No router, no modem, no ethernet cables currently in my system. WiFi only with a private connection and access point centrally located on ceiling. No VPN. New building with fiber internet and 500mbps speeds. My DAC is operating with no issues on WiFi.
Connected Audio Devices
Looking to stream hi-res Tidal and play music on my Nucleus hard drive.
Number of Tracks in Library
Less than 50 tracks.
Description of Issue
Just moved to a new building in 600 SF apartment. Wondering if my roon Nucleus is obsolete with WiFi only and no ability for a wired connection. My speeds are faster than I had before and been flawless. Iâm more than willing to purchase whatever I need to get roon up and running, but confused on what to buy and how to implement. Mesh appears to be wired (not really sure) and I donât read good things about extenders. Simaudio has a streaming app but obviously not the same experience. I appreciate the assistance and advice.
But if you have a strong WiFI signal you may be fine.
UniFiâs free WiFiman app (iOS / Andriod) should be able to give you an idea of your current WiFi throughput. Note: itâs only your local WiFI network you want to test, your external bandwidth / thoughput is irrelevant.
If your getting over 300MBps then you can probably use a âWiFi Range Extenderâ which will connect to your network as if it were a regular WiFi device and expose an ethernet port into which you can plug your Nucleus.
All the major home network manufactures like TP-Link and Netgear sell them, but something like this or this, depending on whether your current WiFi is 5 or 6 (again the Wifiman app above should be able to tell you that). And ideally from somewhere that accepts easy returns in case it doesnât work for you or you find it too tricky to setup.
To improve stability / throughput:
Turn off the WiFi radios on the extender itself if possible. You only need the extender to bridge the devices ethernet port to your current WiFi network, you donât need or want to extend your WiFi network.
If you canât turn them off, give the extended WiFi networks a unique name (SSI) and donât connect any of your other devices to these networks.
Use the 5GHz option to connect back to your current WiFi network / router. This might be labelled âFast Laneâ or âHigh Speed modeâ in the manual.
I would look for a âWireless Bridgeâ (Wifi to ethernet adapter) as opposed to an âWiFi extenderâ.
Bridges are specifically designed for what you are trying to do without the hassle of the âWiFi extenderâ part. They are used to add printers and other wired devices to WiFi networks.
Here is a Linksys article explaining it and listing a few models:
âBrosTrend AC1200 WiFi to Ethernet Adapterâ is one that I found on Amazon. I have no experience with this brand. so WMMV and all that.
Despite my post above, Iâd agree with @bearFNF here, in that a âWireless Bridgeâ device will be simpler to setup as theyâre designed to do exactly what you need.
The reason I didnât suggest one originally is because I couldnât find a current model from one of the well known networking brands. So no ability to take advantage of WiFi6 if your router / WiFi provider supported it. My guess is they have largely dropped them in favour of âRange Extendersâ as most devices like TV sets and printers now have WiFI built-in nowadays and the extenders serve the same purpose, albeit with a wireless access point built in. Thatâs not to say they donât make them, just that they not as prevalent as they once were.
I have no experience of the device or brand, but that BrosTrend adaptor that Bear mentions above would on paper do what you need. My only proviso would be that the brand is a bit of an unknown quantity, although the reviews on Amazon donât seem too bad and you can always send it back if it turns out to be flaky.
Actually it looks like the âBrosTrend AC1200 WiFi to Ethernet Adapterâ is actually a 'WiFI Range Extenderâ under the hood and that you canât even turn off the WiFi radio / repeater function
Which could be problematic as you donât want your regular devices (like your phone or laptop) connecting wirelessly to the extender.
Thank you for the responses, I learned a great deal. I will give the extender a try with the radios turned off. Thatâs essentially a bridge in my mind without anything competing. I presume turning the radios off will prevent devices from wirelessly connecting to the extender, however the extender will still have a Wi-Fi connection back to the access point.
I will add my results once tested as It might be helpful for someone else. Really hope this worksâŚ
I would check the subnet (192.254.177.xxx) of the Nucleus+ and make sure it is the same as the other devices on the network. Make sure the asus is not serving up a separate DHCP IP range (might need to manually assign IPS?).
You may need to reset the network settings on the Nucleus+ if it had a static IP or it has not ârenewedâ itâs IP in the new network?
I have reset my nucleus network settings via HDMI and monitor. The media bridge setup instructions state it must be two ASUS routers. Iâll take that as a requirement and move on to a different plan.
