Fiber Optic Internet

Hey,

So on that end, protection from surges is a big deal, so pay attention to what actually bridges the outside of your home to the inside. If it’s any form of copper, get an Ethernet isolator (about $40 or less) at the very least. The Ether-Fiber-Ether bridge is also a good idea and one that I use but not for improving audio. :-) I’m just paranoid about surges taking out a significant chunk of my home network.

I have a coax based Internet and so I use a gas discharge tube on the outside, that goes to the modem, and then a custom made E-F-E bridge. It’s basically an air-gapped lightning protection.

PS - Avoid Ethernet surge protectors that have ground wires.  They dont' work as well as the isolators.

@erik_squires - surges over optical, I didn’t consider that.

A quick search on Amazon brought me to this. Is this what you are suggesting Eric? And where in the system do you put it?

https://www.amazon.com/Ethernet-Protector-Cabinet-Gigabit-1000Mbs/dp/B078NKGPJC/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?crid=3K4YD17PZ4MZZ&keywords=ethernet+isolator&qid=1668093642&sprefix=ehternet+isolater%2Caps%2C168&sr=8-2-spons&psc=1

Raw bitrate for stereo 384 kHz / 24 bit is ~20 Mbps so even the cheapest plan would be fine for streaming audio. $60 for gig speed is a good deal - especially if you'll have multiple people streaming content / downloading games.

Most likely the technician will install a optical network terminal (ONT) which will convert the optical signal to wired Ethernet. You don't need to worry about isolation since Ethernet is transformer coupled. Power surges could be a problem, but I've never had a network interface die on me through various blackouts / brownouts. If you're truly paranoid, it might be better to use wi-fi.

@yage - 20 Mbps, wow, that’s great. It’s only me streaming music, no gaming either.

I prefer to be hard wired so possibly an isolator as Eric has suggested would do the trick.

There has been some mention about the dependability of this particular company. I’ve also heard their customer service isn’t so great either. All stuff to consider as well.