Difference between revisions of "Network Components"

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This page details the non-Linn components required for a DS player system.
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Linn's digital media products use standard IP networking for audio distribution and control.&nbsp; The recommended specification for the networking requirements is outlined below.<br>
  
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<br>
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== Network Topology<br> ==
  
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=== Ethernet Switch ===
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== Ethernet Switch ==
  
 
The Ethernet switch is the connection point for all other components on the network allowing them to communicate with each other.
 
The Ethernet switch is the connection point for all other components on the network allowing them to communicate with each other.
  
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'''Minimum requirements:'''
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'''Requirements:'''
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* Must be a dedicated, stand alone switch. Linn recommends against using the switches built into consumer grade ADSL routers, cable modems, or wireless access points. The processing power of such devices is often shared between its various functions and is therefore not always capable of full performance.
 
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* Must be either a 100 Mbps or 1000 Mbps full duplex switch.
 
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* Must be capable of fully utilising all ports simultaneously. On vendor’s specification pages this is sometimes listed under a category called the “switch backplane” or the “switch bandwidth”. For an 8 port 100 Mbps switch, this “switch bandwidth” should be 1.6 Gbps. This number comes from 100 Mbps in, plus 100 Mbps out, times the 8 ports. For a 16 port gigabit switch, the “switch bandwidth” would be 32 Gbps. (2*16*1000 Mbps).
 
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'''Ethernet switches that Linn have tested:'''
 
  
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Netgear Switch FS108 <br>Netgear Switch FS108P <br>Netgear Switch FS116 <br>Netgear Switch GS108 <br>Netgear Switch GS116 <br>Netgear Switch FSM726 <br>
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* Linn recommends a dedicated, stand alone switch. Switches built into consumer grade ADSL routers, cable modems, or wireless access points tend to be compromised. The processing power of such devices is often shared between its various functions and is therefore not always capable of full performance.
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* 100 Mbps or 1000 Mbps full duplex switch.
 +
* Must be capable of fully utilising all ports simultaneously. On vendor’s specification pages this is sometimes listed under a category called the “switch backplane” or the “switch bandwidth”. (For an 8 port 100 Mbps switch, this “switch bandwidth” should be 1.6 Gbps. This number comes from 100 Mbps in, plus 100 Mbps out, times the 8 ports. For a 16 port gigabit switch, the “switch bandwidth” would be 32 Gbps. (2*16*1000 Mbps).)<br>
  
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<br>
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For recommended switches see here.<br>
  
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=== Wireless Access Point (WAP) ===
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== Wireless Access Point (WAP) ==
  
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The WAP connects the wireless control point to the Ethernet network.
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The WAP connects the wireless control point to the network.
  
 
Linn recommends using a standalone wireless access point. Wireless access points built into switches and other consumer grade products are frequently (but not always) of a lower quality.
 
Linn recommends using a standalone wireless access point. Wireless access points built into switches and other consumer grade products are frequently (but not always) of a lower quality.
  
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'''Minimum requirements:'''
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'''Requirements:'''
  
 
* "Enterprise grade"
 
* "Enterprise grade"
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and optionally
 
and optionally
  
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* Power over Ethernet (PoE)
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* Power over Ethernet (PoE) <br>
  
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<br>
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== <br>NAS ==
  
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'''WAPs that Linn have tested:'''<br>Linksys wap200 <br>Dlink Dwl-3200AP
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Stores your music on the network.&nbsp; See [[NAS]]es.<br>
  
 
<br>
 
<br>
  
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=== NAS ===
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== Media Server<br><br> ==
  
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Securely stores music on a hard drive array.
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* UPnP AV 1.0 certified or DNLA 1.0
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* FLAC support
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<br>
 
  
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Placing your digital media collection on a NAS has a number of benefits:
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and preferably<br>
  
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Protects your digital media files - if the NAS has RAID capability (hard-drive redundancy), you are protected from failure of any one of the drives in your system
 
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High availability - Many NASes draw very little power when they are idle, so they can be left permanently switched on. This means you wont have to wait for computer to boot before you can start streaming music
 
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Additionally, some NASes are capbable of running a media server. This relieves your computer of one more task, and increases availability of your audio.
 
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<br>'''Lacie Ethernet Disk'''
 
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Summary Compatible with Linn DS products, comes with Twonky Media pre-installed, easy to set-up, no RAID
 
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No NFS <br>No RAID
 
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<br>'''Netgear ReadyNAS NV+'''
 
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<br>
 
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'''QNAP TS409 Pro'''
 
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Excellent competitor to the Netgear ReadyNAS<br>* Suitable for DS<br>* Pro version has NFS support, making it suitable for Akurate Music Server system
 
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<br>'''DLink DNS 323'''
 
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The DLink is a cheap NAS, with RAID 1 capability. The drive has poor firmware out of the box, (the pre-installed UPnP server is seriously broken), but it can be upgraded to run Twonky Media Server.
 
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<br>Installation experience of Twonky is relatively straight-forward if you are prepared to follow the instructions to install "fun_plug", (http://wiki.dns323.info/howto:fun_plug) and the Twonky installation instructions (http://www.twonkyvision.com/Download/TwonkyMedia/TM4Technicians.html)<br>* 2 disk SATA<br>* RAID 0,1,JBOD<br>* Linux ("busybox") based<br>* DHCP<br>* pre-installed uPnP server (DLink custom)
 
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<br>Additionally, the NAS runs three important pieces of software:
 
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a. Media Server: Indexes and allows retrieval of the music from the NAS.
 
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b. DHCP Server: Responsible for allocating IP addresses to all devices on the network.
 
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c. Network Sharing Protocols: Allows computers to place new music on the NAS.
 
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<br>
 
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=== Media Server ===
 
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* UPnP AV 1.0 certified or DNLA 1.0
 
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* FLAC support
 
 
* Easy installation on the NAS
 
* Easy installation on the NAS
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* Album Art support<br>
  
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<br>
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''''''<br>
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* Media servers tested by Linn
 
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* Twonky Media
 
  
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<br>
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== Control Point<br> ==
  
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=== Wireless control point ===
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Wireless control point
  
 
The wireless control point provides the user interface (via the Linn GUI) for accessing music and controlling playback. The device can be either a UMPC (ultra-mobile PC), Internet Tablet,&nbsp;or a standard computer/laptop.
 
The wireless control point provides the user interface (via the Linn GUI) for accessing music and controlling playback. The device can be either a UMPC (ultra-mobile PC), Internet Tablet,&nbsp;or a standard computer/laptop.
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* Nokia N800/N810 (running Media Streamer). Note: The N800 must be running Nokia's OS2008 firmware to operate with Linn's Compatibility Families of software other than Auskerry.
 
* Nokia N800/N810 (running Media Streamer). Note: The N800 must be running Nokia's OS2008 firmware to operate with Linn's Compatibility Families of software other than Auskerry.
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<br>
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== Tested Components ==
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<br>Ethernet switches that Linn have tested:
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Netgear Switch FS108<br>Netgear Switch FS108P<br>Netgear Switch FS116<br>Netgear Switch GS108<br>Netgear Switch GS116<br>Netgear Switch FSM726
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<br>WAPs that Linn have tested:<br>Linksys wap200<br>Dlink Dwl-3200AP <br>
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 +
<br>

Revision as of 13:26, 11 July 2008

Linn's digital media products use standard IP networking for audio distribution and control.  The recommended specification for the networking requirements is outlined below.

Network Topology

Ethernet Switch

The Ethernet switch is the connection point for all other components on the network allowing them to communicate with each other.

Requirements:

  • Linn recommends a dedicated, stand alone switch. Switches built into consumer grade ADSL routers, cable modems, or wireless access points tend to be compromised. The processing power of such devices is often shared between its various functions and is therefore not always capable of full performance.
  • 100 Mbps or 1000 Mbps full duplex switch.
  • Must be capable of fully utilising all ports simultaneously. On vendor’s specification pages this is sometimes listed under a category called the “switch backplane” or the “switch bandwidth”. (For an 8 port 100 Mbps switch, this “switch bandwidth” should be 1.6 Gbps. This number comes from 100 Mbps in, plus 100 Mbps out, times the 8 ports. For a 16 port gigabit switch, the “switch bandwidth” would be 32 Gbps. (2*16*1000 Mbps).)

For recommended switches see here.

Wireless Access Point (WAP)

The WAP connects the wireless control point to the network.

Linn recommends using a standalone wireless access point. Wireless access points built into switches and other consumer grade products are frequently (but not always) of a lower quality.

Requirements:

  • "Enterprise grade"
  • Wireless G
  • Robust connection quality

and optionally

  • Power over Ethernet (PoE)


NAS

Stores your music on the network.  See NASes.


Media Server

  • UPnP AV 1.0 certified or DNLA 1.0
  • FLAC support

and preferably

  • Easy installation on the NAS
  • Album Art support

'

Control Point

Wireless control point

The wireless control point provides the user interface (via the Linn GUI) for accessing music and controlling playback. The device can be either a UMPC (ultra-mobile PC), Internet Tablet, or a standard computer/laptop.

The Linn GUI runs on .NET 2.0

Minimum requirements:

UMPC

  • 800 x 480
  • 600MHz processor or greater, (800Mhz preferred)
  • .NET 2.0
  • Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC edition 2005


Windows PC/laptop

  • Windows XP Professional 2002
  • 800 MHz processor or greater
  • .NET 2.0


Specific UMPCs that Linn have tested:

Samsung Q1 (NP-Q1/V000/SUK), (NP-Q1/M02/SUK), (NP-Q1/S000/SUK), (NP-Q1/UF000/SUK) running Microsoft Windows XP Tablet PC edition 2005, Version 2002 and Service Pack 2
ASUS Notebook R2H Series, 1Gb 900Mhz Celeron M, running Windows Vista Home Premium


Specific Internet Tablets that Linn have tested:

  • Nokia N800/N810 (running Media Streamer). Note: The N800 must be running Nokia's OS2008 firmware to operate with Linn's Compatibility Families of software other than Auskerry.


Tested Components


Ethernet switches that Linn have tested:

Netgear Switch FS108
Netgear Switch FS108P
Netgear Switch FS116
Netgear Switch GS108
Netgear Switch GS116
Netgear Switch FSM726


WAPs that Linn have tested:
Linksys wap200
Dlink Dwl-3200AP


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