Suggest a better router or solution for me

[kaytoos2k]

Hello,

I can't get a good connection from my wireless router from my basement to my living room. I'm pretty sure it's just how my house is setup. From my basement to my living room is only about 50-60ft.

I had dsl with an Actiontech router. I could get 1 bar but it was VERY unstable and slow. I recently just upgraded to 7meg cable and get a D-link DI-524 wireless router. With this router I can't pick up any connection at all.

Would buying a Netgear or Linksys top of the line router be any better? or is there any other solution.
Thanks.

[kaytoos2k]

btw. It's just hard getting connection through my basement walls.

If the router is in my living room, I can get great connection upstairs, in my bed room. (pretty much the same distance as it is from my living room to basement.

[benevolent001]

Its difficult to use wireless routers if you try to get connections on the top of roof which is made up of concrete.

May be that is the reason.

[kaytoos2k]

Yeah.. I'm pretty sure the basement is the problem.

I'm asking if theres a router better than my old d-link that can get me a better connection.

Or if there are any suggestions like getting a wireless extender. (I'm looking for answers for which kind/brand/method is better and why... etc.)

thanks again.

[maximillianos]

You could also pick up a used wireless adaptor for your computer in the living room. I had an old xBox wireless adaptor lying around that I use for my wife's computer in the far room of our home. You can pick one up for like $30 bucks.

Otherwise, buy some ethernet cable and run a wire to that room... =)

[steve]

If your router has a screw in antenna, you could try a high gain type.

I wanted to use my laptop in the garden. With a standard antenna the signal would drop out intermittently. Replacing it with a high gain, stopped the drop outs, but the speed didn't increase by very much.

If your laptop antenna is built in, you might get a further improvement using a pcmcia card with an external antenna.

[BillyS]

You might want to look at a powerline solution. This isn't supposed to work well with old wiring, but even in my 1929 home with wiring from the 1950s this worked fine for me (7 mbps with 5 year old technology). You might also look into a wireless repeater of sorts - sometimes referred to as a range extender.

[edited by: BillyS at 2:17 pm (utc) on Jan. 3, 2009]

[mayest]

I agree with BillyS. I've been using a Netgear powerline adapter for more than a year and I love it. It isn't as fast as a direct connection to the router, but is several times faster than wireless.

[kaytoos2k]

thanks for all the suggestions, guys.

Is this whta you guys are talking about concerning th powerline adapter?
[snip]

I'm actually just trying to get connection through with two DESKTOPS so this might be the perfect resolution for my problem.

So to my understanding... this is how i use it?
-connect it from my router to one outlet plug
-connect it from another outlet plug to my 2nd computer?

Also do I need a netgear router or can I still use my crappy d-link 524?

[edited by: phranque at 1:14 am (utc) on Jan. 4, 2009]
[edit reason] No urls, please. See TOS [webmasterworld.com] [/edit]

[BillyS]

Without seeing your set up, this how you'd set up the powerline adapters...

The D Link 524 can act as a router. If that's near one PC, then you're going to connect that one directly. (Makes sense...). From the second port on the router, you're going to run Ethernet cable to the first powerline converter. The second powerline converter goes in by your PC upstairs (ethernet to the pc from the powerline converter).

Like I said, you need to make sure you read up on the technology. For example, you're going to need an extra outlet just for the powerline. It also may not pass througha surge protector....

[kaytoos2k]

Great. I'm going to first try a new router to see if that changes anything. If not i'll return it and pick up the powerlin adapters.

Thanks so much for your help.