Router in a closet

[TimmTumm]

I have a wiring closet in a largish home, such that putting wireless in the living room would not do well in the bedroom. To make it more complicated, the wiring closet has a metal door. This is where the provider's input comes from. Ideally, I'd like a Gig-ethernet in that closet, with no wireless, and then two wireless routers that get their signal via cable in the two ends of the house.
Is there such a product for me? A managed (non-wireless) master, with a couple of wired input, wireless transmitters I can place where I want?

 

[Tech Junky]

You get a wired router to connect to the ISP and then run Ethernet to the locations and hook up an AP to the cable.

 

[TimmTumm]

Right, so are there any routers one can recommend for my use case?

 

[Tech Junky]

Search for wired router on Amazon and sort by price lowest to highest to filter out the WiFi routers. Should start seeing them around 50-60 up to about 100. Or just filter by price range.

 

[Tech9]

Right, so are there any routers one can recommend for my use case?

For a largish home you need someone who knows to plan, purchase and install the equipment you need. Otherwise you are going to end up paying for experiments with unclear result.

 

[DominikHoffmann]

I can recommend the EnGenius EWS357AP access points. They can be administered through a browser connecting to their web user interface. No controller needed. They also work well, when they each have their own Ethernet backhauls. You would also want to use a PoE Ethernet switch that would not only provide connectivity but power over the Ethernet connection, as well.

Maybe you’ll find ways to run the Ethernet cable above the ceiling drywall, so that you’ll just have a wire pop out of the ceiling in the location, where you want to mount them. I just designed a 3d-printable adapter bracket that can be screwed to a one-gang electrical box or low-voltage bracket and allows the EnGenius AP to slide onto (see attachment — Dang it! I cannot attach an STL file to this post.). You can get the STL (for 3D-printing) and the SolidWorks model file from GrabCAD.

If you have a bit more money, you can get the excellent Ubiquiti U6 Pro. It will need a controller, however, and I would recommend the Ubiquiti Cloud Key Gen2 Plus. There is also a very nice rack-mount accessory for the controller. The APs have very good mounting brackets included that will cover almost any imaginable mounting scenario.

 

[TimmTumm]

Looking for a wired router in Amazon will give you pages of wireless routers
I don't think I explained myself well. Clearly my unfamiliarity with this space is working against us. Let me see if this "diagram" helps"

Outside <-> spectrum modem <-> Magic Router (This router will be in a metal closet) ***
................................................................................................ |
................................................................................................ | <-> ethernet to guest room
................................................................................................|
................................................................................................ | <-> ethernet to living room <-> unmanaged switch <-> several PCs
................................................................................................|
................................................................................................ | <-> old wireless router <-> VOIP phone, PCs
................................................................................................ |
................................................................................................ | <-> another wireless router in another room

*** is the router I am asking for recommendations on. Ideally 8 or more GigE ports

 

[DominikHoffmann]

Get a pfSense appliance. Either get Netgate’s own hardware or any mini-PC with at least two Intel Ethernet interfaces (Realtek NICs pose problems with the underlying FreeUSB Unix). If you need more ports at that location, get another switch. This will be your internet gateway, firewall and router.

At the other locations you will want to have access points, not routers, because you won’t want to have a second layer of network address translation (NAT), which is what a router would provide. If you use VLAN-capable switches for everywhere, you can use multiple Wi-Fi SSIDs with distinct routing and firewalling. That would enable you to have different SSIDs for guests or your IoT (home automation) components. Anywhere your Ethernet needs to carry traffic for only a single VLAN you can use an inexpensive mini-switch to fan your single Ethernet home run into multiple ones.

 

[DominikHoffmann]

Netgate 1100 internet gateway: https://a.co/d/dEtMg8z
EnGenius EWS357AP: https://a.co/d/06zXp5J (find it on eBay for less)
EnGenius EWS357-Fit: https://a.co/d/i7n38zw (I prefer the former’s ability to be configured through a web interface, the -Fit needs to be configured through an app).
EnGenius FitController: https://a.co/d/2LSbLdr (you’ll regain a comprehensive web interface for your entire AP constellation, maybe even your switches, if you stay within the EnGenius ecosystem, but the costs will mount)
Netgear GS108PEv3 8-port managed switch with four PoE-out ports: https://a.co/d/i7n38zw
Cat 6 wire: https://a.co/d/evzl7F8

 

[drinkingbird]

I have a wiring closet in a largish home, such that putting wireless in the living room would not do well in the bedroom. To make it more complicated, the wiring closet has a metal door. This is where the provider's input comes from. Ideally, I'd like a Gig-ethernet in that closet, with no wireless, and then two wireless routers that get their signal via cable in the two ends of the house.
Is there such a product for me? A managed (non-wireless) master, with a couple of wired input, wireless transmitters I can place where I want?

Lots of good recommendations here, one other is that you could use an older AC router (or depending on your internet speed, even an N router) as your wired router, just disable the wireless in it. Then add on your access points.

In fact if you have an ISP supplied router that is a perfect use for it.

Edgerouter X used to be my default go-to for this, it is still available and works great, there have been some complaints about them seeming to be slowing down support for it but it still works well and is cheap. As far as access points, I like the ceiling mounted ones like Ubiquiti or Engenius, but you can use other Asus or whatever type routers too.

Or you can tell your router to come out of the closet. In this day and age, it is perfectly acceptable to be gay.