Upgrading my home wifi

Hi all, a few questions here.

I'm using a Linksys WRT54G v2.2 router flashed with DD-WRT. My notebook has a 4965AGN, and signal is pretty bad, probably due to a couple of walls in the way. It's around 14% signal when I check it at the router status page. Router relocation isn't an option though, I've got 2 notebooks on the 3rd floor and 2 on the ground floor(router on 2nd floor).

Will I benefit from upgrading to a draft-N router? My card supports it. However, my mom's wireless card isn't draft-N compliant. Will I still be able to run both notebooks at draft-N speed? Or will I not see any improvements?

Is it even advisable to upgrade to draft-N now, especially since the standard is gonna be finalized soon?

 

Concerning the Signal issue.

What you need is a Wireless Access Point/Repeater to add to the network.

Since you've already got DD-WRT on the current Router...you would just need another (same brand preferred) Router; update it to DD-WRT firmware as well and configure it as a Repeater. Click!

OR just get a Wireless Access Point.

 

Thanks for your help makaveli72!

Suppose I get another of the same router to use as a repeater, what's the optimum placement of the routers? One on 3rd floor, another on the first?

Also, do you have any idea on the N question? Will the network slow down if both N and G cards are on an N network?

 

From my experience you may want to put the Repeater on the 3rd floor. For some reason network devices below the Wireless signal seems to get very good signal....that's been my experience.

About the Wireless N thing AFAIK the G devices would still connect at G speeds. The Router AFAIK should be set up in Mixed Mode; the computer with N should be manually set if not set already in the Wireless Adapter's settings in Device Manager to use N solely as the only network mode.

Keep in mind though, Wireless N isn't for Internet Speed but for the Local Network Speed instead. So it's primarily just good for fast network speeds in copying/sharing/transferring files/folders etc. between devices on the Local Network. Again, not neccessarily Internet speed. Just an FYI!

 

Alright thanks, look like I'll be getting another router for a repeater.

Is it better to put the host router on the 3rd floor and the client router on the 1st? Or vice versa? Or will it make no difference at all?

 

I would say the Main Host Router should go on the 3rd and the Client Repeater on the 2nd. But you should give it a try and see for yourself which setup gives you the best performance. But that's what I would do from the start.