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The wireless home network that freed you from sitting in a single location to browse Web sites, download videos and make free phone calls may be getting balky. The videos pause, instant messaging apps mysteriously disconnect in midchat, and you can’t get a connection in the far corner bedroom any more.



Part of the problem is undoubtedly the popularity of the Wi-Fi network. More devices are on the home network trying to use the same bandwidth to do more things. Fortunately, fixes for dead zones and dropped connections are readily available, though all involve spending $100 or so for new equipment.
Let’s start with the issue of a weak signal that never quite covers your entire home. If you’re still relying on an old wireless router that uses what is called the 802.11b or 802.11g standard, you may want to buy new equipment using the latest Wi-Fi standard, 802.11n. The equipment with the “n” designation can transmit data at twice the speed of “g” routers and is more than five times as fast as “b” wireless routers.
The router makers seem intent on making the buying process confusing. You’ll need to check what frequency the router transmits on. The 802.11n gear can use either the 2.4GHz or the 5GHz band or both. Equipment that uses only the 2.4GHz frequency is the least expensive, $75 to $125, and it will be compatible with most older Wi-Fi equipment.
If extending the range of your signal is your sole concern — that is, you don’t stream movies and you’re not having a problem with dropped connections —a 2.4GHz upgrade is the most cost-effective option.
Even if you are trying to keep costs down, avoid the inexpensive so-called N150 2.4GHz products that several vendors are offering, like Belkin’s $50 N150 Enhanced Wireless Router or the $65 Linksys by Cisco WRT110 Range Plus-N Wireless Router. These products don’t use the multiple antennas that make 802.11n so fast and far-reaching.
To see significant improvement in range and speed, you will have to upgrade everything on your network to 802.11n — not just the router. That could mean a new PC (or at least a new Wi-Fi adapter for it). The good news is that most notebooks sold in the last two years come with 802.11n Wi-Fi support built in, though you might have to download a software update.
If a complete network upgrade is unappealing, you might want to buy repeaters that extend the signal of a router. Hawking Technologies’ Wireless-G Range Extender for b and g networks costs less than $60. Hawking’s Hi-Gain Wireless-300N Range Extender for n networks is $100 or less.
A more radical solution to reach those dead spots in your home enlists the electrical wires in your walls to move data from the router to a device called a Wi-Fi access point. This so-called hybrid Wi-Fi powerline approach also handles multimedia streaming much better than wireless alone.
Creating a powerline network is easy: simply plug the Ethernet cable of a powerline adapter into a free port, labeled LAN, on your router. The adapter plugs into a wall outlet. (Don’t plug it into a surge protector or a power strip.) You can then use additional adapters plugged into outlets anywhere in your home to network any PC, game machine, TV, set-top box or any other device with an Ethernet port.
But you may not want to be tethered to the wall. So to create wireless access, you can connect a Wi-Fi access point, which costs about $100, to a powerline adapter plugged into a wall outlet. (Or you could instead buy a single device that combines the powerline adapter and Wi-Fi access point, like Zyxel’s PLA-450, which costs about $100).
A few caveats about powerline networks: Sometimes they don’t work well on older wiring, though some people use them with 100-year-old knob-and-tube wiring. Unfortunately, this is something you can determine only by trying out the equipment, so make sure your retailer has a good return policy.
Shopping for the devices can also be tricky, because there are several competing powerline technologies. HomePlug AV is as fast as 802.11n wireless networks and resists interference from other electrical devices. Make sure it says HomePlug AV. Older HomePlug products are still in stores.
Several vendors sell HomePlug AV starter kits with two adapters, like Netgear’s XABV101 Powerline AV Ethernet adapter kit, which costs about $115. Belkin’s Powerline AV+ Starter Kit F5D4075, for around $150, lets you network several products, like a TiVo and a game console, through a single outlet.