Thanks Ira, Well, I could not get a Netgear to work, and their support is abysmal so I returned it.

D link support is better, so at least it works.

What I don't get though, even after Joe's explanation, is that the Extender which sits next to the laptop is ALWAYS stronger by far than the original modem, yet it switches every day back to the modem. Again the modem, is never stronger. And it never switches back to the extender. So that is baffling.