Wireless Problems in Apartment

Hey all, was wondering if I could find some help for a wireless problem a roommate is having. His room is situated across from another bedroom which contains the wireless router, and there's only a distance of about 10 feet between his laptop and the router, but he cannot receive a signal. The weird thing is, when he sits in the living room, which is further away, he can get the network much better. Those 10 feet are mostly outside, there's a little gap in the house between the rooms, but I wasn't sure if maybe a wireless repeater might solve the problem? He'd just like to be able to use the laptop in his room instead of the TV room for homework reasons. Thanks for any help ahead of time.

 

Most likely wiring and/or insulation in the walls is retarding the signal - a repeater might help, but, like real estate, it's all about location.

 

Would it make a difference if both rooms had windows? Could you try to place the router in front of one window and the laptop in front of the other window to cut down on the resistance caused by the walls?