Best Router/Client for Indoor Use

I have a current setup using the MR814 Wireless Router, and connecting to it
with a laptop which has the MA401 installed. I read up about V1 vs V2, and
that the V1 has a 5dBi antenna and the V2 has a 2dBi antenna. Im not at the
location, and the MR814 is fairly new, so im assuming its the V2 version.
We are getting poor to no signal once outside of the office area.
Moved the MR814 a few rooms over, and the signal improved the closer we got
to the laptop.
The distance we are trying to achieve is about 100', going through 5 walls,
one of which is brick, and another with a brick fireplace. All the walls are
the old style plaster. Dont think there is any steel in any of the walls or
brick work.

Am i up against a brick wall (little joke there) trying to transmit that
distance and through the obstacles i described?

I tried using my Orinoco Gold card in the laptop, and almost no difference
in signal strength over the MA401.

Does anyone think that a change in hardware to a more powerful wireless
router and card will do the job?

Im leaning towards the Option Two, but even if we locate the WAP to a better
location, it may not handle the upstairs area of the house.


So that leaves me with a few options.
One: Relocate the MR814, and then run 2 lengths of CAT5 back to the rear
office.

Two: ditch the MR814, and get just a DSL router with a wireless access point
that would be located closer to the front office, and run one length of CAT5
back to the rear office.

Three: Get both a new more powerful Wireless Router, and one of the Seneo
cards (or something similar) shown
here: »www.seattlewireless.net/index.cgi/Sena..[?]
and hope that the additional range and power will work through all the walls
and brickwork.

Four: Try a homemade or retail reflector,repeater or amplifier. I have been
looking at these, but haven't seen any used in situations such as mine.
Anyone care to pick a choice or add another?

Another option is to connect the AP to a high gain antenna. I have a
Linksys AP connected to a 10 db flat panel antenna. It covers a 5500 sq.
ft., 3 level house, including the basement with the AP located on the top
floor. Antenna is somewhat directional, so it is located in a corner of the
house in order to give the best coverage. Made a significant improvement
over the little stub antennas that came with the AP.

Check out www.fab-corp.com . They sell all sorts of antennas and cables.
Not sure what sort of connector the 814 uses, but you will need to buy a
cable with the appropriate connectors installed as these connectors require
special tools and skill to install.

You get a lot more bang for the buck in terms of performance by putting
money into good antennas rather than simply increasing power.

No changes to the laptop cards. I've got a mix: Orinoco and Dell True
Mobile (re-branded Orinoco) in IBM and Dell laptops and a couple of Mac
iBooks, one with an Airport card and a new one with the built in Airport+.
Apple has a superior design to most Windows machines in that they build an
antenna into the laptop case and the internal Airport cards connect to it,
whereas the Orinoco cards are built onto the end of the PC card itself.