REVIEW: The best yet most affordable network switch (TPLink WR902AC)

[keithc]

What does the TPLink WR902AC do? It isolates your streamer's network card from all the noisy equipment that normally connects to it to establish an internet connection. The TPLink WR902AC is also "off the grid" thanks to its battery.

Isolation is bliss.
This, I think, is why this TPLink WR902AC works so well.

Bingo.
This is why on the last step on the instructions I recommend fully detaching the charging circuit to the Anker when in use. No more dirty SMPS.

 

[seeteeyou]

If isolation were supposed to be THAT make-or-break factor, wouldn't just about any battery-powered routers (i.e. extremely low power consumption) serve the same purpose?

https://ethernet-sound.com/tp-link-tl-wr902ac-im-akku-modus-100ige-isolierung/

The TL-WR902AC achieves approximately 0.27A in Wi-Fi operation with the Ethernet port connected, measured on the Linear Laboratory power supply, resulting in a very low consumption of approximately 1.35 watts.

In other words, what if we're going for yet another low-powered SBC of some sort since we don't necessarily need anything "magical" that's only provided by TL-WR902AC?

For instance, Rockchip RV1106 would consume no more than 200mA

https://www.luckfox.com/Mini-PC/Luckfox-Pico
https://forum.puredsd.ru/t/luckfox-...t-s-vneshnimi-klokami-na-rockchip-rv1106/1172

 

[ray-dude]

Remember, it isn't just about power consumption, but how "spikey" the power consumption is. Lots of spikes creates induced noise (imagine the lights in your house when a heavy electrical load is turning on and off). Better power supplies mitigate this obviously (they can handle the spikes better), but better still if the design of the component doesn't have a huge amount of spikes in power consumption

This factor is what I believe limited the utility of optical transceivers for audio networks. You get electrical isolation with optical (awesome), but every time that laser fires to send light down the fiber you hav an electrical pulse (boo), When we were going through the huge list of optical transceivers looking for the best sounding ones, the best ones ended up being the lower power units. I believe this was less about the power consumption, and more about smaller spikes because of the lower power designs.

I strongly suspect the TP link is giving us a similar benefit - electrical isolation (WiFi + battery pack) with smaller spikes (related to low power design)

Certainly worth testing other low power designs to see how they compare.

As you play with power upgrades for the TP link, you get the benefit of not introducing more power variability - 3.3V to bypass the 5V->3.3V regulator in the TP link, non-switching regulators to generate the 3.3V (battery packs to battery supply), etc

 

[adamaley]

At this point, whoever comes up with the lowest noise 3.3v power that can be directly soldered to the motherboard will be in business

 

[wil]

View attachment 162832

As an additional step -- this group in Europe has found that the WR902AC's micro-USB power inlet 5V down-regulation can be bypassed to further improve the sound. Some of the WBF members have followed in their footsteps and pursued isolated 3.3V battery/ultracapacitor solutions that are directly wired to the TPLink's motherboard (example above of my build next to the original WR902AC on the left). Some have found additional improvements in bass definition and overall details plus the benefit of no longer needing to habitually charge a battery pack. One US audio manufacturer may also be annoucning a complete solution incorporating this TPLink device...

Stay tuned...

First, apologies if this is already been covered!(i’ve only read the first post so far).

My current set up is: Modem > Fiber > LAN Ethernet > Taiko Router > dac cable > Taiko Olympus.

Would the TP Link use the Taiko WiFi?

And, what would the TP Link interface be between the Taiko Router and Olympus?

 

[ray-dude]

The way I have it set up is that my TP link is configured in client mode to connect to my home WiFi (I went with 2.4GHz to keep power down)

The ethernet out from the TP link connects to my Taiko Router. The Taiko Router is then connected via DAC cable to my Taiko Switch, and the Taiko Switch is connected via DAC cable to my Olympus I/O NIC (or the Olympus Server NIC if you don't have an I/O)

The TP link is battery powered

Basically this makes the ethernet connection to your Taiko router air gapped -- WiFi instead of wired ethernet, and battery powered so the network upstream of your router is electrically disconnected from the rest of the house

All that being said, better power to the Taiko Router still has a huge impact here. There is an upstream moat on the network connection (or there seems to be), but I still need to pay attention to all the network stuff between the TP link and my Olympus

That being said, very pleasant uplift with the TP link, and well worth it with the Taiko stack I think

 

[LeBlanc]

Get them while you can: https://www.cnet.com/home/internet/...hat-cybersecurity-experts-say-about-the-risk/

 

[wil]

The way I have it set up is that my TP link is configured in client mode to connect to my home WiFi (I went with 2.4GHz to keep power down)

The ethernet out from the TP link connects to my Taiko Router. The Taiko Router is then connected via DAC cable to my Taiko Switch, and the Taiko Switch is connected via DAC cable to my Olympus I/O NIC (or the Olympus Server NIC if you don't have an I/O)

The TP link is battery powered

Basically this makes the ethernet connection to your Taiko router air gapped -- WiFi instead of wired ethernet, and battery powered so the network upstream of your router is electrically disconnected from the rest of the house

All that being said, better power to the Taiko Router still has a huge impact here. There is an upstream moat on the network connection (or there seems to be), but I still need to pay attention to all the network stuff between the TP link and my Olympus

That being said, very pleasant uplift with the TP link, and well worth it with the Taiko stack I think

Thanks, Ray, I don’t have my home Internet able to reach my listening space. Can I use the Taiko Wi-Fi instead of home Wi-Fi?

 

[treitz3]

You could use a mesh network to get the signal there, then use the Taiko switch.

Tom

 

[kennyb123]

TP-Link sells four travel routers. I’m going to experiment with the model directly above the one recommended in this thread as it isn’t limited to 100mbps wired. It is the TL-WR1502X and one will arrive tomorrow.

I don’t expect it to be as low in noise as the one that has received attention here, but given the level of improvement reported with that device, maybe TL-WR1502X might still provide a worthwhile benefit when powered by battery and similarly configured. It also supports client mode.

 

[seeteeyou]

I realized that @Blackmorec should be doing pretty much the same thing (with lots of hardware mods) since 2020

https://www.whatsbestforum.com/goto/post?id=642962
https://www.whatsbestforum.com/goto/post?id=643100