etherCon Cabling

[MNicolai]

@MNicolai, So it seem back, when this thread began several years ago, you weighed the options an decided that the more expensive switches, with theoretically less labor, were actually cheaper in the end. So, what changed you view on this today?

My thought would be that, by ordering pre-make Ethercon panels, there is still a good amount of savings in time, but also not adding nearly as much cost in parts as the Ether-con switches. Plus an added benefit to doing it this way lets you get custom screen printing on the panel, which can make installation and trouble shooting cleaner. Plus you can stick a logo on there for a little advertising.

Out of curiosity, Do you remember what retail pricing was on those DGlink switches?

I haven't seen pricing in awhile but I seem to recall it was quadruple digits, even for the small stuff. In fairness, the ethercon connectors cost $15-25/pop depending on which one you get. Get a 10 or 20-port switch and those costs stack up quickly. For what they're doing, I'm not surprised they cost as much as they do by the time you stick the switch PCB and the ethercon connectors in an enclosure and put your own UL listing on it.

My thought is that with a custom panel I get to choose color-coded bushings for primary/secondary, and can do custom engraved labeling for the ports. Easier to do on an install than on a tour, but I'm a big fan of things have a certain place. When there's a decided, labeled order to things, it's easier to troubleshoot what's wrong and where. The worst case with this approach is that someone relabels the panel with adhesive labels or you strip the connectors and order an inexpensive, new panel with the punchouts and labels made and stick your old connectors into it.

If it's appropriate, this approach also lets me put a custom panel on both the front and the rear of a portable rack if that's how the rack is best cabled in the field.

My primary motivator for avoiding ethercon switches in my projects is that Q-Sys doesn't support SG300's. I've heard different rumors as to why they dropped support for this model, but it hardly matters because QSC specifically does not support it. If I go with SG300-based ethercon switches for Dante, now I have to have a separate model of switches for Q-LAN. If I use the Pakedge switches, I not only get a manufacturer who understands our applications and protocols, but I can keep all of the switches in the project from the same manufacturer.

 

[firewater88]

My building, built in 2004, was all ethernet for the audio backbone. 5 separate networks over 5 switches, Primary, Secondary- Signal Management, Primary, Secondary Speaker Management and Ethernet. All patch ports are Ethercon and terminated to standard ends at the switches. All Cat6 cabling. When I upgraded to Dante last year, I added 2 Cisco switches in the rack and moved all the primary and secondary Signal Management lines to the new switches. I did make my own Ethercon patch bay at the stage rack to go to the wall. I also had quite a few 15' and 25' Ethercon cables. I use those cables to go from floor pocket to FOH console direct for Dante and Ethernet. My Madi lines are custom ethercon that go direct to the stagebox.
I do like the robustness of the cables and ends. Have not had one fail, but they dont get moved around a ton either. I do have the custom color per network plug and custom engraved panel. Looks real good.