boosting wireless signal for my linksys wireless-G

so my new rig is in a room without any internet cable plugs, so i got this nifty linksys wireless router (with "speedboost" ) and it's working fine, connecting me to the downstairs router at 11.0 mbps.
i wanted to check and see how acceptable a speed this is, especially for online gaming.

also, linksys has the signal strength & quality at btwn 67-75%, which i find pretty odd considering that our router is in the room directly below mine. the router is literally about 10 feet directly below the wireless one i have upstairs. add to this my neighbors router signal, which is being picked up at 41% signal strength. seems pretty odd.

are there any ways to improve this, such as angleing the antenna on my router, or the router itself, directly down towards the router downstairs? what about bringing the router upstairs, although it would be about the same distance from my wireless one, although on the floor.

thanks