Vic20

Don't forget that the PSP only has Wireless-B so its slower too no matter the signal strengh. Also, be sure to check for firmware upgrades for your router.

New Laptop with top of the line components is great, but... WinXP by default is configured for dial-up speeds, not broadband. My niece is up on the Optimum cable network with 15/30 Mbps. She was complaining of 1-2 Mbps download speeds. Went to visit, ran TCP Optimizer and lo and behold, it was now running close to the advertised broadband speeds... I hope Vista is better by default, haven't installed it just yet.

I cannot say how your signal strength will be on the 2nd floor, but try an place the router as high up as possible. Say on a bookshelf if possible.... This will give better performance on both floors.

The eHome adapter is SKU: 341885 at CompUSA.com This week it is $25 after rebate. But... in past weeks it has been 99 cents after rebate, $1.99 after rebate, and also $4.99 after rebate. So keep an eye on it. It is a rebadged D-Link product. I picked one of the eHome routers and a USB adapter as a spare when they were $1.99 last month. Still in the box (minus UPC)

Do you know if your friend's laptop was optimized with TCP Optimizer? Did it have at least 1GB of RAM? Was it a built-in Wireless G card or was it an old Wireless B card? Any of those and the other tips (VirusScan, SpyScan, Defragged HD, etc..) on this forum can slow down the speed. Oh and I neglected to mention I have the Linksys HGA7T High Gain Antenna that I added onto my router which seemed to get rid of my dead spots. (and there are metal studs behind my walls) I originally tried the Linksys Booster that worked great with my Wireless-B router, but it made it worse for G... Luckily I was able to sell that for more than I paid for it on eBay. I want to go Wireless N, but all the reviews on Draft N says the performance is worse than G, so hold off at least another year until the standard is ratified.

Might I suggest that you buy a Wireless Router and do your install on the first floor. You'd also need a wireless adapter for each PC you have. You can get a eHome(DLink) Wireless G adapter for as low as $1.99 After Rebate (sale on and off) at CompUSA, or go all out and get Linksys for the quality. I'm on a single floor and my Dell laptop gets up to 16M from my Linksys G with SpeedBooster Router.