Currently while gaming, downloading, or even surfing the net, my current (WRT54G) wireless router lag spikes, it's really obnoxious. Someone suggested that I get another router and just use both simultaneously like so: 1= modem 2= current router 3= new router [2]!------[1] | [3]! The reason I can not just simply buy a new router is because of stubborn roommates, and because one of them is using Windows 2000. Pretty much just assume that getting rid of the current wireless router isn't an option. Can i just hardwire them together and run both, and just connect to the other one's signal? I also do not have access to the settings on the current router.

Assuming that your first router has either ethernet ports or a usb port you can wire your pc into the router...

Yes, the current router has wired computers, and wireless. Edit: I'm also upstairs with no way to have a wired connection.

What your after is a wireless repeater.

A second router wont solve the problem of lagging, may even make it worse - and what's Windows 2000 got to do with it. A repeater might help but if the lagging is due to other people using the Local Area Network it wont make any difference. It's the bandwidth of your Internet connection that is going to be the deciding factor. Best to find out exactly what is causing the lagging before you start throwing equipment at the problem that may not make any difference. If the existing router is faulty then that could cause lagging. In that case it needs to be replaced. Stuart

Window 2000 has to do with it because it wasn't compatible with N. And for some reason to make the laptop with windows 2000 to work we had to enable SES or something and it changed the name of the network and everything. I used to use the router at my old house and never had a problem. It's just while gaming every about 20 seconds or so it will lag spike for about 3 seconds, while that may not seem like a big deal to some, while playing "competitively" it's a huge annoyance.

Edit: I'm also upstairs with no way to have a wired connection. Bummer! Wireless sucks for gaming. Sorry, but that's the simple truth and if there's any way possible to run a cable to your PC....even temporarily while you're gaming and then put it away when you're done.........you'd be a lot happier gaming with a hard wired connection. This isn't a signal strength or bandwidth issue either. It's an inherent problem with the media (ie: wireless) and can't be "fixed" other than by moving to a wired connection. Someone suggested that I get another router and just use both simultaneously To what end? The only reason I could see for doing this would be because the signal is very weak where your laptop/PC is located. That's easy enough to figure out just by checking the connection status. It should either tell you flat out, or show you bars that denote signal strength. If the signal is very weak, then you may have a case for adding an additional wireless router. If the signal isn't weak, then adding another router is not only moot, it's useless! It's just while gaming every about 20 seconds or so it will lag spike for about 3 seconds, while that may not seem like a big deal to some, while playing "competitively" it's a huge annoyance. What I said above! Even with 100% signal strength I wager the same issue would continue happening. Why should you listen to me you wonder? Well, by trade I'm a Network Technician. Networking is what I do. That includes wireless networking. Also, I'm an avid gamer. So avid that a group of friends and I all pitched in and bought our own gaming server which we have hosted at a colocation site....and yes, I'm one of the admin's of the server as well as the game servers running on the box. Having said that, two years or so back, one of our members was complaining about the exact same issue and when I asked him if he was using wireless he said yes. I told him to get himself hardwired into his SOHO router. He did. He was VERY happy with the results and has never gone back to wireless with his gaming PC since.