REVIEW: The best yet most affordable network switch (TPLink WR902AC)

[cat6man]

a fast test of the 1502 vs. 902 in client mode had them sounding the same to me.
caveat: this was feeding a taiko router/switch/extreme combo so lots of other isolation followed the tplink. also, i only listened to local WAV files and not any streaming. i also heard no difference playing local files with the 1502/902 in the path and with the ethernet input unplugged completely.
of course, YMMV.

i did not test replacing the taiko router/switch and having the tplink feed the extreme directly.
i will be taking the 1502 to a friend who has the extreme and tplink 1502 into the extreme will be tested there some time in the next week. we tried this last week with the 902 which we now know will not work with the extreme ethernet card, hench the 1502 with supports 1gb ethernet.

 

[Devg]

Couple of observation - I reconfigured the Be3600 to an AP and 902AC as client mode connected to the Be3600 at 2.4G. With this I see very less Roon drop outs with 902AC but they sound different.

Folks who are experimenting or want to experiment with WR1502X - there are limitation with this product: a) you can't power it with 5V supply, regardless if it's a battery or not. b) this version is also not openwrt compatible (neither is Be3600).

The 802N is supposed to be delivered today but I will also be out of town until the next year. So all different comparisons has to wait.

I still can't stress enough the importance of power supply and DC power cable powering the Tplink. With my new configuration, I am powering the the Be3600 which is now an AP and located in a different room with a USB charger. I tried two different USB charger - one no-name brand and another Anker. The Anker sounded a lot better than the non-name brand. I will order some GaN based charger and see if it further improve things. I also tried couple of different micro-usb cable powering the 902AC and they all sound different. It's too early to pick a winner at this point.

 

[tony22]

I’m still waiting for my 902 to show up! In the meantime, I got a 3602 to play around with. When I get the 902 I’ll see which one I like better.

 

[tony22]

A question - aren’t we really using these as range extenders (REs)? I mean, if we want the wireless part of (in my current case) a 3602 to link into my existing music subnet (which already has its own WAP for my wireless controllers) and then have its LAN connection replace the existing connection to my streamer, doesn’t this all make the 3602 a RE?

 

[Di-fi]

A question - aren’t we really using these as range extenders (REs)? I mean, if we want the wireless part of (in my current case) a 3602 to link into my existing music subnet (which already has its own WAP for my wireless controllers) and then have its LAN connection replace the existing connection to my streamer, doesn’t this all make the 3602 a RE?

What folks are doing with the WR902AC or 3602 is not using a range extender, but a Wi-Fi to Ethernet bridge that terminates the wireless link and outputs a single wired connection to the streamer or audio switch. In this mode the device behaves like a wireless Ethernet cable, with no tablets or controllers attaching to it, which is why the isolation can be audible.

Devialet and some other high-end manufacturers have used a form of Wi-Fi bridge, but in their case it’s integrated and optimized, not a generic repeater or range extender. Taiko, Aurender and Lumin solve the same problem using internal wired bridges based on galvanic isolation, buffering and reclocking rather than Wi-Fi. The Wi-Fi bridge approach is simply a consumer-level way of creating an air gap when fiber, copper or purpose-built isolation is not used. If the device also rebroadcasts Wi-Fi for other clients, it becomes a true range extender and the sonic benefit usually disappears.

Note that different brands use different names for similar presets like bridge, client mode, AP, media bridge or range extender, but the behavior behind those presets can also differ a lot. Some “client” or “bridge” modes still run extra services, rebroadcast Wi-Fi, or keep internal routing active, which means they are not a true one-to-one bridge. What we’re really trying to achieve here is a minimal Wi-Fi-to-Ethernet handoff that does nothing except receive the stream and pass it on, less the noise.

 

[tony22]

What folks are doing with the WR902AC or 3602 is not using a range extender, but a Wi-Fi to Ethernet bridge that terminates the wireless link and outputs a single wired connection to the streamer or audio switch.

I think we’re saying the same thing. If we are, according to my understanding of how access points work (which may be incorrect), in order for a device to act as an AP it must be hardwire connected so that some DHCP server can serve (in this case) an IP address on the desired music subnet. In order for it to get an IP address over the air from some other DHCP server, it has to be a range extender. I’m clearly missing something.