Wireless getting on my nerves - other network

[Calum]

Is there a way to only connect to ONE network, and not have Windows recognize others?
Because at the minute I'm having a lot of connection issues linked to another network in the area.
The signal drops and then disconnects, Windows says it has found more than 1 network, and it tries to connect to the other one.
I click to scan for more and it connects to mine, then drops it and says it's found more, ad infinitum.
Eventually it settles down after a reboot, but it's inconvenient to have to reboot all the time to connect to the internet.
Is there a way to not connect to the other network, which is security enabled and has a low signal so I can't connect anyway, and only connect to mine?
I've tried removing the offending network from my list of networks and moving it lower than mine, but nothing works.
Windows XP Pro SP2, Linksys OfficeConnect Firewall 802.11G router, Ralink internal wireless card in laptop.
If you need more details let me know.
Thanks in advance to nayone who can help me solve this annoying problem.
Calum.

[2k_dummy]

If your network is set up as ad-hoc, change it to infrastructure. That should limit the connection to your own internal network.

[Calum]

It's already set as infrastructure.

[2k_dummy]

In the router setup, check to see if "allow SSID broadcast to associate" is disabled. If it is enabled, diasable it.

Try changing the channel.

[Calum]

On my router, SSID broadcasting is disabled.
That's the only setting related to SSID in the setup - is that what you mean?
Or is it something completely different?
Do you mean do it on theirs?
Or mine?
Confused, but it doesn't take much.

[2k_dummy]

You can only change yours, not theirs. Did you try changing the channel? On my card, the router is id'd by BSSID and MAC number. If you are in close enough proximity, you can actually have two cards set on two adjacent channels and they work.

[Calum]

I meant do I need to go and find who it is and ask them to change it.
I know I can't change theirs from here, I'd need the password and so on.
I tried changing the channel.
The strange thing is that it seems to be that if I boot up when my router is on, it's fine.
But if I turn my router on after my laptop has booted, it has this problem.
A reboot then settles it again.
Don't know if that's significant or not.

[2k_dummy]

Shutting down the router might be the problem. Many routers will reset to factory defaults when left off for to long. Some will only partially reset. If you do not have an UPS, I suggest getting one and keep the router on the UPS. If you must shut something down, shut down the modem.

[Calum]

I see, mine has always kept the right settings as far as I know.
How long is too long?
It's normally only off maybe overnight, max of maybe 2 days.
I don't have a modem to shut down - it's a combined modem/wireless router.  I should've said that at the start, sorry.

[2k_dummy]

"to long" depends on the manufacturer and model of the device. One other thing that you can try, if your router permits it. Change the subnet mask. It would obviously have to be changed on all devices.

[Calum]

I can change the subnet mask, but would that then stop my PC trying to connect to the other network?
Sorry for being silly but I don't understand it.
If I were to find out who the other router belongs to, is there something I could change on theirs (with their permission) so that  can't see it?
Like the SSID Broadcasting?

[Rob Pomeroy]

Change the subnet mask.

I would advise that people generally don't do this, unless they understand how subnet masks work, and then only with the help of a LAN calculator...

[Calum]

OK, I'm not going to fiddle with it.
So is there something I can do to ignore this other network?
Is there something I can ask them to do with their router or anything?

[Rob Pomeroy]

Find the options for your wireless connection (right-click; properties).  Look at the Wireless Networks tab, and "Preferred Networks".  Can you figure out what to do?

(NB  This may not work if you have an extra program installed that manages your wireless connection.  You will be notified if that is the case.)

[Calum]

No other program manages my wireless connection.
That was the first thing I tried though, I did say:

I've tried removing the offending network from my list of networks and moving it lower than mine, but nothing works.

Sorry if it didn't come across right, but that's what I meant.
I moved the network lower in the list than mine, and I removed it from the list completely.
Thanks for the suggestion though.