FIOS put the router for my internet service in my basement.

Now my wireless laptop gets a weak signal in other distant parts of the house.

LINKSYS has what they call repeaters that you plug in upstairs and supposedly amplify and bounce the signal.

Anybody have any experience with these. They're cheap enough(about 25 bucks on EBAY), but I'd like to know if they're any good or if I'd be wasting my money.

move the router...

Then that area will have poor signal

I don't know how well the amps will work but I would think the router needs to be in a central location..

^

I agree, and I thought of that, but I don't want the router sitting on my dining room table, either.

they don't look that bad... mine has pretty blue lights and stuff...

Seriously, though, do these repeaters work?

They're made by the same company that makes the routers.

Yes, most of the repeaters do work. Linksys products are usually pretty good.

If your router has a removable antenna, you can also replace the stock antenna with a high-gain antenna.

I really don't know.. I'd be hesitant to blow 25 bucks to... I'd grab some coax and move th router and see how it works.. you can hide the wire easy enough if it does..

Keep in mind though that the repeater has to recieve a good signal for it to amplify and re-transmit it though. So if it's recieving an intermitant signal, your end result is going to be a high-power intermitant signal.

Either what my cuz said in #8 or move to your neighbor's house. He's probably getting fantastic reception from your basement now.

Pac

in some rooms in my house, it's easier to bootleg off my next door neighbors house to get a signal!

#12 I don't doubt that. Despite what a couple people have suggested, I live in a fairly modest home. 2 stories, about 1850 sq. ft. It is, however, on a golf course out in a rural area. At one point, I could sit with a laptop out on the teebox on the 6th hole and get reception on my laptop and still not connect from the router in my home office upstairs to my wife's computer downstairs.

I have acres of equipment I gave up on.

What kind of router? N? G? Something else?

Last one I worked with was "pre-n". Supposedly basically "n" without the almighty official blessing (which process apparently takes about 12 years, IIRC).

I finally gave up, called our local provider (also local phone co. here, so we get additional units for free) and had them hardwire a line for Mrs. Pacman's computer.

Of course, she used it like crazy...for about a week. I don't think she has touched that computer in about a year since.

Add a BDA.