Network Switches

I should have used the terminology that @allane posted above to be clearer in my explanation.

@grannyring You can use a RJ45 switch which also has optical fiber connection. Take a look at the following product. I will buy this one for $200 and replace my current RJ45 only switch with the RJ45 + Fiber Optical switch.

https://www.ui.com/unifi-switching/unifi-switch-8-150w/

The following url should give a good description of how to get fiber into you audio system. The product listed above fits as the "existing optical Ethernet" in the SystemOptique described below.

https://www.sonore.us/systemoptique.html

If you have a Lumin X1 DAC (expensive) you can connect the Fiber optical cable directly from the Ubiquiti switch. I am not aware of any other DAC that have this fiber input. I think this could be the future for streaming DACs.

The Sonare SystemOptique is used for USB DACs and what I will buy. Most likely the Signature Rendu SE Optical. I currently own the older Sonare microRendu and it has worked flawlessly for over 3 years.

https://www.sonore.us/systemoptique.html

I just looked at the link above again and read about option 4 for Fiber Optical to an audio system.

Currently, in my office, I use my electrically noisy (or busy) computer with a microRendu. I could skip buying the new optical capable network switch mentioned in my above post by doing the following:

4. Sonore opticalModule OEM/DIY - The opticalModule has an SFP fiber optic transceiver and can be installed directly into computer server.

It makes sense that this would be an option if Fiber Optical cable eliminates all electrical noise. It would not matter if the computer is electrically noisy.

BTW - my cheapo DELL audio computer is silent (but internally busy).

Someone, somewhere, at any given time will find a way to play upon your fears, doubts...paranoias at the extremes of  ones' psyche'.

Your computer wouldn't work if the bits 'n bytes weren't 'keeping in line', so to speak.  Your reading this while likely 'multitasking' on the box; consider what's silently going on for you to do this.

Discussions of this vein frequently remind me of the ancient acronym PEBKAC

Problem exists between keyboard and chair.

How about a new one?

EAIEBLE

Esoteric audio issues exist between listener ears

'Fixing them' tends to cost a lot... ;)

@asvjerry I am a little slow so I am not sure I get the gist of your post. However, I will say that over the past 3+ years of using a mircoRendu while my computer did a few things such as, browser windows open to mostly static computer programming URLs (no video), maybe RDP into another computer, email, and not much else, I could not see a degradation in the sound of my audio system. My system seemed to be operating at a steady state of quality even with the computer having varying degrees of CPU/disk use. I attribute this nice steady state to the microRendu.

Now the OpticalRendu is promising to deliver what I did not even know I was missing by eliminating Ethernet noise from the equation.  That noise currently flows into my microRendu via RJ45 Ethernet cable (not computer noise).

So this is supposed to give some improvement to the sound of a network connected system. The fact that the Rendu's are all ROON READY is an added bonus.

I am not an expert in the Optical networking but the audio benefit seems easy to understand if the premise of an Fiber Optical cable not being able to transmit electrical noise is to be believed.

I recently got introduced to Rukus for access points and switches. They seem to have interesting and proprietary technology that may have benefits for audio. Just another thought.