Network setup assistance needed

[cbrookhart]

I ended up purchasing a Netgear Range Extender, and brought it home and set it up on the network. For a few days, the range extender was working perfectly. One day, the range extender was showing a poor signal after showing an excellent signal for the past few days. The poor signal seemed to only be temporary and the range extender resumed showing an excellent signal.

 

Since the range extender had temporarily gone to a poor signal, I had someone come out and take a look at the setup. The network setup itself was fine, but through the use of a network signal analyzer application, it was determined that there was a dead spot in the area where I am using the Roku and my wireless laptop. There is some signal getting to the area, but nowhere near the max speed I have from my ISP (20Mbps).

 

Based on the dead spot, it was recommended that I take out the range extender and replace it with a powerline adapter. I've got one powerline adapter in the room where the cable modem and router are located and the other adapter is in the front of my home (where the dead spot is). This setup worked, but as was the case with the range extender, the Internet became slow again and I wasn't getting good speed). I disconnected from my network and connected to my ISP's cable WiFim, but that proved to be even slower. I disconnected from that network but couldn't get connected back to my own network.

 

I've been in contact with the person I had come out the first time, and now they are recommending that I get a Netgear N300 router and connect that into the powerline adapter to essentially create another network. I've also since gone back to Best Buy and asked about what I can get in order to have faster web browsing and get closer to the max speed. They suggested I could get an AC router. The first time I asked Best Buy about my network situation, they said either upgrade the Internet speed or get a Netgear N600. I got the router since the one I previously had was at least 7 years old. When the Roku still wasn't working well, I went back and asked what I can get. They then recommended the range extender. Best Buy has since now recommended getting an AC router since the range extender was removed and Internet speed has suffered as a result.

 

I understand that Best Buy is in the business to make money, so they can just recommend products to purchase all day long. I don't know that I really have the ideal setup that I need or would like to have. I'm getting different products recommended each time I go to the store. I'm fine with the Internet speed being cut in half from 20 to 10 with the range extender, because the range extender solved both problems -- Internet speed and Roku streaming. There's still the question though of why the range extender momentarily showed a poor signal.

 

I'm trying to determine if getting a second router is going to be the best solution or if I need something else.