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Optimum set up with SB Touch and uncompressed files through network

I have my system set with a Squeezebox Touch, which I really like, but I’m having continual dropout problems. I’ve been troubleshooting it, but cannot get rid of them. I’m convinced the Touch is not the problem, but the “system”, so instead of attempting to make marginal improvements, I’m interested in identifying “the best” setup.

Currently have LMS running on my daughter’s Win 7 PC, connected thru ethernet to the wireless router, wirelessly to a wi-fi bridge which connects thru ethernet to Touch, and using analog outs into my pre. I have Soundcheck Toolbox 3 installed, so WAV and FLAC files are not compressed when sent over the network to the Touch, demanding more from the network – a likely contributor to the dropouts. My daughter uses that computer for many things when I’m listening (streaming video from internet), another likely contributor to dropouts, but even when that computer is doing nothing and there are no other users on the wi-fi network, I still get dropouts. While I have a laptop only I use, it’s really the work laptop and I cannot install non-work related software.

Here are some options I’m considering, and willing to consider other options you propose:

1) Hardwire an Ethernet network that between the SB Touch and the LMS server. I cannot do this from my daughter’s PC given location/cable routing, but taking wifi potential issues out of the equation seems sensible.

2) Use my wife’s laptop as LMS server. It’s a new Sony Vaio with 64-bit Win 7. Music library on an external USB hard drive. Connect it the ethernet in 1). The Touch would get internet access through the laptop accessing internet through wifi. Using my wife’s laptop will have a cost, if you know what I mean, so from that point of view I’d rather go with 3).

3) Use an old Sony Vaio PC as LMS server: 2 GHz Pentium 4 with only 480 MB of RAM, running Win XP. Music library on an external USB hard drive. While it’s a very old PC, I can strip all non-essential software/functions and set it up to do only the server task. Connect it the ethernet in 1). Or even PC through CAT5 cable directly to Touch, without router in between? Internet access would be like in 2).

4) I’ve seen comments about using a Vortexbox, but I’m hesitant to buy yet another box only to try out. Maybe instead of buying a Vortexbox I would be better off just getting a new laptop for me…but I start down a slippery slope: with a laptop, do I need a SB Touch? Anyway, don’t need to go there now.


Your input very welcomed!

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Topic - Optimum set up with SB Touch and uncompressed files through network - LewinskiH01 06:25:52 04/02/12 (43)
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