preventing usb bus overload.

Correct, George. Hardwire the NAS to your router. You are right about not liking wifi. It really isn't ready for prime time if you don't have some networking experience.

George, if you dont have any problem, stay how you are. I don't use USB except for my mouse and keyboard. I use my NAS drive via ethernet to my router and ethernet from my router to my PC. I have a soundcard and use a 10 metre spdif cable into my sound room next door where I reclock and upsample the sound card to make up for the long cable. I use a squeezebox for tidal streaming. The Lacie is a great drive and I would not change it. I was going wth Lacie but ended up with the Drobo only because it was more practical. Lacie drives are the best you can get (next to drives we don't know about).

Cerrot
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A big thanks.As I mentioned earlier,my little setup works like a charm. But as you know,we never leave things alone in this hobby.So this post made me think twice whether I should buy another drive with Firewire800 port and avoid the aforementioned usb bus overload thing.My dac and external Lacie drive are both connected into my macmini with USB.
I already have a NAS, actually two of them. The second I haven't even put to use yet,but if I was to go that route,then I need to run Ethernet cable from router to destination,where my macmini is placed.
The run will probably take 80 feet of cable,going through the wall and ceiling. How long can Ethernet cable be?
Can I buy it raw (what is it the cat6 ) and terminate it once it's fished through.Obviously having plugs at the ends makes it harder to fish.
Other thing I could do is get another Lacie firewire drive for a few hundred dollars and replace my existing Lacie USB3 drive. Having said that,I got honestly like six older drives lying around unused,from previous purchases. It never even ends!
Decisions,decisions.
George

Yioryos, you can easily do 80ft. CAT6 should be good for 100m=328ft. Better drives improve reliability but won't directly affect the sound. I keep 2 backups anyway.

I bought a legato thunderbolt dock from OWC for my Mac mini. On sale for $139. This gives me 3 usb3 powered connections but more
Importantly no I