Well, I received and installed my new router and the result has been improved speed throughout the house, even in the basement. Pages open just about instantly in the Laptop web browsers and the signal in the basement has increased appreciably.
Yes, I could have done it more cheaply, but I could also have done it more expensively as I was considering connecting an Apple Extreme Base Station to the old Actiontec and the AEBS is $200.
The advantages of the new Actiontec is that I am totally familiar with the web-based software and so don't have to learn my way around a new router's software and, FWIW, I can still call on Verizon support should I run into a problem I cannot solve.
Here are the results of some of my speed tests, done using the Verizon speed test. The router was installed on 27 November, and you can see the speed increase for yourselves:
TOP FLOOR:
24 Nov 1200H 21.85 DOWN & 20.97 UP.
24 Nov 1633H 22.87 DOWN & 19.81 UP. LATENCY 15MS
27NOV 1213H 42.81 DOWN & 38.96 UP. LATENCY 15MS - AUTO
27NOV 1232H 58.15 DOWN & 38.92 UP. LATENCY 15MS - CH6
WIFE’S TOP FLOOR OFFICE; A ROOM AWAY:
24 Nov 1200H 25.98 DOWN & 11.93 UP LATENCY 15MS
27NOV 1210H 38.31 DOWN & 37.69 UP LATENCY 12MS
KITCHEN
24 Nov 1200H 15.23 DOWN & 10.37 UP LATENCY 13MS
24 Nov 1525H 21.52 DOWN & 19.23 UP LATENCY 15MS
24 Nov 1810H 14.05 DOWN & 11.49 UP LATENCY 17MS
24 Nov 2109H 24.31DOWN & 17.74 UP LATENCY 15MS; CH 3
25 Nov 0615H 10,56 DOWN & 16.62 UP LATENCY 13MS; CH 3
25 Nov 2106H 22.53 DOWN & 11.99 UP LATENCY 18MS; CH 3
27NOV 1205H 39.37 DOWN & 31.21 UP LATENCY 15MS CH 6
28NOV 0710H 31.43 DOWN & 36.49 UP LATENCY 15MS CH 11
BASEMENT
24 Nov 1200H 16.23 DOWN & 11.97 UP LATENCY 15MS
24 Nov 1644H 12.14 DOWN & 12.36 UP, LATENCY 15MSS
24 Nov 1803H 07.72 DOWN & 03.42 UP LATENCY 14MS
24 Nov 2052H 06.71 DOWN & 11.46 UP LATENCY 15MS; CH6
24Nov 2056H 07.97 DOWN & 05.65 UP LATENCY 15MS; CH 11
24Nov 2100H 20.88 DOWN & 05.51 UP LATENCY 15MS; CH 1
24Nov 2102H 21.42 DOWN & 11.31 UP LATENCY 15MS; CH 3
27NOV 1841H 33.64 DOWN & 34.64 UP LATENCY 15MS; CH 6
27NOV 2019H 37.22 DOWN & 38.81 UP LATENCY 14MS; CH 6
A final thanks to all who chimed in with suggestions throughout this thread.