WAP the hell?

[ffutures]

I'm finding the WiFi signal in my flat gets a bit poor by the time I'm out on the back roof, and looking at three main answers:

1. Move the router / transmitter and see if I get a better signal (needs several longer network cables, an extension cable for the router's power supply, say £10-15 all in)
2. Put another wireless access point in the back room near the window, to extend coverage to the roof and the garden below. Preferred solution, but probably the most costly since I can't find a WAP under 45 quid.
3. Run a length of CAT cable out to the back window so that I can plug the laptop in directly, thus avoiding the problem completely. Probably eight or nine quid for cable. Undoubtedly the best option in terms of speed, but it feels a little inelegant. However, I may want a network point there eventually if I ever set up a dedicated computer for TV recording etc.

Can anyone tell me why a WAP costs considerably more than a router with WAP built in (Linksys currently £36 from Amazon)? Also, is it possible to daisy-chain two routers, thus adding four more network sockets as well as the WAP, or would the second router's firewall get in the way? No urgency about this, but opinions would be appreciated.

Comments

[ffutures.livejournal.com]

And the answer appears to be that just moving the router a couple of feet has speeded things considerably - currently it's perched a little precariously on top of my main PC, if I sort out some longer cables and move it to on top of the bookshelf behind my desk it ought to be ok. Which lets me put off doing anything about putting a network socket in the back room until I'm sure I want a PC in there permanenrly.

Apologies for wasting your time on this - look like I just needed to clarify my thoughts on this and think about the alternatives.

[ci5rod.livejournal.com]

It's amazing what a difference of a few feet can make to reception -- unless you are deliberately trying to set up a bad environment for test purposes, in which case everywhere you try is perfect :-/ If you ever do buy a second AP, make sure it's the same make as your first otherwise roaming will not be as transparent as you might have hoped.