DAC's and the Two Ground Loop Types

Hi @kavogel

Inside the home you want Ethernet isolators as opposed to surge protectors. The latest literature I read says that having a shorting type of Ethernet surge protector (ESP) actually is more likely to cause problems when a surge happens. They create a path to ground with a lower spark-over voltage than there was before. So as a result yo have massive currents trying to run through tiny wires. An isolator INCREASES the spark-over voltage needed for a surge.  This minimizes the damage downstream from the point of entry of the surge.

If at all possible, put shorting surge protectors like a gas-discharge tube outside your home. Use Ethernet isolators inside, as close to the cable modem as possible, and if you have any runs ~ 30’ or longer.

Alternatively you can air-gap with fiber converters, but those require extra power supplies which are subject to surge paths and noise.

Here is what I use, and it’s good for up to Gigabit-E:

Hi @erik_squires . Thank you for your suggestion. I purchased the unit that you recommended.  It's more expensive than others on the market, but cheap compared to the cost of replacing a component that might get fried by a power surge.   I skipped using the integrated Lan protector in the Panamax (10/100) in lieu of the EverStar.  My Lan wire goes into a switch, which then connects to several components - AV Denon Receiver; Sony BlueRay; Sonos; and Apple TV.  What surprised me is that the directions recommend using a separate EverStar on every port of the equipment side of the Hub or one on going into the Hub and one on each outgoing port side into each component.  I'm curious how you wired yours?   I bought 3 - one to protect the Hub and one each on the outgoing side into the receiver and DVD. I wonder if that's underkill or overkill?  Given that the signal come out of the AV receiver to the components by the HDMI cable, and I'm not directly streaming any audio or video from the internet without passing through the receiver, I wonder if realistically there is any noise that needs filtering on the ethernet side into the other components?  I was thinking, perhaps wrongly, that any surges would be stopped before hitting the switch and that the only benefit of doubling up on the outside is noise?  Thank you.

It’s more expensive than others on the market

Really? So this unit is a hospital grade Ethernet isolator. The only other unit I know of is from Tripp-Lite and it’s $200 each.

What surprised me is that the directions recommend using a separate EverStar on every port of the equipment side of the Hub or one on going into the Hub and one on each outgoing port side into each component. I’m curious how you wired yours?

@kavogel I think the direction labels are BS. Ethernet is bidirectional no matter what you do to it.

I put 1 immediately between my cable modem and my Wifi router. That router is hard-wired to several rooms in the home including my HT/stereo, so if a surge came in it could take a lot out.

The HT/stereo is about 30’ away from the router, so I put another isolator in the HT system, right before the switch I have which distributes Ethernet to the TV, Roku and streamer. Again, a surge that makes it there takes out the TV, Roku, streamer, DAC, etc! So that’s where it makes the most amount of sense to from surge AND noise.

I use 2-stage power conditioning, and keep the DAC and integrated on a different conditioner than most of the TV and the the Ethernet switch. On the second conditioner I have replaced the wall wart supplies with iFi extreme low noise supplies.

I’ve tried moving the isolator just before the streamer, but it didn’t make as much of a difference as the ultra low noise iFi supply, so back it went, to protecting all of my HT.