Excellent wireless signal but can't hold the internet connection

[kmmkiwi]

Yesterday my Dell Inspiron 1525 laptop wireless connection started acting up. I am having problems connecting to our wireless network. The wireless router is only 1 room away and the signal only has to go through 1 wall to get to my laptop. I have been using this setup for over a year now and I've never had any problems whatsoever until suddenly last night I couldn't connect easily and when I did the connection wasn't working properly.

When I view available wireless networks, it finds mine along with everyone else's wireless network in the area. So at least my wireless card is partially working. I get full signal strength for my network, and it reads my wireless network as excellent signal strength. When I try to connect to my network either one of the following 3 things happens:

1)unable to connect
2)connect with local access only
or
3)connect to the internet for about a min, loading any website is painstakingly slow like dialup, and then a disconnect after about a minute.

I have tried rebooting my computer many times, rebooted the router twice, a system restore from a restore point last week when it was working, went to Dell's website and downloaded/installed updated drivers for my wireless card, and yes the wireless switch is on (tried enabling and disabling that switch several times too). I have 2 other computers in the same room as my laptop that can connect to my wireless network just fine and they do not have any problems so I do not think this is a problem on the router's end....

Now here's the kicker, when I move my laptop into the same room as the router, and have my laptop like 3 feet from the router, the problem seems to get a little better. I get fewer unable to connect messages (still get them though, but after multiple tries I can connect), and when I do connect, my connection speed is faster and I am able to stay connected longer. But after about 5 mins I get booted off and have to reestablish my connection again.

I have a Dell Insprion 1525 with windows vista and I'm using the original wireless network card that came with it. We have ATT DSL and no problems with the wireless network with any of our other computers.

My best guess is that the wireless card on my laptop is going out. Its only 2 years old and hasn't had any abuse, but I guess these things happen.

Does anyone have any suggestions that I could try before I go out and buy another wireless card? I've read from other sources that I could try flushing the DNS but no idea how to do that...

Thanks for any help!

[wyatt]

I wouldn't think flushing the DNS would help too much.

This is all that comes to mind:

1) Try a static IP address so you don't have to rely on your router for a DHCP lease. (There should be a DHCP range listed in the router's web interface - just pick an IP outside that range and use the same subnet mask, gateway IP, and DNS IPs that you get when you are setup for automatic IP detection (use "ipconfig /all" to get this information before making the change).  Take a look at http://www.trainsignaltraining.com/windows-vista-ip-addressing/2006-11-15/ and http://portforward.com/networking/static-vista.htm

2) run pings to your router so your can see what is occurring in real time. The router's IP is the gateway IP from the "ipconfig /all" command. Open a DOS window (Start > Accessories > Command Prompt) and run "ping -t 192.168.1.1" where "192.168.1.1" is the IP address of your router/gateway. This will start a continual ping to your router - use "Ctrl+C" to stop it. You should be "Reply From" lines, when you see "Request timed out" then you have packet loss between your PC and the router.