Wireless connection randomly disconnects

[shaha9]

I have been having an on and off networking problem for a few months now, but I have let it slide just because I could always handle it, but now that I am using 3 computers that require a permanent connection through the internet, I need this network to work.

To give you a visual image of my problem I will describe each computer out:

My router is Netgear and so is the wireless for my second computer, but for my laptop it is just the preinstalled one. I have 3 computers in my home
1) The base computer downstairs which has the main router box while all the others have a network card or USB for the computer. The exact model escapes me atm, but it is just a basic home router with up to about 5 connections enabled and was around 50-100 bucks.

2) My second computer is located upstairs and uses a Netgear wireless USB cable to connect to my base downstairs.

3) My laptop uses a Dell preinstalled wireless connection and is located at any random area in my house.

All computers use P4 and windows XP.

Now whenever I am on my computer upstairs it will randomly go off in a couple of hours. It could be 1 2 or 30minutes, but it will for sure go off eventually the second I turn on that computer. When it does I must go down to the base router and manually restart the system, which puts all connections on a halt.

Now this is a pain…

My base computer even goes offline randomly, but it is less often then my upstairs one, more like every other day, which is still a pain (Same thing with restarting the box).

My laptop doesn’t seem to go offline or hasn’t yet, but that is probably because I use it less for the internet and half the time I take it outside of my home.

When I talked to Netgear in regards to this they told me to separate my router further away from my PC. Though it was a pain I did it (Had to order more wires) and it is now 10 feet away, yet the problem continues.

Netgear just gives more ways to help that take me in a different direction. The last 2 support calls they told me to buy a new system (Which I have done) and told me to reupdate my system and if problem consists, update again...

Now I really need to know why this keeps happening, everything I do is useless.

I have used other boxes before and had similar problems so I have concluded (Guess) that

A) There is a configuration issue I need to work out on my box that I am avoiding
B) I am having an issue with my connection through my computer and need to input proper settings.

Now I use Comcast w/ Broadband and that is not the issue, I have talked to them about it and used a direct line without the router and everything worked fine.

Can anyone point me into the right direction?

[shaha9]

WGR614 Routers

that's my router

[ecross]

Are the wireless settings configured by using Windows or by using a third-party program?