Can anyone recommend a decent wireless access point? Just something to hook up to my existing wired network to give access on the ground floor (possibly out on the deck also).
Only requirement is that it can put out a good enough signal through a couple brick walls (5"), or am I asking too much?
You're kinda asking too much with the signal strength...at least when it comes to the included antenna. If you need to shoot the signal in only one direction, pick up a directional antenna and you should probably be fine. An omnidirectional antenna might make it through a couple of walls, but not 5.
I've always been fond of Linksys products. I have recently learned through experience that D-Link products are garbage.
i dont know if they make mac compatible cards yet but that new "super-g" tech sends out a much stronger signal, put an atena on that, on youll crash everyones wifi in the building no problem, it will probably go through ten bricks walls. my friends works like 8 blocks away, with a big antena on the base station that is, also belkin makes great products in addition to linksys
I'll pick up a Linksys and see what I can do, at the most there's probably 10" of brick walls to deal with but I'll play about with the placement and see what's possible - it's gonna need a 30ft drop of Cat5 to get it to the ground floor anyway, so there's plenty of scope for improvement.
My Linsys WAP is pretty good coverage-wise. At my old apartment, it was in my room, and I could pick it up outside, which was through a house foundation (my apartment was in the basement). If it can make it through a cement wall that thick as well as a couple of regular walls at a linear distance of probably 35 to 40 feet, I think it can handle some brick.