Wireless And Ethernet Connections

[MichaelZZ]

My present computer set up consists of a desktop PC in my upstairs study. My router is adjacent to the PC and is connected by a short ethernet cable. The router is connected to a phone line extension socket in the study as the BT master socket is downstairs. (This also means that Mrs ZZ doesn't have a wireless router "cluttering up" the hall!)
So far all well and good. I get good download speed and no dropouts and I am quite happy with the set up.
However, Mrs ZZ has recently acquired an iPad which she wants to be able to use downstairs (i.e. wirelessly). It appears that as the wireless signal from the router (supplied by O2) is not very good at travelling through the internal walls of the house and I am therefore considering the options of:-
a) getting a more powerful wireless router to install in the study, or
b) resiting the router in the hall near to the BT master socket so that there will be an adequate wireless signal in the downstairs rooms where my wife wants it. This will then involve installing approx 12 metres of ethernet cable from the router to the desktop PC. (I have a USB wireless adapter for my PC but obviously would still have the problems of "wireless signal through walls".)
Questions:
Can anyone recommend a more powerful wireless router that will do what I want it to do when sited in the study?
If I go the long ethernet cable route, is there anything to choose between Cat5 and Cat 6?
Any comments would be gratefully appreciated.

[rojash]

A third option which I think is much simpler is to plug an Ethernet over mains adaptor into the router upstairs and an Ethernet over mains wireless repeater in downstairs. This won't involve any additional wiring, is pretty cheap, and very simple.

Something like this:
Amazon.co.uk User Recommendation

[MichaelZZ]

Thanks for your quick reply Rojash.
I think I need to clue myself up on the Powerline adapter set up. Seems like it's probably the answer though.
Thanks again.

[mikey4444]

Why not use a Wifi signal booster ? Unless your walls are made of kryptonite, they should help !

[rojash]

"Why not use a Wifi signal booster ? Unless your walls are made of kryptonite, they should help !"

Maybe, but I always think that just increasing the signal is (a) Not necessarily going to help (you don't know, until you've forked out the money), and (b) a bit like putting the Hi-Fi on full volume so that you can hear it all round the house, when extension speakers would be more discreet. :-)

[heathfield]

My house is built of red sandstone which is a killer for wifi (and cordless phones!). I went the Powerline route and that solved everything.