Help with network please!!

[jeremy_qxida]

I'm staying with my parents for a little while until I can find a place of my own. They have a computer with DSL access in the basement. My room which is in the far up stairs corner isn't getting a strong enough signal from that computer. They don't have a normal router. It's just the modem that they got from the IP (qwest). It does say DSL modem with wireless gateway on it and there is an antenna on it. I've tried using a range extender with no luck. Any help is appreciated. I'd like to...

1. Connect to the internet upstairs obviously.

2. Be a least invasive as possible to my parents computer, they're paranoid.

3. Cost effective

Thanks again.

[hwm54112]

Hello and welcome to TSF,

There’s a few possibilities I can think of

1) Can you move the gateway up to the 1st floor and drop an Ethernet cable to the computer in the basement

2) Move the gateway to a more central location on the first floor and buy a pci wireless adapter for the basement computer. In all likelihood, you can hook up the gateway at any phone jack in the house

3) What is make and model of gateway – Does ISP have another model that has stronger transmitter? The pre-N’s are purported to have greater transmit range. I believe gateways with two antennae tend to have greater range as well

4) Since the ISP supplied a gateway rather than a modem, I would assume your parents are paying for networking. That being the case, the ISP would be responsible for adequate signal strength and might do whatever needs to be done at no cost – broadband seems to be rather competitive if there is a choice of providers in the area

Bill

[johnwill]

You can run a wire from the router, either to your location, or closer to put an access point.

You can connect a hi-gain antenna to the existing router to improve your signal.