Extending range of current router

[orangeman]

I have a router which is currently used for my internet and TV service. I have it on the main floor of my house so that the basement and upstairs can receiver a decent signal however, I find that in on of the upstairs rooms, the signal can be sometimes weak. This considering I can receive wifi from several neighbours. I should be able to receive my own wifi in my own house. Moving the router is not an option. I do not see any place to hook up an external antenna on the router. Here is my question...

Can I use a second router to extend the range to upstairs? If so, how do I configure it. Would I use the same ssid, password etc and would I need some kind of cable connection (ethernet) between the two routers?

 

[Popeyedcookie]

I personally like using wireless repeaters. You won't have to worry about potential problems with a double NAT. You would put the repeater where the device itself gets decent signal (if it receives crap it's going to repeat crap). A repeater can either be set up with a different SSID or use the exact same on as your current router, as well as the password. Repeaters are just a bridged connection, you can think of it as a wireless switch. Or you can go cheap and try out a homemade wind surfer. You can Google how to make it.

 

[leakatstarr]

Yes, you can use another router, but you'd set it up to work as a repeater. So if you need to go out and buy something new, just buy the repeater. If you already have an extra wireless router, then you can set it up to extend the range of your network.

But more than likely, you're not getting it in certain parts of your house even though you can see your neighbor's wireless, is due to something within your home blocking the signal. There are a variety of things that can affect the signal:

Cordless telephones
Baby Monitors
Large audio equipment (esp speakers)
A microwave
Anything Metal

Many people don't realize it, but their house may have metal built inside the walls/floors. There is nothing you can do about that, unless it's only in one location. Wooden areas that are significantly dense or thick can limit the wifi signal, too. Take a look around your router and the areas between it and the area in your home you can't get the signal, and see if you can find something that could be restricting the signal.