Here's my set-up:
I have a new dual-band (latest model) Airport Extreme connected to my cable modem. From it I run wired connections to my desktop PC and to a Netgear WNHDE111 HD Access Point. The other end of the Netgear WNHDE111 HD kit, the WNHDE111 Bridge (they came as a set), is downstairs in my home theater cabinet. The bridge is connected to a Netgear 4-port switch, which in turn runs ethernet connections to my Xbox 360, Sony Blu-ray player, and DirecTV DVR.
The Airport Extreme is a new addition to the set-up. It replaced an ailing Netgear draft-N router. The whole thing works ok...I can generally stream HD content ok (Netflix or VOD), but the connection occasionally drops (and is fixed with a power cycle) or lags. In addition to that, I'm having some issues with Windows Media Center on my Xbox which I think are somehow related to the wireless configuration.
So I started to think that an Airport Express connected to my 4-port switch, bridged directly to the Airport Extreme, may be a simpler, more effective way of doing things. (To be clear, I would be replacing the pair of WNHDE111s with the Airport Express.)
Any thoughts on this, or similar experiences/configurations? What would I be gaining or losing by making this switch? It's all wireless-N, so I'm really just looking for a more reliable and stable connection than I have now.
Any advice is much appreciated.
Andrew
I have a new dual-band (latest model) Airport Extreme connected to my cable modem. From it I run wired connections to my desktop PC and to a Netgear WNHDE111 HD Access Point. The other end of the Netgear WNHDE111 HD kit, the WNHDE111 Bridge (they came as a set), is downstairs in my home theater cabinet. The bridge is connected to a Netgear 4-port switch, which in turn runs ethernet connections to my Xbox 360, Sony Blu-ray player, and DirecTV DVR.
The Airport Extreme is a new addition to the set-up. It replaced an ailing Netgear draft-N router. The whole thing works ok...I can generally stream HD content ok (Netflix or VOD), but the connection occasionally drops (and is fixed with a power cycle) or lags. In addition to that, I'm having some issues with Windows Media Center on my Xbox which I think are somehow related to the wireless configuration.
So I started to think that an Airport Express connected to my 4-port switch, bridged directly to the Airport Extreme, may be a simpler, more effective way of doing things. (To be clear, I would be replacing the pair of WNHDE111s with the Airport Express.)
Any thoughts on this, or similar experiences/configurations? What would I be gaining or losing by making this switch? It's all wireless-N, so I'm really just looking for a more reliable and stable connection than I have now.
Any advice is much appreciated.
Andrew