Ethernet opinions

I have tried a lot of this streaming add-on stuff and my suggestion would be to simply hardwire an Ethernet cable to your streamer and then listen for a while and think about whether the sound meets your expectations.  There is always more stuff to try but, in my system, none of it has come anywhere close to the level of sound improvement I have achieved by improving my streamer and/or DAC.  Some thoughts:

• I have not heard noticeable differences in Ethernet cables so I went with a generic CAT 8 cable from Amazon because the CAT 8 is better shielded than the lower CAT numbers but, as has been said here, any CAT cable will likely work fine.  
• You could think about running your signal using fiber, instead of using Ethernet .  Fiber cables are very inexpensive, and the fiber provides isolation,  but you would need a converter at the router and another at your endpoint, near your system.  I have tried my 45-foot run both ways and cannot say I reliably hear a difference between Ethernet and fiber.  I am set up with fiber currently.
• You could also keep adding stuff, like:
  • a linear power supply on the fiber converter nearest your system, or at both converters (which is what I am doing)
  • a switch at your system, at the Ethernet endpoint or, just following the fiber converter, and then you have the option to run a shorter length of a higher quality Ethernet cable, or simply a very short cable, from the switch into your server (I am using two of the Bonn switches)
  • If you choose to run Ethernet and not fiber, you could consider optical isolation using something like the GigaFOILv4 INLINE Ethernet Filter (I have tried this)
  • some sort of isolation filter prior to your server, such as one of the Network Acoustics models, eno, muon, or muon Pro, which probably work best coming out of a switch with their own Ethernet cable into the filter and then the slaved, short network cable from the filter to the server  (I am using the muon system currently)
  • You can try different connectors between your server and DAC but some here will say those cables make no difference (muon USB in my system)
  • There are a bunch of other add-ons you can read about in these forums and try such as the EtherREGEN

You can spend a lot of money and time on this stuff so my suggestion is to go slow, research how others like the changes you are considering, and make sure you like each improvement before you move on.

Good luck

You are welcome.  Just sharing my experiences. Two of the things I like most about a streamer/server set-up are how easy it is to operate and the wide range of music available that I wouldn't have otherwise found out about.  Just yesterday, I learned about three artists I was previously unaware of who are creating music that is similar to other artists I listen to. 

Regarding your hard-wired connection, that is for sure the best way to go, IME.  I have both fiber and Ethernet available over my 45-foot run so I can easily switch between them.  I have done so several times over the past couple of years, and I cannot reliably say I hear a difference - at least to the point where I would be comfortable saying I could tell one from the other based on a blind listening session.  

Regarding mesh networks, in my experience with residential applications, they are generally preferable to a single router when needed to provide internet over longer distances and they are certainly preferable to using boosters.  My outdoor system, which is set up in the garage, is connected to an Orbi mesh satellite, which has Ethernet jacks for hardwiring so, the signal travels wirelessly from my base router over the mesh network to the satellite and then over a short Ethernet cable to a Roon endpoint that feeds a DAC.  That set-up has been great functionally but I cannot comment on whether there are any sound quality differences compared to a hardwired connection directly from the base router, which I what I have always done for my main system. 

@audphile1 

5. Amazon CAT8 is a really great cable for the money

I agree, it seems well constructed.  That is what I use, and what I was pointing the OP to in my earlier post.  If I were starting, I would be happy with that for Ethernet cabling and would spend any additional money elsewhere.