Can I use my ethernet powerline receiving end on a router?

[BingusBongus21]

I provided a drawing to help better convey my issue.

Bit of context, I wanted ethernet connection for PC gaming but did not want to deal with the cable running through the whole house so I opted for a powerline adapter and been great since, the problem is that our ISP upgraded to fiber and with it came a change in modem, this modem got reduced range and the WIFI barely reaches my room giving me problems with my phone, switch and tv.

So I was wondering if it's possible to connect a router to the powerline in my room to fix the WIFI issue or just leave my phone behind and buy an ethernet switch for the rest of my devices.

[jaslion]

Just get an acces point and connect it up to the powerline.

 

Or invest in a mesh network like some tp link deco m5's

[Needfuldoer]

Can you move the modem to a spot that's more central to your place?

 

If not, leave the modem and router where they are, and set up a second router as an access point and switch in your room. (You don't want two routers behaving as routers, because that gets messy and complicated fast.)

 

Modem -> Router -> Powerline -> Router-as-switch/AP -> Your stuff

[SpookyCitrus]

A power line adapter is essentially just an ethernet connection, so in theory it should work, however I have never tried running a router over powerline. Typically you should have router as well as a modem already, unless it's a modem/router combo unit. So either upgrading your current router/ap to a better higher strength unit or running an ap via powerline should work.

[BingusBongus21]

15 minutes ago, Needfuldoer said:

Can you move the modem to a spot that's more central to your place?

 

If not, leave the modem and router where they are, and set up a second router as an access point and switch in your room. (You don't want two routers behaving as routers, because that gets messy and complicated fast.)

 

Modem -> Router -> Powerline -> Router-as-switch/AP -> Your stuff

17 minutes ago, jaslion said:

Just get an acces point and connect it up to the powerline.

 

Or invest in a mesh network like some tp link deco m5's

15 minutes ago, SpookyCitrus said:

A power line adapter is essentially just an ethernet connection, so in theory it should work, however I have never tried running a router over powerline. Typically you should have router as well as a modem already, unless it's a modem/router combo unit. So either upgrading your current router/ap to a better higher strength unit or running an ap via powerline should work.

Quick question: What is the difference between an access point and a router? Looking it up on amazon got me a bit confused lol. Also it is a modem/router combo.

[Needfuldoer]

14 minutes ago, BingusBongus21 said:

Quick question: What is the difference between an access point and a router? Looking it up on amazon got me a bit confused lol.

A router does network address translation, hands out IP addresses, and manages traffic. Basically, the network on the LAN side of a router is its own little island network. You don't want to have a router behind a router, that's "double NAT" and just makes networking even more confusing. (Imagine having to port forward your own PC to the rest of the network inside your house.)

 

Plain old inexpensive switches just let a bunch of Ethernet interfaces connect to each other. It just shuffles network traffic to its destination. (Managed "layer 3" switches can do some routing and other advanced things, but that's beyond the scope of what you need to worry about for a small home network.)

 

An access point just passes traffic between Ethernet and WiFi. In that sense it's like an unmanaged switch, except it uses radio waves instead of wires.

 

Some routers can be set up so they act like a switch with a built in access point; that's what you want if you buy a second router.

[BingusBongus21]

4 minutes ago, Needfuldoer said:

A router does network address translation, hands out IP addresses, and manages traffic. Basically, the network on the LAN side of a router is its own little island network. You don't want to have a router behind a router, that's "double NAT" and just makes networking even more confusing. (Imagine having to port forward your own PC to the rest of the network inside your house.)

 

Plain old inexpensive switches just let a bunch of Ethernet interfaces connect to each other. It just shuffles network traffic to its destination. (Managed "layer 3" switches can do some routing and other advanced things, but that's beyond the scope of what you need to worry about for a small home network.)

 

An access point just passes traffic between Ethernet and WiFi. In that sense it's like an unmanaged switch, except it uses radio waves instead of wires.

 

Some routers can be set up so they act like a switch with a built in access point; that's what you want if you buy a second router.

Thanks for the explanation, could you recommend a router with access point capability?