Buy a Range Extender? --or-- Get a new Router?

I've got a Netgear RangeMax WPN824 router. It's kept upstairs with the modem.

It works fine upstairs on my wife's computer and my son's, too... but downstairs (where I work) it's only so-so. Outside on the patio, which is where I'd like to use my laptop, it's totally dead.

I'm torn... should I buy a range extender for my current router, or get a whole new router?

Here are the range extenders I'm looking at:

1. TRENDnet TEW-637AP

2. Belkin F5D7132 Wireless-G Universal Range Extender

And I'm open to suggestions on a new router.

So what do you guys think? Range Extender or New Router?

 

Do you have any wired connections in the house? I'd suggest an access point.

 

The whole house is wired with Cat5. All I have to do is take a phone line and "convert" it to a network line by plugging it into the router.

But I'm not familiar with access points. How would that work? What would I need? And is it better than a range extender or a new router?

EDIT: One more question about access points (I'm doing some research). Should it be the same brand as the router (Netgear in this case), or does it not really matter? Also, any Access Point recommendations? Thanks...

 

Okay, someone's gotta have another opinion on this... right?

 

I have used range extenders in the past on my farm and let me tell you my neighbors loved my signal from 4 blocks over. Yes they do work. Also, it might just be something in the house blocking the signal. Fridge, stove, microwave etc.. How about moving the router to a more centralized location? Saves you money and time in the process.

 

I think that is the range extender that I bought and then threw away. I could not get it to work with my westell router with security enabled. It may just have been me, but I think you should stay away from that particular range extender. I ended up adding another access point.

edit:
It did work OK without security. I'm wondering if the problem was that it generated a different key from the same password that I use with the westell.

 

Hey SoundsGood what is the painting in your avatar? Want it as a wallpaper.

 

No clue... sorry. That shot came from the Sony site.

 

Regardless of the range you're looking at, if you're looking at keeping things wireless (which is faster than a wired connection, which most people don't realize) it first comes down to how much can you afford, how many devices you need to network (including adapters and and everything else), and if you need to prioritize different data streams or not, e.g., separating media/gaming data from regular family download stuff so you don't wind up with a download speed approaching dial-up.

To answer your first question - an Access Point is the network device that your incoming signal is handled by - while it's normally a modem, Routers and combination Modem/Routers are also Access Points. It just depends on the Network setup and the devices being used.

Right now, the best range/signal/speed network devices are Dual-Band Wireless N (802.11N - yes, it's draft, but it'll be formally through the review process and released next year for those of you that don't understand how the IEEE review process and ROI on hardware development works). While more expensive, you can't beat DB-N technology for all around network speed, range and signal, not to mention the capability of using both frequency bands (2.4ghz and 5ghz) individually. You can literally setup one band to transmit priority data while using the other to pass everyday stuff. Put more simply, you could setup the 5ghz band to pass gaming or streaming media while the 2.4 is used for family downloads of mp3's or whatever - without any interference or loss of speed to the other band.

If you're having signal problems in an area with less than 30', I'd think about interference problems rather than any kind of signal loss due to range. While 802.11N has better signal at longer range due to MIMO frequency overlap (not to mention a huge speed increase over what you're using right now), Wireless Range Extenders or Routers with Range Boosting use the same technology, so if you're having a problem now you're still likely to have one even if you switch to N devices. Remember something as simple as the wrong Router setting can cause a low signal.

What kind of signal reception are you getting at your furthest device, how far away is it, and what types of interference do you have? Things like housing material, cordless phones, microwaves, other networks, etc. can cause interference.

 

This statement is NOT Correct. A AP is the wireless side of a router.

If you have a wired connection down stairs you can use a second routers setup as a AP. In most cases this is a cheap route and gives you the lan ports if needed. Plus you have a backup router if your main ones fails.

Repeaters (extenders) take the weak signal and re-broadcasts it. So you will loose 1/2 of your bandwidth and LAG will increase. I prefer high gain antennas.

I do not recommend Belkin on anything. They have a bad reputation as not being reliable. Even though they test real good, getting a good one may take over 5 units. Most just return them and get something else.

 

Why is there always some BDT that thinks they know everything?

Your statement to the effect that my Access Point definition isn't correct is BS - my definition/description is essentially correct since AP's aren't always just the wireless end. The only thing I screwed up was typing modem when I meant to put router. Sue me for thinking ahead faster than I type.

Definition: An Access Point in its simplest form is essentially a wireless hub. It serves to allow wireless clients to connect to a wired LAN as well as to each other. An AP in Access Point Mode cannot wirelessly negotiate its own connection to the LAN; it must be hardwired to a switch or other node. Many access points can be configured for use as an Access Point, Bridge, Multi-point Bridge, Repeater, or Wireless Client.

Look it up if you want so you'll know exactly what to write next time.

We do agree on one thing: Belkin network devices do suck - stay away from them. Even a 1 in 5 chance at getting a good one is better odds than most would admit to.

 

This is why I made the correction. All I did was correct you. So get over it. We all make mistakes from time to time. In his case it make a difference in what he was trying to figure out.

As for belkin the 1 in 5 odds is where we/I stopped at, so it could be a lot higher like you said.

 

Get a new router.

Clearly decided by votes.


@CyberVisions: Calm down, blue68f100 isnt trying to insult/diss you, just a correction- as you were wrong. Nobody knows everything, inc. you.

 

One dissenting opinion - go for the range extender. It will be much cheaper than a new router, and from your usage description, you won't notice any potential lag/bandwidth loss. If you do notice it, you're almost certainly doing something where you should be using one of your pre-existing cat-5 connections anyway.

Bottom line: if you get a new router not only are you not guaranteed better range, but could easily be spending 5x as much.

 

If your entire house is wired with cat 5 then get the same router, put it downstairs and connect the two with the cat5. That's your access point. Now the whole place is hot.