A NAS Observation

I have some knowledge of networking but Simon frequently leaves me stranded! :woman_shrugging:

The only chance I have is because I have the knowledge understand what I’m reading about when I look it up! :stuck_out_tongue:

Xanthe, drop me a line if you want to know more… happy to share the WireShark trace diagrams that illustrate it.

Actually I do know what you are getting at here - it’s for example using Bubble so Tidal acts like a local upnp stream. But you’ve got to admit it sounds like the random word generator has been working overtime! It’s the reverse transmission continuity disruption curve…

Yep, don’t disagree sometimes technical language can sound like double Dutch… it’s the acronyms that get me… I always expand out in my head

Hi Simon, thank you.
It was more a general observation of my limitations, but a quick lookup usually sorts it out - I understand many of the principles… I just have to fill in the detail, and t’internet is great for that!

In terms of acronyms and abbreviations…
TLA: Three Letter Abbreviation
FLEA: Four Letter Extended Acronym
FLDEA: Five Letter Doubly Extended Abbreviation

1.21 Jiggawatts!!

My name’s good in double Dutch – Butt-a-rut-tutt

It could also be that a more powerful NAS, with more cores and faster processors is using less processing power to serve the content, therefore less noise. Plus will have a better and more capable Power supply, therefore less noise.
I would refrain from running more on the NAS and just leave the unit for networked storage, running applications on other platforms, such as RaspberryPi for UPnP server and NUC for ROCK & Roon Core.

The power supply is the same for both models, and unlike the singe core NAS it makes little or no difference if I have other tasks running at the same time (on the single core NAS I feel that there was a very slight degradation of SQ if the CPU was heavily committed on other tasks at the smae time as serving music).

Hey guys, let’s reverse proxy protocole breaks! let’s have fun !

Hi Xanthe, do you know how to use WireShark… your 2960 can be configured to provide a SPAN port, and so you can then analyze the frame timings… and compare with your old NAS to see if indeed it is the timing consistency you are hearing the benefit of with your 272.

I’ve looked at Wireshark, and could no doubt learn how to use its filters, but it would be a bit moot now as I no longer have the old NAS - a friend had a considerable need for a NAS and couldn’t afford to buy one due to a cashflow crisis!

Incidentally for those still on this thread, Asset works really well on the DS218play.

One tip with Asset though: when you select by ‘Artist’ using the smart ordering algorithm and the facility to select whichever of ‘Artist’ or ‘Album Artist’ tag field is actually populated, it seems to have a predilection for selecting from the ‘Album Artist’ tag when both are populated.
Asset, it would seem is very album focused in it’s approach, so populating the tags in knowledge of this seems to be preferable (this appears to be the opposite approach to that used by MinimServer).

I’ll leave you fiddling with Asset until you’re satisfied with how you like it. Then it will be good to exchange notes (screen shots) on your config if you’re up for it.

I’ve been beta testing the Asset software on my DS214 for quite a while & have evolved into a simpler setup than the Asset default.
I’ve found it easier than Minim to both install & setup & a lot more tolerant of metadata errors (not that I have any of course) but IME ‘Album Artist’ is one tag I do make sure is populated, & it’s frequently not done so by the download vendors.

I have a question. I currently use an Asus wireless router. I see the newest ones are tri-band, which my streamer can use; but more important to me is I’m seeing units with 8 lan ports. Getting one of these would eliminate the need for the little 5 port hub I need to use now. Any opinions??

Some routers, notably the cheap ones supplied by some ISPs, seemed to have very poorly implemented switch ports that caused a lot of problems, but I would guess that your Asus is probably fine. Give it a try.

Some ‘router’ observations.
I don’t want mine with so many ports as I only want minimal cables on show, & have just the one ethernet down to the hidden switch.
Re ChrisSU’s point on dodgy switch ports, its a fair point but maybe not so much these days, it does apply with old routers IME. Whatever I choose to give the switching duties over to a pukka switch
A Question: Why do some of the ‘specialist’ routers have to be so pug ugly, whats with all the spiky sticky out aerials. My BT hub has internal aerials, it transmits all over the house, garage & aprx 35m around the outside of the house. What extra to that does the spiky things do ??

Yes, but I use AlbumArtist over Artist on my Asset configuration & everything is Album based. I set this configuration up a number of years ago, for my ND5XS which at the time replaced a Squeezebox and iPeng.
I just make sure everything is tagged correctly before it goes into the library.
My main icons, as per the Asset BrowseTree are

Of course today, my main interface is Roon, but I still have the UPnP, if required.

I was referring to the specific Album Artist metadata tag field & if it’s not correct it can cause issues. Multiple artist albums in particular might need personal preferences applied.

Agreed, running all your cables back to a single switch (standalone or in your router) is going to make your house look like a data centre. I have 3 strategically placed switches around the house to make a ‘backbone’ with patch cables running from there.