[Apologisenow]

Thanks everyone for all your suggestions, CDW seem to have very good prices however I do live in the UK which may increase these sligtly. My house is quite big and I need the signal to get around. I need the router to have a 4 port switch as I already stated. This is so I can connect my computer and xbox to it by wired connection and my laptop by wired. What would you guys suggest? I was looking at this, what do you think?

CDW Product Overview: D-Link DIR-615 Wireless N Router

This is wireless N and doesn't wireless N have a better range?

Also do you guys know any cheap UK sites? Thanks for all your help I know I go on but I want to get the right one :P

[ScottGem]

The 802.11n specification is the latest and greatest. It provides the most speed and range of any router.

[NeedKarma]

But make sure that your laptop have a wireless device that does the "N" spec or it will default back to "G". Shouldn't be a problem for internet access and your range will still be greater because the router has probably more power but you paid more for it than a "G" spec router.

[jcdill]

To maximize the signal reach within your house, the wireless router needs to be centrally located, and placed up high rather than buried under a desk. This is another reason you may wish to elect to daisy-chain your new wireless router to your existing router as it gives you more flexibility in placement because you only need to run one cable to the wireless router.

The signal reach through your house walls will also be affected by the materials in the walls. If your house has metal in the walls (metal studs, etc.) the signal will not reach as far.

[chuckhole]

To maximize the signal reach within your house, the wireless router needs to be centrally located, and placed up high rather than buried under a desk. This is another reason you may wish to elect to daisy-chain your new wireless router to your existing router as it gives you more flexibility in placement because you only need to run one cable to the wireless router.

The signal reach thru your house walls will also be affected by the materials in the walls. If your house has metal in the walls (metal studs, etc.) the signal will not reach as far.

Depending on where you are in the UK and the age of the structure, those guys use granite over there. Stick-built homes are not as common like they are on this side of the pond. But a "big" house in the UK is not as large as a "big" house over here. Square footage is much more expensive over there... and we think California home and fuel prices are high (but that is another subject).

I can ask my IT colleagues at our office in Aberdeen where they buy their kit from if you like.

[orkhydd]

Thank you thank you thank you!! Oh my dear lord! I consider myself a savvy internet researcher and yet just spent most of the morning trying to obtain the simplest information on this topic: "standalone wireless access point". All I needed was that term to figure out the answers to all my own questions and it not a single search or forum contained it. I understand why it may be the case, but no one distinguishes between wireless router and WAP (anymore?) and for precisely the reasons already mentioned in this lengthy conversation... namely that any computer store will sell you a router and not a standalone wireless access point. However! To have this information be so fraking difficult to come by is almost insulting not to mention extremely frustrating. You folks posting here not only answered my question exactly but the original poster followed through as I would have and now I know more than I what I gained from all my other research combined (except I now know a LOT about network problems far more complicated than mine). So, thank you so much this is officially my favorite tech forum. Yay for simplicity and trying to educate a generation of critical thinkers.