Poor wiring on the internet.
Poor wiring on the internet.
So my house has thick plaster walls that are terrible for signal reliability for wifi. In the upstairs, currently have a Cat6 wire coming up for the pc directly from the main router. Would daisy chaining another router (different SSID) to the upstairs and then using it as a switch and wifi router for non-ethernet devices be something that would make sense to increase reliability of signal and signal strength for the upstairs? (Would be something like netgear AC750. Don't need anything fancy, current internet cannot utilize over 100Mbps so I don't need gigabit ports on the router.) I'm also not too concerned with a little extra latency. Current connection is <10ms ping.
Introducing a second router can cause problems unless you configure it as a bridge, which undermines its main role. Consider using a basic switch or a wireless access point instead.
I think you can use an additional router and turn on "bridge" mode, which turns it into a wireless access point. If you already have the second router, go ahead with that. Otherwise, a WAP would be a more affordable option. Just keep in mind that opening ports to run local game servers can be tricky (I've noticed many troubleshooting discussions about this lately).
This setup is intended solely to enhance Wi-Fi performance and stability. The access point appears suitable for Wi-Fi use, but would it function effectively if you connect a PC via Ethernet instead? Would using the router directly work better than linking a switch followed by an access point? Since you're not running local multiplayer servers, I assume you're just playing alone, so quality matters less than having more devices connected.
Yes, you must set up the router as a bridge to prevent conflicts over network control. Otherwise, devices may struggle with speeds and connections.
Yes, you can still use the hardwire connection even when it functions as a repeater.
The proposal you presented aligns perfectly with what you’re aiming for. You’re turning the existing wireless router into a wireless access point, which will offer much improved performance compared to a repeater or range booster, especially since you already have a wired connection to the main router. Switching the device to AP mode means it behaves like a switch at the LAN ports and functions as a simple AP. All standard router features are disabled—DHCP is turned off, NAT and firewall are removed. Some units allow this setting directly, while others need you to disable them manually. My point is: Netgear offers several AC750-class devices (both marketed as repeaters/extenders and routers). What you’re trying to achieve isn’t feasible with the repeaters, but should work with the wireless router (see page 108) and even models like EX3700 or EX6100 that are recommended for AP mode.
I considered setting it up as an AP with WiFi active and using it as an Ethernet switch. Would a Netgear R6020 handle that? For setup, I compared the Netgear N600 E2500 to the Linksys N600. The Netgear might be simpler if you're not familiar with routers or networking.