Possibly Stupid Wifi/Ethernet Question

My wife decided to sign us up for the new Verizon 5G home because she got a free new iPhone out of the deal.

After doing some research, I see that the router will need to be mounted to a window on our main floor. However, my listening room and all my networking gear (including my switch) are all down in the basement on the opposite side of the house.

I’m now wondering how I can use all my wired Ethernet gear (including my DS/Bridge II) when I can’t run direct from the router (I guess there is no modem, per se) to my switch then to the devices.

I feel like I’m in one of those Progressive becoming your parents commercial, but is there something really basic I’m missing here?

Thanks in advance

Get an ethernet cable as close to that router as you can, then attach a device which bridges the router’s wi-fi to your ethernet. Many entry level wi-fi access points can perform this function. For example, see the “client mode” illustration on this page: TL-WA1201 | AC1200 Wireless Access Point | TP-Link

Check out Eero Wi-Fi mesh products:

Thanks. Based on the illustration, looks like the Verizon router in the window would connect wirelessly to the WAP down in the basement. Then, I would connect the WAP to my switch (via Ethernet).

Is that correct? If so, I’m not following your reference to an ethernet cable being as close to the router as possible.

Thanks again, and apologies if I’m just being a dunce here.

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Wifi from window to basement might be weak. You want the distance and the amount of obstruction between the WAP and the router to be as little as possible. So your challenge is to find the best position for the WAP that you can reach with your ethernet cabling.

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You could also make use of home power line adaptors – you have two of them plugged into AC sockets in your home and they exchange data through your AC wiring. Then you use them as if they were ethernet sockets in the walls. They’re not perfect but they’re often useful.

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Sounds like I just need to inform my wife that I need to buy the Aries G2.1 for its wireless capabilities.

“Sorry, honey, but this is your fault. My DAC doesn’t do wireless, so this is necessary. And, that second box that says ‘Leo Clock”’? Oh, that’s nothing; I just needed something for my desk that shows what time it is”.

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My DS with bridge (along with anything networked in my audio system) receives files (via ethernet) through and Edimax router running in WISP mode. The audio system is in the basement, and the main router is upstairs in the livingroom.

In case you’re not familiar with WISP, it stands for Wireless Internet Service Provider. Normally, it is used by certain internet providers that set up their network such that individual customers run as wifi subnetworks to a node (that’s the best way I can figure to explain it).

For home network use, and the way I use it, is the Edimax is the router for my audio system. It connects through wifi to my ACTUAL main router, and uses the main router as the WAN.

The main router ONLY sees the Edimax as a single client. This is compared to the typical “extender” that is used to extend wifi signals. In such devices, the extender will usually just do IP translation, so the main router still sees all the clients - just with different IP addresses.

In WISP mode, everything connected to the Edimax (via wifi or ethernet) cannot see anything in the main network and vice versa. It is only using the main router as WAN for internet access.

I did this so when I send files from my PC, Pi, or NAS on the Edimax to the Bridge, it doesn’t have to the Edimax, out via wifi to the main router, back to the Edimax, then to the Bridge. Note, this can also be accomplished with a managed switch.

A secondary benefit of operating as a WISP is the security of a “separated” network. The Edimax has UPnP/DLNA enabled and the main router has it disabled. There is some security risk with enabling UPnP/DLNA.

ANYWAY, I have no problem streaming Qobuz @ 24/192 via Bubble UPnP via internet through the main router/Edimax WISP to the Bridge. Bubble being on my tablet via wifi on the Edimax network.

Edit. I should note that I did look at the behavior of routers that can operate as extenders. I don’t remember all the companies I emailed, but I do remember one of them was TP-Link because I like their dedicated extenders. At the time, they all confirmed that in extender mode, there was no local routing. Everything went out to the main router for routing, then back to any local (to the extender) client.

Edit Edit. I run JRiver on both my music PC and Pi (both connected to the Edimax). The PC is (currently) connected to the DS through a Matrix SPDIF 2 (i2s), and the Pi outputs i2s directly to the DS. There is also no problem streaming Qobuz at the highest resolution through either one - either directly or as renderers via Bubble.

I am using Verizon Wireless at my cabin. It’s only 4G but I have found no limitations with it. I can stream two 4K streams at once so it does the job. I bought a wireless extender thingy that lives 25 feet away from my white cube thingy from Verizon. It takes the wireless signal in and outputs Ethernet to the rest of the house. But in my case, wireless works well all the way out to my pontoon boat at my dock.

The device I bought cost $30. It works perfect. I can maybe find a link to it if you’d like.
I am not even envious of 5G and I am so happy with it. I tried it first at my city home and could not get a useful signal even setting it outside. I was sad. But my cabin had 256k down, 128k up, so modem speeds for like $200 a month. It came with a stone router that you would hit with a hammer to turn on. The magic white box appeared and now I do 25mb down and a glorious 6mb up. Golly. I only have 1mb up at home.

T-mobile is offering a 50mb 5G wireless device in my neighborhood that never costs over $50 a month with no bandwidth limitations or points where reductions happen. Ima try that next here at home.

I also use Eero at home and cannot say enough good things about it. It protects everything in my house and refuses to allow bad stuff in. It also blocks advertising if you choose that option. I am very pleased to say I never know what I’m missing.

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Thanks all. Looks like I have several potential options here. Will likely just be some trial and error to see what option works best. Once things get all set up, I’ll revert with how it went.

I have an Orbi mesh system. The modem and router are upstairs, and one satellite is downstairs. The satellite is connected to the streamer by ethernet cable. works great for me and I have not had any drop-offs as I remembered.

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