Squealing noise when using Qnap NAS for music storage

[Jorelauck42]

I have a four Bay Qnap drive to hold all of my music. When I connect it to the ethernet network it produces a squealing noise on my streamer. The only way to get it to stop is to disconnect the ethernet cable from the hub and then it goes silent. When I plug it in again the noise stays away for an hour or so and then reasserts itself. So the streamer is a Naim NDX and I am using a net gear Gs105v5, with the standard power supply. Has anyone seen this? I do have the work around of pulling out the ethernet cable every time I want to listen to something other than the music on the Nas. But it would be nice to have something which is a little more elegant.

 

[gavreid]

Sounds like an earth loop because the naim enet port is earthed and so too the switch but I don't know why it should be intermittent.

 

[Jorelauck42]

That would apply if the noise was constant, but it goes away when you plug/unplug the Ethernet cable. So it’s something more subtle than that

 

[gavreid]

That would apply if the noise was constant, but it goes away when you plug/unplug the Ethernet cable. So it’s something more subtle than that

I imagined the cable to be causing the loop.

 

[JensenHealey]

But But...Ethernet comms system is transformer isolated... so I cannot see how an earth loop is created there.

The OP leaves an open question for me --- is the 'squeal' a physical one from the streamer or noise through the speakers?

 

[chiily]

Could be would trying a different hub or attaching the streamer directly to a computer.

 

[gavreid]

But But...Ethernet comms system is transformer isolated... so I cannot see how an earth loop is created there.

The OP leaves an open question for me --- is the 'squeal' a physical one from the streamer or noise through the speakers?

Yes but depends if it's a shielded cable. I think I read that the naim earthing arrangement on the enet port is unusual but I may have misunderstood. A continuity test between a chassis screw and the enet switch should give the answer...

 

[John Phillips]

But But...Ethernet comms system is transformer isolated... so I cannot see how an earth loop is created there.

Indeed but sometimes people use shielded twisted pair (STP) Ethernet cables. These shields could cause unwanted ground current. IMHO standard unshielded twisted pair (UTP) is the more advisable for a home network.

If using STP the OP could try UTP, but we have the strange observation that unplugging the cable and plugging it in again leads to an hour without the squeal so it looks like a somewhat more subtle problem.

 

[adamdea]

would a network isolator do the trick? Assuming the trick is "break the shield circuit". That said I spose you could just use a different patch cable for the nas.

 

[eddie pugh]

Have you tried a different power supply for the QNAP . I had a similar experience a while back with external power supplies for USB connected external drives from Seagate or maybe it was LaCie and the problem was really poor quality Chinese power supplies. Admittedly they were ebay sourced but came with the backup drives so may have been cheap replacements for failed original p/s

QNAP drives usually ship with good quality p/s made by "FSP Group Inc" They are made in China but are in a different league when it comes to quality and electronic spurious hash

Just a thought

eddie

 

[Sibbers]

Was going to suggest the same thing Eddie. I have a Logitech rechargeable keyboard that whines once it's fully charged and sometimes network switches can do it when they get busy too. Almost sounds like a modem dialling up or possibly space aliens trying to communicate.

 

[Jorelauck42]

But But...Ethernet comms system is transformer isolated... so I cannot see how an earth loop is created there.

The OP leaves an open question for me --- is the 'squeal' a physical one from the streamer or noise through the speakers?

Ah yes, it is only audible when I turn the volume up on the pre amp. It is a constantly varying squeal with different frequencies in it. There is no actual acoustic radiation from the equipment. When I disconnect the ethernet cable from the Qnap it instantly stops. When I plug it in I get a short burst of sound which sounds like a frequency sweep from high to low frequency which extinguishes after approximately 1 second. The tonal content of this sound is like a square wave rather than a clean sine wave.