[RESOLVED] XP Pro WiFi not connecting

so i have bought a WiFi laptop (Ebay). great. i tore out my wired only router and plugged my wireless in and set it up according to my isp/router manual. great.
cant connect the laptop though. :mad:
i have been through 3 full battery charges trying to get it going but it just isnt happening. It is a thompson router which i got hen i was on AOL :o but now i have changed isp. all of the online info i can find is aol specific as it seems this router was made for aol or sold predominantly through aol.
The problem is that sometimes the laptop finds the device sometimes it doesnt. im prety sure i have it set up correctly though but even when the wifi does find the router it wont connect.
I'm thinking it might be that i have a crap router or a crappy wifi NIC.

common problem? shall i buy a new router? or a new network card? is there anything i should try first?

I do have a really terrible usb wifi card that turns my desktop into an access point. the laptop finds this every time but still wont connect but this card was designed to connect the Nintendo DS to the internet and is really bad so maybe thats why. but it does detect this.

i'd be happy to give more info or screenshots or whatever if anyone can help.

thank you

if anybody is interested i went to a friends house and within 2 minutes i was at the msn homepage. so its the router. problem solved