1. Can I connect Dante devices to my computer?
Yes. Just use Cat5e or Cat6 cable to connect the device with Dante protocol to the Ethernet switch, and then connect the computer to the same switch. If you only have one Dante-enabled device (except the Physical device) connected to your computer, you can cancel the switch and just use the Cat5e or Cat6 Ethernet cable to connect directly.
2. What type of network cable does Dante recommend, and is optical fiber okay?
Since most Dante devices support Gigabit Ethernet, it is recommended to use Cat5e or Cat6 cables. For a pure 100Mbps network, CAT5 can be used.
You can also use optical fiber. Because Dante uses standard-based network technology, you can use a switch that supports optical fiber connections to send Dante data through optical cables.
3.Can Dante devices be daisy chained (hand in hand)?
In most cases, the answer is "yes".
Dante devices are connected through a network switch, which usually means a "star" topology. All devices are connected to a central point, thereby minimizing the number of "hops" that data must pass through. This also avoids a situation where a device failure causes the entire "daisy chain" to be interrupted.
Note: The Secondary port on some Dante devices cannot be used for daisy chaining, only for Dante Redundancy. The Secondary ports of Symetrix's EDGE, Radius, Xin12, and Xout12 products can be used for daisy chain but cannot connect more than 10 devices.
4.Can I mix and control audio on the same network?
Yes. Audio can be sent through the same network as the control information, and even irrelevant data also can exist on one network line.
5.What are the minimum requirements for switches in a Dante network?
All Ethernet switches can work with Dante. However, some types of switches allow you to build larger and more reliable Dante networks. Although a gigabit switch is recommended, a 100Mbps switch may be used in limited circumstances.
6.When do you need to use QoS in Dante networks?
QoS is required when using Dante in a network with 100Mbps equipment, and it is optional in a network with gigabit equipment. We recommend enabling QoS in all Dante networks to ensure normal operation under all possible conditions.