the house is on 3 floors I only have one working socket in the whole house and it is located on top of a kitchen cupboard near the ceiling.

Just checking that the "one working socket" is the master NTE5A and that the kitchen is on the ground floor of the house? When you have the laptop down on the ground floor, is the wireless connection satisfactory?

I think John was suggesting you use "home plugs" to provide an Ethernet signal to the upper floors of the house. The tower computer can then use a wired connection and if you were to also obtain a wireless access point, that can also be fed via a "home plug", thus providing you with a satisfactory wireless signal on the upper floors of the house.

Quite honestly, I don't think any one modem/router/WAP will perform satisfactorily over three floors of a house. Depending upon the size and construction of the house, you probably would need a WAP on each floor. You already have one on the ground floor -- the DG834Gv4 -- and so it is a question of getting an Ethernet signal to the first and second floors, to feed another one or two more WAPs. Hence the "home plugs".

Perhaps buy a couple of these as well.

http://www.screwfix.com/p/clipsal-converta-skt-1g-to...

This newly promoted to Netgear expert by being adept at interpreting the Netgear site agrees that your latest firmware is the v1.6.01.34. The others mentioned are for outside UK.

Your existing one is indeed v6.00.25; you may see it by ticking Show All Versions.

Have you checked if any neighbours' routers are using the same channel as your DG834g? Running NetStumbler on your lappy will show you.

In reply to a post by XRaySpeX:

This newly promoted to Netgear expert by being adept at interpreting the Netgear site agrees that your latest firmware is the v1.6.01.34. The others mentioned are for outside UK.

Your existing one is indeed v6.00.25; you may see it by ticking Show All Versions.

Thank you, Mr SpeX. My v5 has now been updated.

And apologies to the OP of this thread for my hijacking of it.

but it was working,

I don't see how I can use the home plugs (which I have and have used in a previous house) without using extentions and then they don't work!

I am not expecting to reach the 3rd from the ground, but even standing in the kitchen with the laptop pointing at the router is not working now even plugged in with the front plate removed.

I need a new router can anybody tell me which one to buy PLEASE?

I am paying for BB via landline and again via dongle.

sorry link doesn't load,

I am not sharing a channel with my neighbour though their home hub constantly beacons.

I have tried every channel available.

have you tried manoeuvring the antenna on your current router?
over 3 floors it should be laying flat, away from walls, fish tanks, fridges and the like.

bit difficult to be away from walls etc when it is up by the ceiling.

I have a thomson router which was supplied by Talk Talk a couple of addresses ago. can anybody tell me how to confgure it?

it says you need to phone talk talk for id password etc.

if I could set it up I could see if it was the router

I need a new router can anybody tell me which one to buy PLEASE?

If there was any way I could remotely examine and test your current set-up, I then might be able to make a suggestion. However that is an impossibility, so I am unable to advise you which modem/router/WAP to purchase.

I own a total of four devices. (Was given two and purchased two). The two I was given do not provide a WAP. For the record, they are a BT Voyager 210 and a Huawei MT882. The two I purchased, which do provide a WAP, are a Netgear DG834Gv5 and a 2Wire 2700HGV (a.k.a. a BT Business Hub). The Netgear is easier than the 2Wire to configure but both work well for me. Currently I am using the Netgear and am typing this from my laptop via a wireless connection.

Ultimately it is your decision and I appreciate that you do not wish to make use home plugs. However there are may types, even Netgear supply them. I understand what you are saying about not using a mains extension lead. John has made a suggestion to circumvent that -- replace the single mains socket up on the top floor, by the computer tower, with a single to double conversion kit. The four way extension can then be plugged into one of the pair and a Netgear home plug (for example) plugged directly into the second of the pair.

Your other solution, may be, is to hire the services of a local "wire man", to provide you with adequate telephone extension wiring and sockets in the house. There are numerous ex-GPO, ex-BT and ex-OR engineers (either retired or otherwise employed) around the country who will provide such a service. Look in the "small ads" in your local newspaper. If you are really lucky there may be somebody competent, close to your location, who is reading this forum thread . . .