How do I "properly" extend/amplify wireless range?

[ibex333]

I have an issue with a wireless streamer box I have hooked up in a living room to the TV. It constantly lags and freezes, yet when I connect it to the TV that is much closer to the router, the lag and freezes go away. This is peculiar, because I assumed any wireless router should have the range to easily cover a two bedroom city apartment, but clearly I was wrong. (I am using the wireless router provided to me by Verizon FiOS)

Anyway, should I just place a wireless extender in the living room? But if I do that, how can the extender work well when the signal from the originating router in the other room is weak?

What extender would be good? I looked at some cheaper ones - around $50 on newegg but there are a lot of very negative reviews. I want to get something that will work, but I cant justify spending anything near $100 for something like this.

Can someone please help? Thanks very much.

 

[Fardringle]

Add an access point or repeater closer to the remote device. Repeater will cut the bandwidth in half, but an access point requires access to a wired connection at the location of the access point.

 

[alkemyst]

Rare, but if it has removable antennas you can upgrade them usually.

 

[JackMDS]

Plug a Wire into the FIOS Router get it as close as you can to the TV room and plug there an Inexpensive Wireless Router configured as an Access Point.

Like this - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16833320168

Configured like this - Using Access Points or Wireless Cable/DSL Routers as a Switch with an Access Point - http://www.ezlan.net/router_AP.html

 

[ibex333]

That is not an option. I would either have to drill through several walls or use an extremely long cable.

Would 9 dbi antennae help?

 

[JackMDS]

In most cases while used indoor High Gain Antennae do nothing useful.

 

[Mushkins]

It might not be a range issue, but an interference issue. 2.4Ghz is totally saturated these days and i'm assuming that's all your network streamer supports. If you have a wireless laptop, use something like Netstumber or inSSIDer to view whats going on in the wireless spectrum by your tv. Simply changing the wireless channel on the router might be enough to avoid a saturated band, or might show you some guy pumping 40Mhz garbage through the air strong enough that no repeater or closer AP is going to help you by that TV.

I'd get the full story of whats going on in the air before dropping any money on a best guess solution.