Network Switches

I don't understand why people think it's technically impossible for a switch to introduce noise in the component chain.  Switches are powered by electricity and contain fans, chips, printed circuit boards and power supplies.  This isn't an argument about bits are bit and 0's and 1's or buffering or any of the well understood ethernet data transfer protocols - its about noise.  Why is this so difficult?

@jason_k2017

This isn't about degrading a digital signal, it's about electrical noise riding on the line.  What do you think shields ethernet cable?  It's wrapped in foil or braided wires - yes, conductors of electricity.

 So if electrical noise does not degrade the digital signal, why do I need this special switch? 

Still nobody is answering me
Why, if the digital signal is not being degraded and is therefore reaching its destination intact (which is all that matters), do I need a 'special' switch

Why, if the digital signal is not being degraded and is therefore reaching its destination intact (which is all that matters), do I need a 'special' switch?

@jason

I don't think a special switch is needed unless the hardware is adding noise to the chain via RF/EM interference.  One way to address this noise, if being introduced via the switch hardware, "could" be using a different switch that doesn't introduce this noise on the line.  I personally do not subscribe to any theory about digital signal getting degraded but I know as a fact that electrical gear can be sources of noise in an audio system.  Do you deny this????

I strongly disagree with your assertion that a digital signal reaching its destination intact is all that matters.  Introducing new electrical noise along the path also matters! Why are you choosing to ignore this?  It's because you're cherry picking your argument.  Very few disagree with your assertion on the bits arriving intact!  Yes - we get that.

Why, if the digital signal is not being degraded and is therefore reaching its destination intact (which is all that matters), do I need a ’special’ switch

I believe the word "degraded" is being used in different senses by different people in this discussion. I have not used that word at all in my posts because it can be ambiguous and misleading in the context of digital signal transmission.

In a properly functioning Ethernet link all of the data (the 1s and 0s) will be received accurately. Yet at the same time various characteristics of the digital waveform will vary to some extent, depending on whether a switch is immediately upstream of the receiving component, and on the particular switch if one is present. I mentioned some of those characteristics in my first post in this thread, on 10-29-2019, and Atdavid elaborated further on my comments and added to them. Those characteristics may affect D/A conversion circuitry and/or analog circuitry in the component receiving that waveform that is downstream of the Ethernet interface in the component receiving that waveform.

I can only suggest that you take the time to re-read all of my posts in this thread and the posts by Atdavid. After doing so, if what we have said still isn’t clear I don’t know how to say it any more clearly.

Also, regarding...

Why, ... do I need a ’special’ switch?

Please note that I haven’t said that you or anyone else necessarily needs a "special switch." In fact my initial post in this thread referred to another thread in which two members reported significant sonic benefits to have resulted from insertion of a switch costing less than $20 into the signal path, in their very high quality systems. My point has simply been that sonic differences that have been reported by long-time highly respected members to have resulted from insertion of a switch or between different switches are technically plausible and explainable, in my opinion as an experienced designer of high speed analog, digital, and D/A converter circuits (not for audio).

Regards,
-- Al