Questions hooking up wireless laptop

[Eternally]

I haven't done a lot with wireless.

have a friend that wants me to fix her laptop issue.

She has a netgear wireless router upstairs hooked to Road Runner cable modem hooked into a desktop.

She is trying to use the wireless on her laptop downstairs in her living room and dining room.

SOmetimes she can't get a signal. Sometimes it is real slow.

I have looked at the properties on her laptop and it looks OK.

She sd at the beach someone hooked the netgear router straight into the cable wall outlet?

What can we do? They do NOT need the computers linked like workstations. She just needs to be able to use the laptop wireless in her living room and dining room.

[ghetto guy]

You might need to get a range extender (http://computers.pricegrabber.com/wireless-networking/m/4215781/search=WGXB102/st=product/sv=title/) or a high-gain (http://computers.pricegrabber.com/wireless-networking/m/787932/search=NETGEAR%20-%20ANT24O5/st=query/) antena for the router.
The problem is most likely low signal strength. It's common in multi-level homes.

The place at the beach had a different type of internet connection that doesn't require a modem. It was probably running through their systems as well. This allows guest wireless devices to be plugged directly into the wall. I have fiber optic at my house and our router plugs directly into the wall.

[Eternally]

That is very helpful. I will let her know.

I wonder if Time Warner Cable would give her a 2nd cable modem tht she could put in the living room and hook the router to it?

I will check.

[ghetto guy]

If you do that then you won't have internet upstairs.
The best bet is just improving the network she already has. Those range extenders I found ar pretty cheap and should do the job nicely.

[Eternally]

If you do that then you won't have internet upstairs.
The best bet is just improving the network she already has. Those range extenders I found ar pretty cheap and should do the job nicely.

The same house can't have 2 cable modems? :heythere

[ghetto guy]

You'd have to ask the company. I really don't know

[Pacman]

The same house can't have 2 cable modems? :heythere

If it's a modem router then you don't want two of them on one network (which is what we all have in our homes these days).

You can have multiple wireless access points though, or boost the strength of the existing one. The easiest thing to do might just be to put the current wifi modem router you've got to somewhere that's optimal for the wifi, then run some ethernet cable back to the desktop.

[Eternally]

If it's a modem router then you don't want two of them on one network (which is what we all have in our homes these days).

You can have multiple wireless access points though, or boost the strength of the existing one. The easiest thing to do might just be to put the current wifi modem router you've got to somewhere that's optimal for the wifi, then run some ethernet cable back to the desktop.

That's an idea.

Time Warner can giver her a 2nd modem for downstairs for the same monthly rate, around $45 mo.

But they can also hook up a wireless network for her and guarantee it to work, installing whatever is needed for the same price. There is an install trip charge around $50.

I think she should do that and take the netgear router back. Let them run an ethernet cable to the upstairs desktop if needed.

[ghetto guy]

You don't even need to do that.
You can mount the netgear router to the ceiling on the first floor and run a hard line to the desk top then the laptop should have decent coverage.