Ethernet Wireless Hard Drive Music Server

Thanks Mlsstl. My receiving end is my Mac Laptop with airport extreme, which goes to a Waveterminal U24 and then to my DAC, so it sounds like I should be fine. Minimal traffic at my house usually. I guess if it doesn't work the drive is also USB 2.0 so it wouldn't be a total loss. Thank you for the input.

Marco

Thanks for the input, Morris. I've been using external drives for over a year, both USB and Firewire, without a hiccup (well, one or two, but it's very rare and very brief). So that is not an issue as far as I'm concerned. I've been using Lacie D2 Extreme drives and the noise has not been an issue for me, though it is there it's pretty minimal. There have been some reports of drive failure, especially with the cheaper Lacie drives. My good friend had an Extreme drive fail on him. I've had good luck with them as have a few other friends. There are no guarantees, as I'm sure you are aware. The OWC (Other World Computing) Mercury Elite Pro drives have a good reputation, but the one I've heard is pretty loud, and I don't think they have an Ethernet version (they actually sell Lacie's drives for that).

As far as the Ethernet drive, again, thanks for that input. You certainly may have something there. There is, I think, one difference in that, and correct me if I am wrong, Airport Express uses the 802.11B convention, while my Aiport Base Station and Airport Extreme card stream info in 802.11G which is significantly faster. This is why it would be helpful to get input from someone doing exactly what I am proposing to do. So let me know if I'm off base, but there is that difference.

Thanks again for this, and any further input.

Marco

Check out slimdevices. Both the squeezebox and the Transporter are built for wireless music.

Thanks, but I don't think either of those are storage devices (which is primarily what I'm looking for here). I don't need a DAC nor a wireless base station. I'm looking for a network server (storage device that holds the actual music files) that I can access wirelessly via laptop. I don't want to have my music library always tethered to my computer, and it's too big to store on the laptop's hard drive (currently my library is 300gb). The Airport Base Station does a fine job at streaming the wireless signal, and iTunes is a great interface (I don't mind using the laptop). I love my DAC, and the Waveterminal U24 does a fine job at reclocking and converting the signal. I don't need a remote (though the modern Macs all have one - my Wife's iMac has one). I don't think either device you suggested is capable of streaming at a higher rate than the Mac Airport stuff. They are all using 802.11G technology so none will move the digits any faster, right?

Anyway, good idea if you're looking for what those devices are capable of. I have no experience with either, but haven't heard much to recommend the Squeezbox as being anything more than adequate as a DAC (that's been at least two audiophile friend's experience with them). I have heard nothing good or bad about the Transporter. It's $2k so I hope it's a very fine DAC. Do you have experience with it? Please correct me if I'm missing a significant detail here that these devices offer, or if your experience has been vastly different. Thanks for the input!

Marco