weak WiFi
 

my cheapo old NetGear router & Wifi hub (I guess it's a wifi hub? it puts out a wifi signal anyway) does not do a good job of reaching into the living room

it'll be worse this summer, when I want to sit on the deck with a beer and do some (connected) work

I'm pretty sure the reason is the massive 2 chimney brick structure in the center of the house which is in between the deck, living room, etc. and the room I have fixed up as an office

what is the cheapest, easiest "best" way to solve this issue?

BTW - I already ran some CAT-6 cable from the office into the living room (right next to the stereo and TV) when I installed a hdro under floor heating system last summer -- It is not yet terminated, but I can take care of that.

Can I just buy another cheap router and hook it up using the CAT-6??

Probably just updating your drivers for the router if you have never done it may do the trick. Give that a try first, you may end up saving money.

Yes, adding a second AP is trivial, as you said just plug it in, configure it, and off you go.

I'd also look around for things causing RF interference - portable phones, neighbors wireless, etc.

seems like all the neighbors have wireless -- how do I find out what channel they use and then switch mine?

or is that even the best thing to do about it?

Randy,

The thing to note in id10t's post is that you have to configure it as an access point. You have to disable the DHCP server and plug the wire into one of the regular ports, not the "internet" connection.

In the Wifi setup area, you can setup the wireless SSID and password to be exactly the same as your existing router. Either set the channels to auto or make sure they are different on the 2 routers.

If your laptop is "n", you might want to buy a couple of cheap "n" routers. The Linksys E2000 is pretty good and you can get refurbished ones off Amazon for about $59.