If you mean the diagram under the heading "What is an AVB network?" then it is completely correct. It shows a WiFi router connected to port 1.

The only difference between the ports is the PoE, (Power over Ethernet) and the only use for PoE (so far) is the new personal monitor mixers. You should be able to connect any device to any port and it will work.

It didn't work when I tried it the first time. Now I checked it again (with the same router), and it works as expected. Thanks, Karyn, for your reply. I stand corrected. Maybe my router needed some time to becnme familiar with an unknown switch...

I know you're experienced with RM/AI gear but I don't know your knowledge about networks.

The difference between the Presonus switch and the Motu switch is the "link" port.
In the Motu switch, the AVB data packets are filtered out on the link (marked Ethernet) port, so only standard network data is passed. This is ideal if you're connecting a WiFi router as it prevents the router from being flooded with data that it can't do anything with and actually speeds up switch connectivity because it doesn't even bother to look for AVB capable devices connected to that port.

On the other hand, the Presonus will pass AVB packets on any port, so it doesn't matter which port you choose. The only restriction being the availability of PoE.

Hi Karyn

So, from this, it would seem that the Motu switch would be the better of the two options, if using a WiFi router?

Yes and no...

It would depend on the particular WiFi router and how it handles unknown packets. Also in the way the SW5E "looks" for connected devices and the internal switching/routing method. The type of broadcast packets used for device discovery. All sorts of things we can't predict because the RM/AI series does not use "standard" AVB.


All I can say is the Motu is known to work reliably with the RM/AI series whereas the SW5E is claimed to work by Presonus but has been shown to have issues. (Example above and other similar reports in the facebook group)

The only "issue" with the SW5E is that it is not able to cascade two RM mixers reliably and deal with 64 input channels. Insofar the title of this thread is correct. The diagram used on this page (https://www.presonus.com/products/SW5E) shows an "issue". Nobody will ever use two separate RM/RML mixers with a CS18AI, but cascading will fail when a SW5E is used as AVB switch.

Otherwise the SW5E has been working great with my 32 input channels/16 auxes "concert set-up" of RM32AI and CS18AI throughout this year's summer season. Seeing with the eyes of an AI user, the best features of the SW5E are its internal power supply and the Ethercon connectors. It also costs a little less than the MOTU AVB switch.