Does Plume support Ethernet Backhaul?
The backhaul is the connection between the pods that eventually goes all the way to the gateway pod that is Ethernet-connected to your WAN connection. The backhaul is the core of your network.
Typically pod-to-pod connections are by WiFi, although Plume also supports Ethernet backhaul connections. This means you can set up multiple gateway pods by connecting them directly via Ethernet to deliver the fastest possible performance to your devices. However, having all pods connected via Ethernet will affect how well Sense will be able to detect motion since only WiFi client devices will be used to detect motion.
An Ethernet switch can also be used to further expand how many pods are connected by Ethernet
How does hardwiring pods improve the network?
Already having Ethernet cabling in your home provides an advantage in terms of the WiFi performance you can achieve.
When Ethernet is not available throughout the home, which is the case for most people, our pods will use WiFi to backhaul the network traffic between them. However, if you have Ethernet in your home, you can connect the pods to the Ethernet jacks in the home and that backhaul traffic will travel over the Ethernet cable. In addition to avoiding potential WiFi signal strength issues between pods, this leaves more airtime available for the rest of the WiFi network and client devices for increased WiFi speeds.
Also, because you are using the Ethernet to backhaul traffic instead of WiFi, you may be able to space the pods a little further apart since their connection to each other is no longer limited by WiFi. Just make sure you are not creating coverage gaps for your client devices.
Can pods be wired to each other (daisy-chained)?
Yes. You can wire pods to each other in a series of up to 2 pod-to-pod hops. It is important to note that cannot wire pods to each other after a wireless hop, which will cause instability.
What else can I use the Ethernet port for?
If you are not using the Ethernet port for backhaul connections, you can use the port for connections to your wired clients, like a game console or desktop PC. Even if your device is capable of both WiFi and Ethernet, plugging a normally static device into the free Ethernet port of a convenient nearby pod will help free up more airtime for the WiFi connections of other wireless-only devices.
An Ethernet switch can be connected to the pod's Ethernet port to further expand how many devices are hardwired to that pod.
What kind of Ethernet cable do you recommend?
You can use any quality Ethernet cable to hardwire your pods, although we recommend CAT 6 or CAT 7 to ensure Gigabit speeds over longer runs.
How do I set up Plume and keep my hardwired devices connected to the Internet?