Hardwired- No Router: Windows 10 and MAC Big Sur freezes and/or drops Skype and Zoom

[Hardwired4fun]

1. I have a radio signal ethernet signal from a nearby mountaintop tower, with internet ready cable coming into the house.  
2. Speed is 25 down/ 3.5-5 up.  (not any better options where we live).
3. We do not use a router or wifi: ethernet cable comes into home ready to connect, and I am hardwired for everything via Netgear Switches.  

My wife teaches music over Skype and Zoom and her calls are constantly freezing and/or dropping.  She is 10' from the first switch.  (I've tested using wifi with no improvement, and I've tested direct connected to the cable that comes into the house from our roof).

We have latest updates on both Skype and Zoom. 

We have tried a brand new Macbook Pro 16" with Big Sur OS

We have tried a 4 year old Dell with new Windows 10 installation.

Any ideas, other than slow internet?  (We were getting the same results with internet

of 1.7 - 2.5 before.... no big change when the ISP changed their equipent setup to get increased upload speeds.)  

[antinode]

>   1. I have a radio signal ethernet signal from a nearby mountaintop
> tower, with internet ready cable coming into the house.

   That tells me approximately nothing about your ISP, the equipment at
your house, or its capabilities.  I also don't know what "ethernet
signal" means.  (Does an FM radio staion broadcast a "loudspeaker
signal"?)

> 3. We do not use a router or wifi: ethernet cable comes into home
> ready to connect, and I am hardwired for everything via Netgear
> Switches.

   "ready to connect" to _what_?  Does this service come with any
instructions?

   "We do not use a router"?  Perhaps you should.  Perhaps you do.  I'm
not familiar with any residential Internet service which allows a
customer to connect an unlimited number of devices to the public
Internet.  What are the IP addresses of your various computers?

> [...] (I've tested using wifi with no improvement, [...]

   How, exactly, without a router?

> [...] I've tested direct connected to the cable that comes into the
> house from our roof).

   I know approximately nothing about what's on your roof.

   You seem to be describing (very vaguely) a network which contains no
Netgear equipment.  Why come here?  Why not ask your (unspecified) ISP?

> [...] no big change when the ISP changed their equipent setup [...]

   With my weak psychic powers, I know approximately nothing about your
old ISP equipment or your new ISP equipment.

[Hardwired4fun]

Maybe I have posted in the wrong section of the forum?..... I'm new to this.  So sorry that I could not meet this commentor's personal high-faluting standards of communication.   For anybody else that is interested in helping rather than criticising, here are more details..

1. I have a radio signal ethernet signal from a nearby mountaintop
> tower, with internet ready cable coming into the house.

   That tells me approximately nothing about your ISP, the equipment at
your house, or its capabilities.  I also don't know what "ethernet
signal" means.  (Does an FM radio staion broadcast a "loudspeaker
signal"?)

    --->A tower broadcasts a radio signal to our house, which has a dish to 

    receive the signal.... the cable from the dish brings the internet connection

    our home, with an RJ45 connector, so that I can plug it into my laptop

     directly, or use switches, without a modem or router.  I can use a router

     if I want, but prefer to be hardwired.

> 3. We do not use a router or wifi: ethernet cable comes into home
> ready to connect, and I am hardwired for everything via Netgear
> Switches.

   "ready to connect" to _what_?  Does this service come with any
instructions?

         ---> Ready to connect to a laptop, switch, or router.  I use switches

              primarily.

   "We do not use a router"?  Perhaps you should.  Perhaps you do.  I'm
not familiar with any residential Internet service which allows a
customer to connect an unlimited number of devices to the public
Internet.  What are the IP addresses of your various computers?

      ---> Our ISP allows us to connect to the internet via their broadcast tower.

       I have tested the system with and without a router.  no improvement

       with a router, and I prefer not to use wifi, but I have also tested using wifi.

> [...] (I've tested using wifi with no improvement, [...]

   How, exactly, without a router?

          ---> from dish, via CAT 5or6 cable, into house, into computer directly with

          RJ45 jack, and/or  into Netgear switches, then by CAT 7 cable in our house

          to various rooms, where I have installed wall jacks, and then plug my laptop

          into these wall jacks.

> [...] I've tested direct connected to the cable that comes into the
> house from our roof).

   I know approximately nothing about what's on your roof.

      --->. The ISP's dish receives the signal from a tower, and brings that

          into our house.  No router needed.  I connect to other rooms via 3

         Netgear Switches.

   You seem to be describing (very vaguely) a network which contains no
Netgear equipment.  Why come here?  Why not ask your (unspecified) ISP?

     --->.  I have asked my ISP.... they will be coming to recheck things.  I 

     am trying to determine what if any issues could cause freezing or dropping

    of Skpye and Zoom, even though Speed Tests are generally good.

> [...] no big change when the ISP changed their equipent setup [...]

   With my weak psychic powers, I know approximately nothing about your
old ISP equipment or your new ISP equipment.

[antinode]

> [...] I can use a router if I want, but prefer to be hardwired.

   "router" and "wireless" are spelled differently for a reason.

> [...] What are the IP addresses of your various computers?

   Still a mystery.