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I have read many, many user complaints on this forum regarding UPnP/DNLA streaming over Ethernet… It seems to me that most folks on this forum assume they can use generic off-the-shelf networking components, Ethernet adapters, switches and routers, to do this job of distributing high-quality audio signal to multiple clients on the network and believing they will have trouble-free network operation for Hi-Res audio distribution and playback.
In contrast… Building a multi-client distributed audio network over Ethernet with these IEEE 802.1 AVB components should provide the highest level of reliability and performance:
AVB Switch:
https://motu.com/en-us/products/avb/avb-switch/
AVB overview quoted from the Avnu Alliance website FAQ’s:
What is AVB?
Audio Video Bridging (AVB) replaces both the physical complexity of analog cables and the network complexity of earlier proprietary solutions with an open, standards based approach that enables interoperable platforms to offer more affordable and better market solutions.
AVB is an evolution of standard Ethernet and other compatible media, such as wireless LAN, to add support for real-time audio video and control applications. It is the common name for the set of technical standards developed by the IEEE 802.1 Audio Video Bridging Task Group. AVB standards add capabilities to the Ethernet network providing three major enhancements:
- Precise timing to support low-jitter media clocks and accurate synchronization of multiple streams.
- A simple reservation protocol that allows an application on an endpoint device to notify the various network elements in a path so that they can reserve the resources necessary to support a particular stream.
- Queuing and forwarding rules that ensure that such a stream will pass through the network within the delay specified by the reservation.