Router or WAP?

[coops456]

Diagram attached. My cable modem is upstairs in our home office. It's ISP supplied 4-port Gbit router and also provides 802.11bgn.

My problem is the wifi coverage downstairs. I'm currently using Powerline but it's unreliable. The downstairs adapter freaks out periodically; the activity light goes bananas and our devices lose internet connectivity. My wife wants to throw it out the window! I don't know where to start with determining the powerline problem e.g. noisy ring circuit etc. I've tried it in several power outlets in the room.

So I think I've got 2 choices:
1) run cat 5 from the cable modem to a new WAP. Same or different SSID as upstairs?
2) put the ISP router into modem mode and get a new wifi router, hoping that something like an Asus RT-AC3200 or Synology RT1900ac will provide stronger signal to downstairs

I'm leaning towards 1), on the basis it will give guaranteed coverage downstairs and costs less so I can put the savings towards replacing the Netgear FVS318 with a Gbit switch.
Any thoughts would be appreciated, thanks

 

[joegreat]

1) run cat 5 from the cable modem to a new WAP. Same or different SSID as upstairs?

Make sure you use CAT6 cables - CAT5 is only 100 MBit and modern routers will have issues with it!

 

[MichaelCG]

Make sure you use CAT6 cables - CAT5 is only 100 MBit and modern routers will have issues with it!

cat5 will "probably" work for gigabit, cat5e will work for gigabit, cat6 is certified to work for gigabit. I have had great luck with cat5e for several years with gigabit with no issues.

 

[coops456]

Thanks for that, I'll get cat6 since the price differential isn't much.