Is there even a standard for “Cat 7” Ethernet yet implemented in equipment and available to consumers, end-to-end? I wasn’t aware there is. I believe the most current standard is Cat 6a.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ISO/IEC_11801#CAT7
I see vendors selling “Cat 7” cable but I have no idea what standard they are creating that to or testing it against, since I think the connectors are basically 6/6a. Maybe it’s Cat 7 “other than the connectors”.
Confusing.
As AMgradMD mentioned, how can I run direct from my mac pro (which has 2 ethernet ports) to the DS without going through the router?
I can’t speak for using your two ports. But as far as the cable is concerned, you may find that you have to use a “crossover” cable. Sometimes a normal Ethernet cable will work. But for many devices, they will require the natural reversing of the order of the wires that happens when you use a router. If you take the router (or switch, or hub) out of that picture and just use one cable straight from one device to another, that wire reversing can be accomplished with a cross over Ethernet cable.
FWIW I’ve seen some of the more expensive audio Ethernet cable companies sell their expensive cables in both normal and crossover configurations. So I’m guessing lots of other people are also trying to get their router out of the musical loop too.
Modern Macs are auto-sensing. I have my Mac mini connected to my home network using a Thunderbolt to Ethernet adaptor and the regular Ethernet port to my Bridge II, both with regular patch cords.
John Swenson’s discussed this and proposed a simple and cheap solution using a NetGear GS105 or GS108 and grounding the PSU’s DC plug. He says it may or may not work with other switches but with these switches he’s measured that grounding the PSU output “shunts” what he calls ‘high impedance leakage currents’. His says the ethernet transformers do a good job of blocking most of the remaining ‘low impedance leakage’.
By significantly reducing leakage currents in the ethernet cables downstream of the switch, there’s less conducted and radiated RF in those cables.
Naturally Uptone are working on their own switch but he says the Netgear GS105 and GS108 work very well if you ground the DC plug of it’s PSU. Even if you choose to power the Netgear switch with a linear PSU, you still need to ground the DC plug to shunt the high impedance leakage.
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