Home network design (second router vs switch)

voilaMagic

Reputable
Oct 4, 2014
2
0
4,510
The below is my current network design.

Network%2BDiagram.jpg


However, I am not sure whether it is the best possible set up for what I want. If I use PC B to play music on my Marantz amplifier using iTunes Airplay, the music sometimes breaks up, stopping momentarily. If I use PC A, I don't have such problems.



The other consideration is I would like to ensure I have the fastest speeds possible in connecting to the WD My Cloud external drive.

Would the layout below work better- is it superior in any way? I use a ethernet switch instead of the second router, and this then goes to a Wifi access point (like the second router) to generate the Wifi signal to support wireless devices.

Network%2BDiagram%2Bw%2BSwitch.jpg


Would appreciate any feedback people have on this.
 
Solution
A dedicated switch could potentially provide a faster wired connection than a alternately configured router, but I would recommend testing your intranet speeds first to find if the router is a bottleneck point.

For instance, you may want to eliminate the second router and connect PC-B directly to the cable from the first router, then test the connection speed and streaming to your Marantz.

Have you checked for the latest firmware for both routers? This could possibly solve some networking issues.

I've seen the same problems with some dedicated switches, so I'm not sure if either setup has advantage over the other. It mainly depends on the quality of the network hardware.

BuddhaSkoota

Admirable
A dedicated switch could potentially provide a faster wired connection than a alternately configured router, but I would recommend testing your intranet speeds first to find if the router is a bottleneck point.

For instance, you may want to eliminate the second router and connect PC-B directly to the cable from the first router, then test the connection speed and streaming to your Marantz.

Have you checked for the latest firmware for both routers? This could possibly solve some networking issues.

I've seen the same problems with some dedicated switches, so I'm not sure if either setup has advantage over the other. It mainly depends on the quality of the network hardware.
 
Solution

voilaMagic

Reputable
Oct 4, 2014
2
0
4,510
Thanks BuddhaSkoota.

I went ahead with the ethernet switch, and I am no longer experiencing the issues. PC B is streaming music beautifully. :) I can only guess that the Belkin router was adding jitter to the network.