Need a couple of suggestions on this setup

[nasmun]

Hey Guys, i've been scouring these forums for a couple of days trying to get a couple of ideas for upgrading my home network. I just wanted to get some opinions and tips on the type of router and set up i should go for.

Let me start off by introducing myself.

Im a graduate student in the medical field, i'm in my mid 20's, live in Canada and would say that i have an intermediate knowledge of computers and technology.

the "situation":
I recently came home after 2 years abroad to find an insanely overloaded network.
The current router is centrally placed behind the TV and is one of those cable modem/wireless router combos that you get from our ISP (rogers). Into the ethernet ports are plugged 2 VOIP services (Vonage and Comcast), and another one into the satellite box. The 2 VOIP services both have their cordless phone bases behind the TV and are generally meant to service two different parts of the house. One for the main part of the house and the other for an in-law suite which was an extension.

Now for the wireless:
There are 6 blackberry devices, 2 iPhones, 4 Laptops, and 3 Desktops and a ps3 usually connected all at once. The network has terrible range on the upper floor and drops connections habitually. The majority of users are usually trying to stream content.

the Plan:
I plan to return the modem/router combo to our ISP and just get a regular cable modem and grab either a Linksys EA4500 or ASUS RT N66U. I was then thinking about getting a Powerline wireless extender and moving the VOIP phone dedicated for the inlaw suite onto it and possibly put another powerline extender upstairs.
I am also very interested in having a media share center for these devices to connect with one another. I am planning to get a new TV soon and will most likely get a wifi enabled one. I really like the idea of having dedicated storage on the network where one can access movies, music and documents from any device on the network and being able to watch them directly on my television.
I was looking into getting an NAS but am also wondering what the advantage of this would be over just plugging an external device into whichever router that i get.

i figure if im going to overhaul the network may as well do it properly and be thorough about it. What do you guys think? any thoughts or suggestions on routers, NAS etc would be greatly appreciated.

 

[thiggins]

General principles to follow:

- Position the router as centrally as you can and outside of cabinetry. Keep it away from metal, mirrors and other obstacles that can obstruct signal.

- Get as much traffic as you can onto a wired connection.

- If you can't run Cat5e/6 cable, next best thing is MoCA if you have coax drops where you would want Ethernet. Next best after that is 500 Mbps powerline.

- If your mobile devices are used for streaming, you should put them on their own access point. These devices connect at lower link rates and will reduce the bandwidth available to faster devices. If the devices are just browsing and checking email, you don't have to bother with this.

- Given that you are using two VoIP devices, consider a router that uses Ubicom auto QoS technology as the main router. D-Link's HD Media Router 1000, 2000, 3000 are all Ubicom-based.

- Use multiple APs, connected via Ethernet, MoCA or powerline to extend wireless coverage. Avoid wireless repeating. It cuts throughput in half for each repeater and is generally unreliable.

- If you are planning to watch locally-stored HD content, you will want your TV, media player and NAS on a wired network. Given the loading on your wireless network, you won't like the results of trying to stream HD.