Powerline wi-fi adapters

I've been asked by a family friend to look into improving the wi-fi signal in their house.

The house is, mostly, an older building ( it was infamously used by Burke and Hare, so we're talking a couple of centuries at least) with extremely thick walls but there's also a conservatory has been added onto the side of the original building as well as a large garage/workshop nearby.
It's the conservatory and garage that the signal currently is very poor in/doesn't reach. Basically, the signal from the router just doesn't make it through the original outer walls.



So as far as I can tell, my options are:

• Some sort of wi-fi repeater that picks up on the existing wi-fi signal and boosts/re-transmits it.
  Pro: no running of wires required
  Con: could still have issues with the signal ( either the repeater would be positioned inside the original walls and risk not making it through them or it would be positioned outside the original walls and risk not having a decent enough connection to the router)​
• Running a network cable out to the conservatory and connecting up a wi-fi access point.
  Pro: doesn't rely on a wi-fi signal to connect to the router
  Con: the hassle and/or cost of running a network cable​
• Some sort of powerline solution - initially I though it would be a powerline adapter and a separate wi-fi access point but it seems that you can now get combined units.
  Pro: doesn't rely on wi-fi to connect to the router, doesn't need new cabling laid
  Con: none?​

So I've basically settled on the third option but as this is something I've never had to set up before, I feel I should seek further information before proceeding.
To that end, I have a few questions:

1. Most importantly - is there any other solution I've overlooked?
   
   
2. Is it possible when setting up a wi-fi access point to have it work seamlessly with the router/main wi-fi network?
   If I set the access point to use the same SSID and password etc, will devices basically just be able to jump from one to the other with a minimum of fuss?
   
   
3. Does anyone know if it's possible to have two of the powerline wi-fi access points running from a single unit at the other end connected to the router?
   I know this is liable to be model-dependant and I will ask the manufacturer once I've decided upon a model to purchase but in general is it possible?
   
   
4. Are there any brands in particular I should avoid or try to focus on?

Thanks.

 

1 You have already considered the most reasonable options

2 As far as connection, your Wi-Fi will then have 2 different SSIDs to choose from unless you’re setting it up as a repeater station. The AP's that work best as a repeater are the ones designed to work with the router you have. So if it’s a netgear router get a netgear AP. Some routers don’t have the option of setting up a repeater station so you would be back to choosing the stronger of the two SSIDs, let’s call this zone A & zone B. In that case for example if you move you laptop from zone A to B there will be some downtime as it’s reconnecting. Your router will be dishing out the IP addresses so a computer at zone A would be able to share files with a computer at zone B.

3 It is possible to have multiples with the netgear 500mbps plugs I know for sure as I've seen talks on other forums recently. As for other brands and models it might be worth checking first.

4 Don’t go for the cheap unheard of brands you find on eBay. Stick with the more prolific brands like netgear linksys and so on.

I'm personally more a fan of running network cables as I have the crimping tools to make up my own lengths and not DIY shy. It’s usually the cheapest way providing you already have the tools. Yes it’s more physical work but the end result is faster and more reliable.

 

I am very curious to hear more about people's experiences with the powerline adapters. My router's upstairs and I have a comp that is on the floor below it with no way to get wires to it, and the router would have to travel through a floor to another router/repeater, and I imagine that would tag on a good 10-25 ms to the gaming ping.

 

I am using a Netgear Powerline adapter. It is hardwired, plugged into one of the 4 ports on my router and then plugged into a standard power outlet on the third floor of my home. On the first floor I have a home entertainment system with TV, Receiver and BlueRay Player all needing internet access. I have the other module plugged into an outlet near the equipment and all three devices Cat6 cable plugged in. Works great. I plugged in my laptop and was getting speed rates almost as fast as the router upstairs.

I have a home built in 1984 with modern wiring and a dedicated ground. A home built much before the 60's frequently lacks the ground. If your outlets only have the two prong and no third hole for ground that is a clue. I wonder if this has an effect on the Netgear Powerline system. I would check before starting down that road. Or order it from Amazon and ship it back if it dosen't work.

 

Powerline is great as long as you don't have a huge house with really old wiring.

These are great, and I've never had a problem with them, ever: http://forum.notebookreview.com/net...rline-xav5001-xavb5001-very-short-review.html

Unless you are serving a small area, the combo powerline/wifi units are probably not going to have strong enough radios/antennas. Also you probably won't find one that has firmware you can hack around with. I use an older 802.11g AP with high-gain antennas for my long-range network off of the powerline ethernet.