A little dilemma,
Currently my network setup is a Netgear WNDR3700v3 that feeds my hard wired 3 desktops, 2 network printers and a PS3 (yes I have a Cisco 10/100/1000 switch) I wireless feed 2 laptops, 2 blu-ray players 3 IPODS, Kindle and an IPAD. My media center is a network receiver another blu-ray player and a WD Live Hub. These get feed through a wireless adapter Trendnet TEW-647GA. This hook into the switch on the back of my receiver and then goes to my other two devices. Everything is not on at the same time!
The Problem:
The media center is down stairs and the router is up stairs. The wireless reception downstairs is good, even a good two bars at my neighbors house further away and more walls to go through. When I transfer files downstairs I only get 2 - 4 MBs when I should be getting at least 10 MBs if not more. When I stream Netflix it’s I get HD sometimes and others times I am buffering while the adapter is saying the reception is good ( all blue lights ).
Options:
Hard wire the downstairs. This would be best but the wife factor comes into play hard ( I might make the news, “man dies for networking home” ) This would also be most cost effective, I can do it for under $50usd. I have to drill through the floor into the garage through the water heater closet into the storage closet and into the family room. A day job I would need the wife away for the day.
Power line, I don’t know about this too much but the wife acceptance is high
Add an antenna. How the “F” do I put an antenna on a router that has all internal antenna??
Get a different adapter for downstairs. I tried a Netgear adapter Best Buy pushed on me and that was a POS. The Trendnet is a lot better.
A new router, That would suck I kind of like this router, first one I have owned that I don’t have to reboot every week to month. I have had the same transfer speeds with Netgear WNDR4000 ( daily reboots returned to Fry’s ) D-Link 655 ( fried after 5 months ) Linksys E2500 ( good and stable but slooooooow ) Now I have the WNDR 3700v3 ( nice but the same transfer speed .
So I would like to transfer my 4gb movies and watch my Netflix in HD with some stable speed. Streaming my Pandora without hick-up would be a joy. I was thinking about trying DD-WRT firmware to crank the signal to max.
What would you do?
Thanks,