Taiko Audio SGM Extreme : the Crème de la Crème

[Steve Williams]

Thank you for suggesting this, Steve, as I am a charter member of the latter group!

KISS Technique for me

Keep It Simple , Stupid

 

[Christiaan Punter]

One thing I noticed missing from the Extreme Router Guide (aka "the router manual") is a brief explanation of how to set the Taiko Router wifi name and importantly a wifi password for the protected Audio LAN. Something with description and illustrations similar to the what has been included for changing from DHCP, etc.

Admittedly, this is probably not difficult to do for the new user (I intend to click on all the Router operating system tabs and go exploring), but it would probably be helpful for new users who don't do this sort of thing every day or every year.

Steve Z

Hi Steve, that information is not yet available to me but I have made a note to add it.

 

[RUIN*ish]

Hi Steve, that information is not yet available to me but I have made a note to add it.

Will the router broadcast a ssid?

 

[Taiko Audio]

Will the router broadcast a ssid?

Yes, it’s completely preconfigured. Unfortunately for security reasons passwords need to be unique for each router but those are attached to the bottom. Otherwise it’s a matter of inserting it in between your switch and your home network, connect your remote to the “TaikoAudio” Wi-Fi network and enter the unique password. Additions to the manual will be published soon.

 

[RUIN*ish]

Yes, it’s completely preconfigured. Unfortunately for security reasons passwords need to be unique for each router but those are attached to the bottom. Otherwise it’s a matter of inserting it in between your switch and your home network, connect your remote to the “TaikoAudio” Wi-Fi network and enter the unique password. Additions to the manual will be published soon.

Easy peasy... thanks.

 

[MOTU]

I often use the Windows client. Would it work if I with the windows pc connect to the normal network through network cable and get a say 192.168.1.x ip and connect to the taiko router through wifi and get a say 192.168.2.x ip, manually leave gateway blank on the wifi connection settings so that all internet traffic go through the cable and only the xdms/roon traffic go through the taiko router? Would that work and would the performance be comparable to using a tablet?

 

[SwissTom]

I hope this will answer some of the remaining questions.

But first, just a touch of vocabulary without going into too much detail.

A router and a switch are two different devices that do two different things.

A switch is used to connect devices to each other within a network.

A router allows networks to communicate with each other.

(It's over simplified, but that's the goal)

In the diagram below, Zone A and Zone B are isolated from each other.

Each zone has its own WiFi.

If you're connected to Zone A (WiFi or cable) you can't see what's in Zone B.

If you're connected to Zone B (WiFi or cable), you can't see what's in Zone A.

This is the purpose of the Taiko Router: to create a network that will isolate the Taiko Server.

Traffic from Zone A does not reach Zone B, and therefore the Taiko Server.

The diagram below is the simplest general layout.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Thomas

 

[Taiko Audio]

@SwissTom thanks, that is extremely helpful

 

[MOTU]

I hope this will answer some of the remaining questions.

But first, just a touch of vocabulary without going into too much detail.

A router and a switch are two different devices that do two different things.

A switch is used to connect devices to each other within a network.

A router allows networks to communicate with each other.

(It's over simplified, but that's the goal)

In the diagram below, Zone A and Zone B are isolated from each other.

Each zone has its own WiFi.

If you're connected to Zone A (WiFi or cable) you can't see what's in Zone B.

If you're connected to Zone B (WiFi or cable), you can't see what's in Zone A.

This is the purpose of the Taiko Router: to create a network that will isolate the Taiko Server.

Traffic from Zone A does not reach Zone B, and therefore the Taiko Server.

The diagram below is the simplest general layout.

Hope it helps!

Cheers,

Thomas

View attachment 116191

So I was describing a scenario where a windows pc is connected to zone a through a network cable and zone b through wifi at the same time. If that would have similar performance to the ipad.

 

[dminches]

So I was describing a scenario where a windows pc is connected to zone a through a network cable and zone b through wifi at the same time. If that would have similar performance to the ipad.

It would be similar but the question is how much network traffic your PC creates while connected to zone b. My guess is that a windows PC would create much more traffic than an ipad.

 

[MOTU]

It would be similar but the question is how much network traffic your PC creates while connected to zone b. My guess is that a windows PC would create much more traffic than an ipad.

My solution to that problem would be to manually remove the gateway from the wifi connection settings so that all internet traffic of the pc goes to the cable connection and only xdms/roon traffic goes to extreme.

 

[Ackcheng]

Can I ask team. If the iPad is connected to the Taiko Router, does that mean I cannot browse the album internet information via roon ?

 

[SwissTom]

My solution to that problem would be to manually remove the gateway from the wifi connection settings so that all internet traffic of the pc goes to the cable connection and only xdms/roon traffic goes to extreme.

What you trying to achieve is possible but not trivial. It's some kind of application level proxy.

An application proxy, known as ALG (Application-Level Gateway) allows per application routing.

I wouldn't go that path, it simply doesn't make sens in our context.

A workaround would be something like ForceBindIP, but not sure it'll do the trick.

 

[dminches]

Or a tablet…

 

[John T]

What you trying to achieve is possible but not trivial. It's some king of application level proxy.

An application proxy, known as ALG (Application-Level Gateway) allows per application routing.

I wouldn't go that path, it simply doesn't make sens in our context.

A workaround would be something like ForceBindIP, but not sure it'll do the trick.

Being just a simple Pilgrim, I am astounded at the vast technical Know-How. I understand working in certain areas one develops a strong aptitude with different subject matter. None the less, Impressive...

 

[Kris]

For XDMS users.
Try to switch for Alternative SQ with Discovery
Than switch to Roon and compare the change.
I must say the change to alternative in XDMS has very deep positive influence to Roon SQ presentation. I have no idea what parameters that changes but it is amazing. Bravo Taiko Team !

 

[oldmustang]

Can I ask team. If the iPad is connected to the Taiko Router, does that mean I cannot browse the album internet information via roon ?

You can still browse all your Roon information with your iPad connected (physically or via wifi) to the Taiko router because your copy of Roon Core is on your Taiko Extreme (or should be). So you are communicating with your Extreme/Roon, which then sends the information request back "up" from the protected TaikoAudio network via the Taiko router to your main unprotected network router and internet connection. The requested information comes back and since it is "addressed" to the Extreme, it can make it through the Taiko router.

It is the same way if you stream music from Qobuz, Tidal or Idagio that you communicate with the music services. You send a request via the Extreme (using XDMS or Roon) on the protected side of the network, the music server software addresses the request to the provider music service, the request travels "upstream" through the Taiko router, to your unprotected main router, to the internet, the music stream comes back addressed to the Extreme.

Hope this helps,

Steve Z

 

[Ackcheng]

Thanks so much for the clarification!

 

[dminches]

You can still browse all your Roon information with your iPad connected (physically or via wifi) to the Taiko router because your copy of Roon Core is on your Taiko Extreme (or should be). So you are communicating with your Extreme/Roon, which then sends the information request back "up" from the protected TaikoAudio network via the Taiko router to your main unprotected network router and internet connection. The requested information comes back and since it is "addressed" to the Extreme, it can make it through the Taiko router.

It is the same way if you stream music from Qobuz, Tidal or Idagio that you communicate with the music services. You send a request via the Extreme (using XDMS or Roon) on the protected side of the network, the music server software addresses the request to the provider music service, the request travels "upstream" through the Taiko router, to your unprotected main router, to the internet, the music stream comes back addressed to the Extreme.

Hope this helps,

Steve Z

Can you do this if you are running XDMS?

 

[oldmustang]

Can you do this if you are running XDMS?

I honestly don't know. I recall Ed mentioning that it was not recommended to run Roon and XDMS at the same time, however that was some time ago. I inferred at the time that this was due to sound quality considerations and not that one of the two programs would break the other if run simultaneously.

In principle, why wouldn't it work? The requests to Roon for information not stored locally with Roon Core and requests via XDMS for information not stored with XDMS (music streaming services) are being routed via the same path. The Taiko router doesn't care what program the requests are coming from or going to.

I would suspect that you would have to go to the desktop of your Extreme and start Roon from there with XDMS already running (or vice versa), since the present XDMS control app only provides a toggle between XDMS and Roon.

Steve Z