WiFi Bridge Requirement

[BitShifter]

I just received the HDHR Flex 4K on Monday. I tried using a BrosTrend WiFi 6 AX3000 WiFi to Ethernet Adapter to connect to a Netgear Nighthawk RAX120 that is wired to an Apple TV 4K A1842 model.. That led to constants freezes. The product works fine with a Cat 6 run to the router. I'm going to try a WiFi 7 router and extender from TP-Link. Both of my routers are roughly one gen below WiFi 6. I'm assuming that latency is the problem. I'm trying to avoid running cables through the wall to the attic and down into the upstairs rooms..

[jasonl]

Performance of a wireless bridge is going to depend primarily on what is between the bridge and the router it is connecting to. If you're trying to connect different floors, ideally the bridge would be located directly above the router. The further away it gets, the more stuff the signal has to pass through, an that weakens the signal and degrades the performance. Floors are much worse than walls because of the extra material.

[BitShifter]

Thanks. I'll post the test result with WiFi 7. During the test that I tried,I moved the bridge to a distance of about 35-40 feet from the router. The signal has to pass through a wall, a floor, and another wall. That's the closest I can move it. I can eliminate one of the walls however by swapping the location of the router with another.

[rikd]

I tried using a BrosTrend WiFi 6 AX3000 WiFi to Ethernet Adapter

The 'negative' reviews for this product suggest that this is your problem with the setup

• constant drop of connection
• is an extender not an adapter - i.e. it's wifi is always broadcasting causing wifi noise for your router to contend with

Moving to TPLink might fix the issue - it might not. Same with Wifi 7 vs Wifi 6 (or even 5 or 4 for that matter).
I would avoid extenders if possible and consider mesh system if your are considering changing router..
TPLink Deco is pretty good solution - as are eero and orbi (netgear). Definitely look to the better brands.
The key is what is the interlink between the mesh units.
Ideally it should have it's backhaul on different channel than the wifi - or even different media such as ethernet or powerline and thus doesn't compromise the actual available wifi bandwidth to your devices.

[BitShifter]

Good point on the BrosTrend device. I time-boxed my search for such products and figured that I'd return it if it failed. I see that its "bridge" mode isn't operating as a true bridge. I returned it a day after the test. I run two routers: one inner and one internet-facing. One is the Netgear and the other is an Asus. The Asus has better admin features, so it's the outer. My overall home dimensions are about 48' x 50' with a 2 story family room and foyer that run through the middle of the home. For general use including media devices, I've never had a problem with WiFi since the 20-teens. A mesh would be overkill for me outside of this particular solution. The router and antenna locations are somewhat diagonal to each other from 1st floor office to the 2nd floor MBR. I can move it to a 2nd floor room that is on the same side of the house, but the internet enters the home through an office in the back of the home. The OTA signals arrive at the front of my home, so in terms of distance to the router via WiFi, that's the best I can do. I'll out some time into researching WiFi bridge products efficacy and try another if one seems to suffice.

p.s. I forgot to mention that in my TP-Link product research over the past two days, I discovered that the current U.S. govt admin is considering a ban on their products.

[rikd]

I run two routers: one inner and one internet-facing. One is the Netgear and the other is an Asus. The Asus has better admin features, so it's the outer.

do you use the netgear as just an AP?
2 routers would cause all kinds of NAT problems for video/voice apps to internet, as well as gaming.

A mesh would be overkill for me outside of this particular solution.

consider a powerline adapter. if all it is is the HDHomeRun you can use one end to router and adapter right by the power brick for the HDHomeRun. quick and easy. Netgear or TPLink ones are good.

p.s. I forgot to mention that in my TP-Link product research over the past two days, I discovered that the current U.S. govt admin is considering a ban on their products.

main issue is the old kernels most of them run but is same problem with all vendors of consumer grade wifi routers. tp-link (and others) tend to prefer you to buy new than upgrade a router that is vulnerable to attack.
But also current administration doesn't like Chinese companies, so there is that too.

[BitShifter]

I run two routers: one inner and one internet-facing. One is the Netgear and the other is an Asus. The Asus has better admin features, so it's the outer.

do you use the netgear as just an AP?
2 routers would cause all kinds of NAT problems for video/voice apps to internet, as well as gaming.

A mesh would be overkill for me outside of this particular solution.

consider a powerline adapter. if all it is is the HDHomeRun you can use one end to router and adapter right by the power brick for the HDHomeRun. quick and easy. Netgear or TPLink ones are good.

p.s. I forgot to mention that in my TP-Link product research over the past two days, I discovered that the current U.S. govt admin is considering a ban on their products.

main issue is the old kernels most of them run but is same problem with all vendors of consumer grade wifi routers. tp-link (and others) tend to prefer you to buy new than upgrade a router that is vulnerable to attack.
But also current administration doesn't like Chinese companies, so there is that too.

With TP-Link, It's all about the U.S. applying pressure on and/or not trusting China.

I've been running multiple routers on my network configuration for 15 years. I've experienced no problems.

I don't like powerline networking. I ran one many years ago. I'm sure that they've improved, but I don't like the tech for a few reasons.

I'll post my solution tonight. I successfully tested a bridge today.

[BitShifter]

My eventual solution is:

Antenna --> HDHomeRun --> Cat 6 --> Loocam Wireless Bridge Point to Point Outdoor, 900MHz WiFi Bridge Rx ( Amazon URL: https://a.co/d/dy8LLW3 ) --> Loocam Wireless Bridge Point to Point Outdoor, 900MHz WiFi Bridge Tx --> Netgear 1Gb switch (moved multiple wired devices to the Netgear router) --> Netgear Nighthawk AX120

The Loocam device arrived today. I hooked up the Tx on the switch and plugged it in. Did the same with the HDHomeRun and the Rx. The HDHomerun network port immediately switched from red to green. I changed channels and the Vikings - Ravens game was playing.