Home Network Design

Looking for some help after being on the phone for a hour with a tech. I'm wondering if anyone can help. Here's the challenge. I have a FIOS Router and it's max is 10/100 I wanted to create a gigabit subnet that I could run so my gigbit, nas, pc and mac wouldn't have to pass through the slow router. I bought two gigbit dlink switches and here's the setup



(my attic)PC, NAS, Print-->Switch1-->

(my basement)Mac-->Switch2 --> Router

When I connext switch 1 in the attic to switch 2 in the basement it doesn't work

When I connext switch 2 and switch 3 directly to the router it works fine

When I connect switch 1 and 2 together in the attic it works. I'm thinking the distance could be too far. But what I don't understand is why the router works but not the switch.

Would be open to any recommendations on how to isloate a gigbit segment between my attic and basement and only run through the fios router when i need the internet. I'm thinking i may need to get a gigabit router to connect to the fios router but not sure.

Please help.. thanks.