My Internet Connection Upstairs in my room is not the best. Router/modem in basement... How do I up the speed?

Question

Is there a device I can purchase that will amplify my signal strength tremendously for under a hundred dollars? My internet is relatively good up here in my room, but sometimes I lose connection or have no connection at all. What can be done to fix this problem?

Answer 1

Double check that there isn';t anything messing with the signal, anything that it magnetic can interfear.

Another thing that can help is uf you get a wireless card that you put in a slot in your computer, sometimes that can give you a longer range. Both my parents use that, instead of the built in wifi in their computer.

Answer 2

First, make sure that the antenna (or at least one of the antennas, if there's more than 1) on the router id horizontal.  If you're directly above a vertical antenna you're losing about 90% of the signal.  (and if your adapter has an antenna, make sure it's also horizontal and parallel to the router's antenna.  (Another 90% loss if its end is pointed to the router, or if it's horizontal, but at right angles to the router antenna.)

Also make sure that you're not trying to fire the signal through a refrigerator, oven or other large piece of metal.  Move the router or computer if you are.

You can put a Linksys WRT54G or GS on the first floor, and put DD-WRT firmware into it.  Then run it as a repeater.  The whole story is at http://www.dd-wrt.com/dd-wrtv3/index.php

No idea what the Cisco device is - switch, router, antenna, something else?