I've never tried homeplugs but they do sound interesting...
If you still want a wireless router, the Linksys WRT54GS is definitely worth looking at. The range is good on it but if you need to increase it even more you can flash it with DD-WRT firmware. I'd recommend the DD-WRT firmware anyway...
I've flashed my Linksys WRT54G router with DD-WRT and I get signal from the end of my street!! Didn't believe it was possible by just using different firmware!!