I have recently added an extension to my house and moved my office into that extension. My main PC operates through a wired connection to a Netgear router - DG834GT, but I cannot access my wireless network/internet using that router in other areas of the house. The router does not support WDS so I need to think from new, unless I go down the wall plugged wireless range extender kits. Netgear no longer supply one of these kits and I am led to believe they are very dependent on the quality of the wiring in the house. I have looked at the other option of buying a new router and adding a wireless access point, should the new router fail to cover the whole house. This is where I get a bit stuck. My own researches seem to indicate I should make sure it is WDS compliant, provide Wireless-N and be ADSL2.

What I would like to do is buy the a router first and see if the Wireless-N system is strong enough for the house and, if not, buy an access point which is compatible with that new router. There is a massive choice out there with prices varying from £40 to £120. Although I have an office I do not run a business. I need to access the internet from anywhere in the house as well as file and printer sharing. I already have a homegroup using Windows 7.

I am not sure if your rules inhibit recommending specific models, but I would be grateful if you could at least give me some indication of the level of router I might need i.e. do I really need the costly high spec models.

Many thanks

This is a tough one because there are so many factors that affect wireless connection quality that it really is impossible to determine if something will work, without trying it first. No doubt a typical 11n network has greater range and performance than your current 11g - but will it be enough? I don't know. It depends on antenna heights and orientations (on both ends); number of walls/floors/ceilings in between; construction of the those walls/floors/ceilings; wires and pipes inside those walls/floors/ceiling; nearby wireless networks and devices; and of course, distance.

Do you have full house coverage now? If you do, and the computers in this new extension are just one wall, and a few more yards away, my "guess" would be a new 11n router to replace your existing router would work fine as long as you replace your current computer adapters to 11n as well.

It is important to note that most 11n routers do support 11g devices - however, when doing so simultaneously, 11n performance is compromised unless you purchase a "Dual Band Simultaneous Router". There are many dual-bands, but not all are simultaneous.

Many thanks for your advice on this - it is a bit of a minefield. I think a "stronger" router would do the trick, as I can get some sort of signal in other parts of the house, albeit weak ones. The Dual Band Simultaneous Router is certainly an option, but rather expensive. I will think on this option. One query - not sure what you mean by "as long as you replace your current computer adapters to 11n as well". Are you referring to USB type adapters? If you are my laptop and netbook have built-in wireless cards - should I be checking these for 11n compatibility as well?

Thanks again - help much appreciated.