Sonifex Recommendations
Incompatible Network Switches for Dante Audio Networks
For customers using Dante-enabled products
Overview
Dante-enabled products rely on Audinate’s underlying technology, including Dante Controller and Dante-enabled hardware. As such, networking performance depends on the compatibility of your switch infrastructure with real-time, low-latency audio data. The following switches are not recommended due to known issues such as poor multicast handling, improper EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet) implementation, or failure to maintain clock synchronization and low jitter — all essential for Dante audio networking.
In particular, unmanaged switches that support Energy Efficient Ethernet (EEE or "Green Ethernet") are unsuitable, as EEE cannot be disabled on most unmanaged devices and can cause significant audio performance issues.
⚠️ Do NOT Use the Following Network Switches
❌ Unmanaged Switches with EEE or Poor IGMP Support
- Netgear
- ProSafe FS and GS unmanaged series: FS105, FS108, FS116, FS108P, FS116P
- GS10x/11x series (E, MX, PE variants): GS105, GS108, GS110, GS116
- GSS unmanaged series: GSS108, GSS116, E and EPP variants
- GS/FS desktop models: GS305, GS308, GS316, FS305, FS308, FS316
- Rackmount or legacy models: GS324, GS750E, JFS516, JFS524, JGS516, JGS524 (notably with broken IGMP Querier)
- Rosewill
- RC series: RC-409LX, RC-410LX, RC-415, RC-416
- RGS rackmount: RGS-1016, RGS-1024
- TRENDnet (GREENnet models)
- TEG-S81g, TEG-S82g, TEG-S16DG, TEG-S16G
- PoE+: TPE-TG80G
- ASUS
- D-Link
- DGS-105, DGS-1016A, DGS-1024A
- EDIMAX
- Linksys
- LGS series unmanaged: LGS108P, LGS116, LGS116P, LGS124, LGS124P
- SMC
- SMCGS805, SMCGS1601, SMCGS2401
- HP 1410 Series
- Models: J9559A, J9560A, J9561A, J9661A, J9662A, J9663A, JD986B, J9664A, JG708A
- Cisco Small Business SG100 Series
- SG100D-05, SG100D-08, SG100D-08P
- SG100-16, SG100-24, SG102-24
- ZyXEL GS1100 Series
- GS1100-8HP, GS1100-16, GS1100-24, GS1100-24E, GS105B
❌ Switches Specifically Flagged by Other Dante Manufacturers
- Crestron
- CEN-SW-POE-5
- CEN-SWPOE-16 (Reported issues with Dante compatibility per Crestron documentation.)
✅ Recommended Managed Switches
While Sonifex does not endorse any specific brand, we recommend using managed switches that meet the following criteria:
- Full support for disabling EEE (Energy Efficient Ethernet)
- Multicast support with IGMP Snooping and Querier enabled
- Gigabit throughput (1000Mbps minimum) on all ports
- QoS (Quality of Service) and DiffServ capabilities
Known working examples (widely used in Dante installations):
- Netgear M4250 / M4300 series
- Cisco Catalyst or SG350 series
- D-Link DGS-1210 (F1 hardware)
- Extreme Networks enterprise switches
Additional Notes
Firmware matters: Even approved switch models can vary in performance depending on firmware version. Always check the manufacturer’s release notes and enable recommended features.
Use Dante Controller to diagnose potential clock sync or multicast issues if you’re unsure about switch behaviour.
Always consult Audinate’s official switch guidelines for updated recommendations.
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