Hi jschulman,
You can connect the Almond in Range Extender mode with out an Ethernet connection from the main router, so that it picks up the wireless signals and extends it. However, if you have a switch/wall jack/Ethernet outlet where you have Ethernet cable with internet connectivity at your Almond's location, you can use Almond in Access Point mode. If the environment supports we personally suggest using the Almond in Access point mode, because there would be almost no speed drops because it is hardwired all the time and Access point mode is nothing but hard wired Range Extender.
Best Regards,
Ashok Kumar,
Securifi Technical Support.