Does anyone out there have a favorite trick on getting a better wifi signal or extending the range of a router?

We’ve got pretty good coverage in the back of our house, but our new bedroom Xbox is pretty far away from our router, making it sometimes difficult to get a good enough signal in order to flawlessly stream recorded TV.

It’s worked on and off so far (more on than off, luckily), but it definitely encounters network trouble far more than I’d like.  I’ve tried creating my own little tin foil mini antenna-dishes that I’ve attached to the router and the Xbox wireless receiver, but with little luck.

Maybe we have bad foil?

Either way, I’m now looking for any suggestions people may have that could be helpful.  I’d like to avoid spending money if possible; I know I can get a better signal by buying a repeater or a more expensive router, but I’d prefer not to.

As a last resort, though, I would consider running an ethernet cable below/outside the house from the back room to our bedroom.