Recommendations on networking 2 separate rooms?

[hyuga]

I need help trying to decide which solution to choose to connect 2 LANs in separate rooms.

I have an ethernet LAN in one room. I want to have access to that network from another room (which will have another LAN). Here are some of the solutions I am thinking of using:

1. Have 1 wireless access point in the LAN and have one computer in the other room with a wireless network card and an ethernet card (RJ-45) acting as a router. The ethernet card will connect to a switch to which 2 other computers connect. This would allow me to have other computers (laptops, notebooks) using wireless network cards to access the LAN in room 1.

2. Have 2 wireless access points, one in each room, acting as a wireless bridge. If I go this route, would I be able to use a computer with a wireless network card to access either (or both) of the LANs?

3. Using a powerline network device. I just read about this option so I do not know how good it is. I won't have wireless access for a laptop or notebook computer, so that is a minus.

Are any of these solutions possible?

Which one would be the most cost efficient? Speediest? Easiest to setup? Convinient?

I don't mind complex setups or speed (as long as it is at least around 10Mbits/sec.). Keeping the cost down would be a priority, but if the difference is small, I would go for a more flexible setup (if available).

Any additional recommendations?

Sorry for the long message.

Thanks!

[chinaski]

If it was me:

1. Put a Cat5 wall jack in room #1.

2. Put a Cat5 wall jack in room #2.

3. Connect the two with a single run of Cat5 cable through the attic.

4. Put a hub in your new room and run both rooms as a single 100 Mbps LAN.

The cost for materials is probably in the $30 range, depending how far apart your rooms are. And I didn't include the cost of a small 100Mb hub, another $30 or so.

[al bundy]

I would recommend looking into that powerline networking idea. Next best would perhaps be home phoneline networking.

Each is easy and meets your speed requirements.

[flyerI]

Go with Chinaski. Simple, cheap, fast. Easier to do than you think.

[Ara-Loki]

Originally posted by flyerI
Go with Chinaski. Simple, cheap, fast. Easier to do than you think.

Here's another vote for running CAT5.

[ktwebb]

Cabling will be your most effective solution however if you have an AP already and just want to go wireless then getting an 802.11b workgroup bridge will do what you want. Linksys makes the cheapest one, the WET11. It would allow you to add wired nodes while continuing to allow wireless client access as well. Around 100 bucks I believe.