Wireless doesn't want to connect

[Dehcbad25]

OK, Friday I bought for very cheap a D-Link router with wireless b, and a PCI card, so I could take myself out of misery and finally connect to Internet :p
But guess what. The entry of the cable if in the other side of the house from where I have my computer. The signal sometimes reaches Very Good to Good, and sometimes poor, but then it switches to 6 Mbps and it goes up to Very Good. So, it seems that I am on range, but I cannot connect.
The problem seems to be that the router doesn't give me an IP address. It does give an IP to my sister computer which is connected thru the RJ-45 port.
Satuday I used Static IP instead, and I could connect, but on Sunday I was chatting and what I wrote didn't reach to the other person, while I could still read what that person was writting. So I decided to check to the web, and I could not even surf to google. I restarted the PC and I couldn't connect anymore to anything.
I thought that maybe a neighboor has W-b too and was using my connection since I didn't have time to set up the WEP yet, but in that case I would see his SSID right??
Anyhow, I have tried using WEP and Still I cannot connect. I would think I have a weak link but it show good health in the signal. So it is more like Windows doesn't recognize the wireless as a valid Internet connection. Any suggestions??
For the WEP I changed the SSID, I use 64bits HEX key, and a different channel than the default. All this settings are the same in the router as in my computer. So why I can't connect??
I had similar problems at work setting up other Wireless systems, so I guess there must be something I am doing wrong or forgetting.
BTW, for the WEP it is necesary to put the 4 keys?? Why are there 4 keys??

[Big Booger]

defective hardware?

Try to get a replacement unit?

Could be either the router is screwed or the PCI card, or a combination of both.

But if the router routes fine to another machine, then suspect the PCI as the culprit.

Also,
did you check your router logs to see what happened during the chat conversation that caused the drop?

I use adhoc when I connect and I have activated WEP.. which you should only have to do once.
:P

Try resetting everything and starting over from scratch. This time, have a look at this article below:

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone/columns/bowman/02april08.asp


You'll want to make sure you're connected before enabling WEP.. That is the key.
:P

[Dehcbad25]

I was connected before using WEP
I took WEP off and I am connected again
I tried to connect with a laptop and I could not connect either
I will try more later. It is been pretty busy at the office, so I have little time to fool around with the connection
:p

[Big Booger]

So the problem seemingly would be with WEP and not necessarily with the connection....

Is that what you are saying?

[Dehcbad25]

Well, last night when I arrived home the connection was dead again, even thought I don't WEP yet. I restarted the router this morning and it was working again :(

[Big Booger]

Do you own a cordless phone? Perhaps something is interfering with the wireless access???

Check your wireless card too.. it could be damaged.

[Dehcbad25]

Strange. Now it connects using WEP. and I have been connected for 3 days straight. So it is fixed (alone :confused:)