Correct wired and wireless network in large house

[ptcolombo]

I'm looking for thoughts, opinions, hard facts, etc. on the best way to set up my home network. The house is relatively new and I have cat5 wiring in most rooms with home runs to a structured wire box in the basement. Have around 16 jacks there. I currently have a linksys BEFSR81 router/switch, a couple hubs and a Comcast cable modem down there. On the second floor, is a wireless access point, linksys WAP610N, plugged into one of the cat5 runs to the basement. For clients, I have four wired pc's one of which is a music server, couple Blu ray players, three iPhones, an iPad, and an iTouch. The house is two stories with a finished basement, ~5,000 total ft2, and wood construction. Right now, my wireless is spotty with it dropping out at times for no explainable reason (wired is fine at those times) and connecting new wireless devices takes several minutes where it shows a signal but doesn't connect to the Internet. I've read a lot of bad reviews on the WAP610 and wonder if that is my problem. My son says I should get a wireless router with a separate switch to handle the 16 wired ports and dump the WAP and BEFSR81. I have a great aversion to putting a wireless broadcast device in a basement being the lowest part of the house. Do I move the cable modem and new wireless router upstairs to the first floor and then run a line back down to the basement for the 16 port switch? Or just get a better/different WAP?

How would you set this up? Sorry for the long winded message.

 

[hang-the-9]

Try this, http://www.passmark.com/products/wirelessmonitor.htm, it will help you map out your wireless network and will allow you to see where the issue may be. If you only have one AP in the place, I'd get another one on the 1st floor also. Trying a different brand is a good idea, I have had issues with lots of Linksys product, try a Netgear or Dlink.

 

[ptcolombo]

Best answer selected by ptcolombo.

 

[ptcolombo]

Ended up up buying a Netgear WDNR3400 and configured it to be just an AP. Works great. The old Linksys would take forever and a day to get an IP passed thru.