Networking 4 lowrance units

Anyway to network 4 units other than with a
Navico NEP 2 device? I have a HDS 5 and 8 with structure scan now. I am adding two HDS 9's gen 2 one on the bow one at the console. I'd like to keep the 5 for sonar up front so I can split the nine with Nav and down scan.

The 9's have 2 enet ports, that should let you tie all 4 together in a daisy chain formation.

I have seen a couple of the guides at Lake Fork with 4 HDS units on their boat and they seem to work fine.

I understand you are adding one HDS 9 at the bow and one at the console. Get two 6 foot Lowrance Ethernet cables. (It's the shortest they make.) Install the two HDS 9 units, moving the existing Ethernet connection from the old unit to the HDS 9 at each location. Then, use the 6' Ethernet cables to connect from each HDS 9 to the old unit where the Ethernet cable had been removed - you're done.

What I described saves $ on buying cables and puts the StructureScan box in the middle of the network, which is desirable.