Topic: Signals from Wireless Router and Extender

[castro]

Equipment:  BT Voyager 2100 Wireless Router
                 Belkin Wireless Network Access Point F5D7130

Definitely a problem of my own doing. I recently acquired a wireless extender which, as it says on the can, extends the range of the wireless router signal. And it does. The problem I seem to have is when I move my laptop to an area of the house where both signals are not too strong, then the laptop starts to switch between the two, thus dropping the connection for a short period. If I switch the extender off, then the laptop stays rock solid connected on the main wireless router signal. I'm sure I can't be the first person to have this problem but I can find no solutions anywhere. This only happens when both signals are lowish as when the laptop is out of range of the main wireless router it locks rock solid to the extender. All equipment is operating on Ch.11. 
Any suggestions gratefully received.

[Sandra]

Are there any areas of the house that the laptop needs to be using the extender ?

If not can you set the laptop to only use the original network ?

[castro]

The wireless router works best over the downstairs area. I introduced the extender to cover the upstairs area. I have a study upstairs and my PC is hard wired to the router. I have hard wired the extender to the router as well. As with many laptops, wireless reception is not brilliant and I was getting a 75% reduction in signal upstairs. Conversely, the extender signal is much reduced downstairs and if I switch the extender off then the laptop is rock solid all over the downstairs area. The laptop sees both the router and the extender as available networks.

[Sandra]

Sorry but I cant think why its doing that.

The only suggestion I can think of would involve buying one of the better wi fi routers such as the new max range (MIMO), ones that are faster and supposedly offer better coverage than the ordinary wi fi routers