gear, bedroom, bathroom and soundbar, again all on the main network.

I think a lot of people forget how much traffic in a typical home is on their Lan, and it grows continuously.  TV's, Wireless speakers, thermostats, cameras, security, PHONES, and now even kitchen appliances, lighting and even more.

Hello @sns,  Always enjoy hearing from you!  Yes clock harmonization and redundancy is an issue.  It could easily be an argument for combined streamer / DAC where it would obviously be optimized.  Instead, great streamers tend to have upgraded clocking, which we then bypass with USB to get to our even better clock on our DAC or outboard clock.  With my Nadac C and D, USB is the way to go to use the MF clock.  With my Grimm MU1 I like AES into my Tambaqui.

With the clean network / wifi discussion, I think maybe it is the way my DeJitterit switch / modem walls off its clean network, but I can not see anything on this side from my main network, either on wifi or connected macbook.  I believe this is the way this is designed.  In your system, how do you create 'clean side'?

Here is great information on Switch X and Wifi X and how this wifi has less affect on sound:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4V8ZaVv9aoM

I think this explains things way better than my attempt.

Hi @soix thanks and +1.  I was thinking vodka, but yes!

Hey @debrajray , no need to explain your keeping the Nautilus 804's.  I still have a pair of N802's and a pair of N803's in my vacation home.  In my opinion, the Nautilus line were the smoothest B/W ever made.  And, at 30 years, with the exception of one midrange driver, they are still going strong.