2. digital
  3. 173390-151326

To extend Ethernet to remote location, are Powerline extenders or Mesh systems better?

I am trying to get Ethernet into a listening room that is not prewired, and it is not practical to run the hard cable through the old house into that room. I am planning to use a new music streamer that requires Ethernet connection (no wifi).

For hifi purposes, for passing the music signal, not just for computer equipment, are ethernet over powerline units better, or are wifi mesh router systems (which bring an ethernet port into a room using wireless transfer between the mesh devices) better?

For Ethernet over powerlines, I am worried about contaminating the power lines feeding the stereo preamplifier/amplifier, I don’t know if hifi power conditioners will filter out that super high frequency noise well enough.

For wifi mesh, it seems that the wireless handling of the music signal to feed the remote Ethernet port might somehow degrade the sound and introduce other problems that a connected wireline would avoid.

I am not a person that understands these technologies deeply, so I would value perspectives from others here who are users and who may be technically more qualified to understand this stuff.

troidelover1499
rbstehno
1,401 posts
 

If you can implement a wired extender or I prefer adding a wired bridged router, then these will work much better than a wireless extender. You might have a weak signal to the wireless extender and then from then on, you will have a Wei signal.

I would run a wire your room, a qualified technician can run a wire to your audio room, then you will have the best connection

elliottbnewcombjr
5,110 posts
 

all these options, buy via best buy, amazon, ...

decide, order, works, or return it!

order two types, keep the best, return the other.

mahler123
3,029 posts
 

I tried using power line extenders.  It turns out that they are sensitive to transition zones in your fuse box.  In order to get from my router to my listening room there is a two zone drop and then additional drops for other areas of the house.  The adapters failed after a few months.  I bit the bullet and ethernet wired the house and everything has worked great since.  I have also heard good things about the WiFi mesh

darlinsk's avatar
darlinsk
2 posts
 

I’ve never had success with any type of extender, and I live in a relatively new house with clean wiring. They have been flaky and unreliable. I now use an Orbi mesh router with three satellites. I know I got it right because I no longer think about it; it just works. “Flawless Basics” as we used to say at work. Hardwired would be optimal, but it’s a pain and there’s no driver given that the Orbi system does the trick.

I run the Roon core hardwired off a switch in my office and plug the Lumin into a port on the back of the Orbi satellite in my living room. 

andyhifiman
22 posts
 

I use a Netgear Powerline 2000 adapter to connect my DCS Dac and find it to be quite good. No problems over the last year and a half.

 

More to discover