Can this be done (wireless/ADSL question)?

[DaveF]

Current setup: Only have phone line access in one room downstairs. In there is an old Vigor router that takes a USB modem, there's a wireless access point plugged into it to give wireless access. (We don't really want to run cables to the other rooms). My main computer is upstairs (directly above), my wife has a laptop with WiFi. There's an old PC plugged into the TV downstairs as well (also with WiFi).

This all works pretty well, but it's a bit untidy. I'm thinking of reorganising everything.

It seems the simple solution is to get a ADSL 54g Router; one box to do the work of the 3 current ones.

But, there's another problem with the current setup. Because the main computer is upstairs, its connection to the router is by 54g. So if I want to access files on it from another machine, everything is going 54g from machine A to the router, and then the router to machine B. So it seems to me I ought to be able to get near double the speed by having the main wireless router upstairs so I can connect the main PC to it by ethernet cable. But then the problem is how do I connect to the only phone line (downstairs)? So I need some kind of ADSL modem/wireless connection downstairs.

Does this make sense, and if so, can it be done reasonably inexpensively? (With a solution that doesn't depend on the main PC being up 24/7, ideally).

 

[tolien]

If I'm understanding you right, you want an ADSL modem (with or without a router) connected at one point, with a router (without modem) connected wirelessly to the first.

It couldn't be done without lots of hassle (and probably expense) - the wireless connection between the router and the modem would interfere with the other wireless connections between machines and the router (unless you used a completely different channel).
You'd also need either a modem with a wireless access point or wireless ADSL router, plus a wireless access point (which would act as client of the first AP or the ADSL router) and a "cable/DSL" router.
It would be significantly more trivial just to run a (decent) telephone extension and connect an ADSL router in the different place, or run an ethernet cable.

 

[DaveF]

It couldn't be done without lots of hassle (and probably expense) - the wireless connection between the router and the modem would interfere with the other wireless connections between machines and the router (unless you used a completely different channel).

Thanks. Maybe not what I'd wanted to hear, but it simpifies the decision a lot.

It would be significantly more trivial just to run a (decent) telephone extension and connect an ADSL router in the different place, or run an ethernet cable.

I'm sure you're right. Serves me right for wanting to be lazy...