Just installed a bluesound node 2i , quality not so good

I'm not following how it addresses the scenarios where the hardwire connection to the router is not possible due to location logistics.

It does not.
In fact you now have two extra powered devices, the sender and the receiver for the fiber optic cable.
You still need to run the fiber optic cable so if you have problems running a hard internet line due to logistics this is not going to be any different.
However it should be better than wifi and possibly the hard internet line if you can run cable .

I guess I could as I ran a new cat7 75ft cable from my server upstairs down to a new unmanaged switch downstairs in my music room.
Could replace the internet cable run with fiber optic but I doubt I am going to try at this stage

Pretty funny what goes around...lol
Back in the 90,s we were using fiber optic comms for industrial usage, I liked it a lot as no noise, the "wiring" could be routed anywhere even 360 degree loops etc with zero issues.
The programmers say it did not allow enough heavy duty information exchange as Profibus and then later Profinet so we ditched it and moved on.
Canbus that you now find in cars( for a few years actually) was basically Profibus that we started with in the late 90,s, early 00,s . Profinet is really just a variation of ethernet.

Now it is showing up as the latest audio "darling"

Pretty interesting tbh.
Good luck.

presently searching for a higher quality dac.  So many to chose from, kinda like all the ice cream choices.  If I can find a chocolate Chip cookie dough dac I’ll be happy

Ha,  man after my own heart, or stomach...lol
Watch the Key Lime pie variety though!

+1rocray!
I  was wondering who was holding the gun to whose head to "make" them use a DAC.
Op asked and was given opinions, nothing more.

@uberwaltz, I wasn't trying to get into it (and I was actually looking at the post above mine, not at yours). It seems to me like the Bluesound is what it is, and by all accounts is very good for what it is. I'm not sure that dolling it up with an external dac isn't the way I'd go about it. Gamblers have a term for it: chasing your losses.

Anyway, I don't like the hostility toward each other that surfaces too often out here, and I certainly didn't mean to offend.

Absolutely no hostility or even remotely similar.
I was just pointing out that you probably would not need to spend 1k on a DAC to hear a goodly improvement in SQ.
Certainly no offense taken here and not sure why my reply would have indicated any offense was taken.....lol.
Please have a great day and stay safe

Have any of you saying the DAC in the Bluesound is soooooo bad ever actually switched between the internal DAC and external dac while listening?  

Yes many times, coax digital connection into my Lyngdorf ( at the time) was vastly superior to the analog connection.

Is the advice here really that the OP should buy a $1000+ DAC in order to boost the sound quality of a $550 streamer?

Not at all, I did say a $250 DAC would work wonders, plenty around in that price range, check Drop.com for some true bargains.

Not really.
It's cheap and cheerful as it gets on its analog output

IMHO the Bluesound products weakest link has always been its onboard DAC.
The single ended analog outputs leave a lot to be desired for a serious music system.
Even a $250 DAC will yield benefits but has to have toslink or coax input as no USB digital output on the 2i.

Good luck and stay safe