My experience has been both up and down with ethernet and optical, I agree, depends on implementation. At this point I prefer optical post server, ethernet pre server. I did try generic FMC prior to server, heard presentation similar to audphile1, also heard similar presentation adding audiophile switch prior to server. At this point prefer my router powered with lps direct to server vs. either of those two solutions. Network Acoustics Muon filter will be my  attempt at lowering noise pre server. Post server I prefer optical via generic FMC,( soon to be Sonore OpticalModule), and Sonore OpticalRendu. This streamer much preferred to prior SOTM SMS 200Neo.

I think optical gets criticized mostly because of these generic FMC, they have pretty poor clocking and noisy power supplies. Not to say they're not helpful, they are in many cases, but one can do better with optimized optical.

+1 @lalitk

I also found good ethernet cables (in/out of a ethetregen) better than using optical from a switch or out from the ethetregen. With my gear optical was too sterile.

Room and the other usual factors make up the rest.

Any comments on this: DXE-ISO-PLUS-2 for filtering? 

Question,

I’m using a Netgear Powerline extender that uses your home wiring.  Can I plug the Green Computer Dirty box into the the second Netgear box? 
 

NETGEAR Powerline adapter Kit, 2000 Mbps Wall-plug, 2 Gigabit Ethernet Ports with Passthrough + Extra Outlet (PLP2000-100PAS) https://a.co/d/2cIHiLT

Thanks

Why use a filter? Why would anybody use toslink? Toslink doesn’t support hires files like dsd or MQA. 
I’ve tried the Ethernet to fiber then back again, didn’t do anything toward sq. 
I also tried all the tweaks/gimmicks for usb and that was also a bust. 
Keep it simple, get the best equipment you can afford and you probably won’t need any of these tweaks