How do I switch from Wi-Fi to Ethernet cables?


My Bluesound Node currently receives Wi-Fi, but I'd like to switch to a direct link. I assume that would be with an ethernet cable from the modem to the Bluesound - with possibly a better switch between the two.

The problem is that my modem is in the basement and the Bluesound is on a different floor. There is not a clear path for running cable. 

Is there a piece of equipment or technology that I could help in this situation?

128x128imaninatural

Digital data transmission is basically an all or nothing proposition. If you don't have dropouts, hiccups, or pops during playback then the audio data is getting from point A to B intact. There's no logical reason for the sound quality to be different whether you're using a wireless or wired connection.

 

Let's think about this rationally, if wireless transmission were so fragile, why would you use wi-fi to do even more important stuff like banking online? Why would you trust a wireless system to help you navigate on a highway?

 

Your time and money is more effectively spent on better headphones / speakers and finding well mastered / engineered releases of your favorite recordings.

Digital data transmission is basically an all or nothing proposition. If you don't have dropouts, hiccups, or pops during playback then the audio data is getting from point A to B intact.  There's no logical reason for the sound quality to be different whether you're using a wireless or wired connection.

@yage You’ve obviously very little experience with various streaming setups and have no idea what you’re talking about.  Go back to ASR where you’ll find many friends and disciples. 

I knew that statement of (no need to run a hard line because wireless is just as good) was coming.  I'll get my popcorn🍿 

If you end up running any wire, I would suggest cat out to a fibre media converter, make the long run to where your dac sits with optical fiber, then use another media converter for optical back to ethernet with a very short, shielded cat 6/7/8 cable.

Should not only “clean up” any analog interference from the router side, but also, as optical isn’t affected over that run from electromagnetic interference, you’d end up with a pretty dang clean signal to the dac.

Repeaters halve your available bandwidth by their very nature. Don't do it. Wifi6 supports multiple simultaneous streams and is a very good idea - but all your equipment has to support it. Mesh routers help even out coverage and the best ones support a dedicated backhaul to the master. They can work wonders if you have coverage problems. Contrary to the nay-sayers, wiring up your system will not get you better zeroes and ones. That's simply not how Ethernet works. After you recable with Cat 6 wire, rather than use patch cables of the same Belden wire, they would have you believe that $100 or $200 or more for a 10 ft patch cables will somehow sound better. But none of them can come up with a shred of a theory or facts or data to support their claims. Like Bill Maher says, "I can't prove it, but I know it's true...[insert punchline]". My two cents, as someone who has worked with Ethernet for almost 40 years, put in a good WiFi 6 mesh router setup, put a good network analyzer on your phone and learn how to assign WiFi to unused channels that give you good signal strength. That is the state of the art.