Best products for a router/modem/access point home network?

Hi all! 

 

I don't know much about this stuff. Forgive my uneducatedness in advance, please. 

 

I'm just a simple guy that wants a reliable and easy-going network. I don't really care about speeds; we really only use our internet for streaming video and surfing the web. 

 

I live in a 3-story townhome and the modem hook-ups are in the basement. We had a ceiling Cat 5 box installed on the top floor for a POE access point. My ideal situation is a cheap and reliable modem/router in the basement, and a POE access point on the upper floor. That should work well enough for our needs. 

 

Problem #1: I've only bought used modems/routers so far and all of them have been crappy. Right now I'm on Google Wifi (barf) and have to reset routers and modems at least once a week when the WiFi cuts out (but ethernet continues to work). What's a simple and cheap router/modem solution? It doesn't need to be able to handle high speeds. 

 

Problem #2: I need a POE access point that works nicely with my router/modem solution. I've tried a Netgear WAX214PA among some other devices in the past, but all of them created new network names/passwords on top of my existing network coming from my modem. I don't want to log into new networks (so to speak) each time I walk up or down the stairs. What's an access point that will make the transition flawless by simply expanding my single home network?

 

Thank you!