Digerati, a few things, I'm just going to nit pick your post apart.
Let's start from the top. Routers from Netgear ship defaulted with Auto on it's channel lineup. They also ship with wireless protection disabled. While I'm the household geek, my other family members are well in tune so everything is We, Our, ect, not myself or I.
Second we know what a wireless extender/repeater is. Just as the name implies, takes the signal and repeats it, with two catches, (with the model we had before we threw it away) serious connectivity issues and we had to lower our security from WPA2 to WPA for it to work.
As for location of equipment, no we are landlocked where equipment needs to be. So the network has to be brought to them. My mother does not want Ethernet cable running all over the house so wireless is the only way. (This is personal to me) I refuse to go with powerline networking.
As for EMI, don't ask us, we were informed of this by 3 different computer stores and Linksys, Cisco, and Netgear. We understand Linksys is a Cisco company but they cater to businesses.
Lastly, Digerati, you and I never really get along, I appreciate all your help. But for the love of sake, lighten up a bit. Good grief you're monotonous and long winded.
I understand you are writing to all viewers, but some of your viewers already have a handy grasp. -- One more note, I'll admit networking isn't my cup of tea, never will be. There's more Greek in it than a cup of yogurt. (for those that get the pun).
As for hot and neutral being reversed. This was tested for the last time this office was remodeled. (prior to the mini-fridge addition)
Now before I become long-winded I'm going to shut up. All we ask for is the best equipment solution. Weather we spend the extra cash and go with an access point, an extender, or go through the pain staking trouble of setting up a secondary router as an access point or as I've suggested to the family several times a more powerful N-router with dual band support. I'm getting my gigabit transmission speeds back one way or another.