So presumably I want to avoid that a make sure I get a fanless one? And one that has been properly factory reset by the vendor?
They nearly all have built in PSUs, and they are decent, electrically quiet ones, so I wouldn’t worry about it.
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Actually, I think I’ll put it on an empty shelf of the Hifi rack, with just one ethernet cat6a cable going off to the 272.
Or would it be better on a wooden block or slate roof tile on the carpet a couple of metres away?
Only the 8 ports are fanless. There are guides on the web showing how to factory reset the Cisco switches.
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Ah, yes - so the C3750 is no good.
thanks
Jim
Cheers for that link - It’s been in the back of my mind for a while to try one of these so one is now on the way 
Hope you didn’t buy the last one!
They say you can return them within 14 days without reason - although a bloke from there just mentioned that there may be a ‘restocking fee’ - but I’m not sure.
Worth a try - and can be sold on I suppose via the great online market if it doesn’t do anything…
Let me know how yours works out.
Mine is ordered now too.
FYI: “Restocking fee is normally 20%. And yes you are right if you return within 14 days from the time of order there will not be any restocking fee, just shipping cost will not be refunded.”
That’s a bonus - so if it doesn’t sound better it just goes back.
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I read on the old Forum that one should not use a 3rd leg of a Graham’s Hydra to plug in a switch.
Is that correct?
There was at least one report of that working out ok for someone.
There’s a steady supply of them on ebay, so don’t worry about it! If you’re concerned about having to log into the switch using the CLI then ask the seller to reset it to factory defaults.
Glad you have ordered the switch.
If you have dedicated supply to the hifi don’t put non hifi on it. Same for hydra I would think. I’m just cautious.
Phil
Cisco WS-C2960-8TC-L
Long link from router to Cisco.
Short link from streamer to Cisco.
Short link from NAS to Cisco.
Thats that.!
No more parts in the Cisco,…just the parts I write above.
Good luck…
/Peder🙂
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In the future you can also upgrade with a Linear Power Supply😛.
It will be a real soundquality increase.
This is a prototype that is not installed in a box. Excuse the image quality.
/Peder 
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Flicking through one of my 'Critic mags earlier i remembered this article. Found it online too…
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Hi @JimDog
you read my mind. I already have a couple of 24 port switchs at home, if i buy anymore, my wife will sell me for parts!
I’ve been playing around with various Ethernet cables for a while and found that the old crap solid core was best and the cat6 with its metal plug was the worst. However when doing the A-B testing I was worried that I was imagining a difference, I then put in each cable for a whole week and the old cable was the best (i think). I figured the new Cat6 cable was more effective at carrying the RF than the old one or the better shielding was actually a better antenna? - not sure and far too technical for me - I’m using the old cable. However on the basis that the old cable was better, I figured how is the best way to entirely galvaniclly (is that a word?) the entire stream?
I’ve been looking at these, they take 5 volts DC so maybe the front USB on the ND5 XS could drive the music end, and the other could sit up near my switch.
https://www.4cabling.com.au/tp-link-media-converter-rj45-sc-multimode-gigabit.html
Curious to hear people’s thoughts on this
I once discussed the idea of using the streamer USB port to power external devices with Phil Harris (now sadly no longer with Naim) and he very strongly recommend that I didn’t. There may well be a price to pay in sound quality - in fact, Naim recommend disabling the 5V power to the USB port for best sound quality.
Some of the Cisco 2960 switches have SFP plugs on the uplink ports to which you can connect fibre connectors, however as Naim don’t support SFP or fibre it’s kind of irrelevant.
However remember it’s the PHY clock that is important here, and that’s the same whether it’s twisted pair or fibre.
Also for most switch types you may find there is a benefit SQ wise on having a long Ethernet lead between the streamer and switch, and I certainly would not suggest a very short one.
Simon, thanks for the additional comments. Don’t doubt the various posts regarding improvements in SQ with using a switch. But could you explain in SIMPLE terms why adding one can achieve this. Also, as per your post, why the cable lengths are relevant and where in the chain is it best placed e.g. before or after router. May consider trying it given its very modest cost. Thanks.
[quote=“Simon-in-Suffolk, post:36, topic:567”]
Also for most switch types you may find there is a benefit SQ wise on having a long Ethernet lead between the streamer and switch, and I certainly would not suggest a very short one.
[/quote]
Here,…Simon and we in our group have quite different experiences.
As when we tested,we have come up with what I wrote before,…and which I repeat below.
But we have used special ehternet cables,… Audioquest Vodka, Diamond, Chord and other high quality cables.
This is something that Simon is hesitant about,but we undoubtedly hear significant differences between these cables.
If this is something that makes Simon,and we in our group have different experiences,…Yes I can’t answer.
But the differences in Soundquality are large,… That is the facts.
But try in your own music-system,…It’s in the end that means something😉.
I will also add,that in the music-systems we tested this in,…they have been optimally installed.
If the music-systems are not optimally installed,it is much harder to hear differences…large and small differences.
I have also written a lot in the previous forum about various installation advice for the CISCO switch.
Hope that the old forum will soon be searchable, because I dryers not sit and write about these advice again.
Below previous post…
Cisco WS-C2960-8TC-L
Long link from router to Cisco.
Short link from streamer to Cisco.
Short link from NAS to Cisco.
Thats that.!
No more parts in the Cisco,…just the parts I write above.
/Peder🙂
I think it was Mike-B who first in the old forum,added the picture that I have in this post.
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Yes, I may well get a linear PS in future.
When it arrives will I just plug it in with a spare kettle lead? There was no mention of a PS coming with it on the site where I bought it?
JimDog,…Just plug it in,the Cisco has o good inbuilt SMPS.
/Peder🙂
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