Can’t get wifi in some part of your house? Here’s a way: est cost $125.

There is a class of wifi device that sends the computer signal over the wires in your house.  They are called Powerline Networking Kits.  Here’s what you do:

• The device comes in two parts.  Plug one part into a wall outlet (not a power bar) near your router.  Connect it to your router with an internet cable.
• Plug the other part in wall outlet the area of your house that needs a signal.
• Plug whatever you want to connect to your network into that device using an ethernet cable. 

The “whatever” can be a computer or a wifi router configured to be an AP, or access point.  Or it can be Tivo box that has an ethernet port.  (There is a way to configure some wifi routers so they don’t need to be connected in this way in order to “amplify” your main wifi signal.  The disadvantages of the configuration is that it can be slow and most routers won’t work in this way.) 

In PCWorld, the best rated adapter was a D-Link DHP-303.  (Read Review). 

There is a kind of a catch:  This may be the highest rated, but, as a rule of thumb, you should stick with one brand for all your networking devices.  So if you use Linksys, then it might be better to stick with Linksys. 

Contact me if you’re interested and I’ll research further for your specific situation. 

Note:  the cost can run from $70 to $125 or more ignoring any sales.   Plus you might need another wifi router as an AP.  You or I might have a router sitting around that can be used as the AP.  Again, I’d have to research the specific situation.  

This is a lot cheaper than running cable around your house!