AvoK95 wroteThe wireless on TP-Link routers are strange. You get 4 bars when you're 3 meters away from the router , but 5 bars when you're 15M away. So we can conclude that the wireless signal is great for long range but not so good for short range.
Really, Avo...you believe that? Electromagnetic waves are not magic. What you're seeing may simply be inaccurate. It may be the fluctuation of the agreed transmission rate in effect. Whatever. What you can do is get software that gives you a readout, in dB, of the signal power. THAT way, you can know accurately the range. Don't depend on those silly bars. No one should.
Also, we are not dealing with military signals, long wave and short wave. It's a simple 2.4GHz radio frequency.
Also, I recommend TP-Link too, for the same reasons Avo mentioned, coupled with the fact that once you buy their high-end models, the TL-WR1043ND, TL-WR2543ND, you get awesome hardware with satisfactory firmware, which you can replace with OpenWRT to get awesome firmware.
Be careful, though, about "overclocking" wireless transmission power. I once read that OpenWRT allows transmission power to increase above the default maximum specified in the stock firmware. This may damage WiFi and eventually lead to its premature death. I'm not sure, though. Just a small warning (Nothing that shouldn't be mentioned in their guides anyways, which are almost thorough for the TL-WR1043ND.)