Why does my new laptop keep dropping the wireless internet connection?

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BigD

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First I thought this problem was internal and so I swapped it out for a new laptop and the problem keeps persisting where every 15-20 mins I have to disconnect and reconnect to the network in my house. I am running a D-Link G router on a 1.5meg connection. The laptop is a new 15.4" HP and we are in close proximity to the router with strong signal strength. However when the laptop gets disconnected, my desktop keeps working fine, so it is not my house's internet connection. Could this be a combination of the new laptop not liking the router, or another case of windows vista not being compatible with wireless networks? This is really frustrating as I didn't want to spend $700+ on a laptop where I have to disconnect and reconnect to my network every 15 minutes without fail. Does anyone have any advice in troubleshooting this issue? Thanks in advance.
The wireless card on the laptop supports 802.11G and I live in a subdivision with very strong cell phone service with a tower less than a couple blocks away. I believe the D-Link G router is about 2+ years old (it was my buddy's old one) and the dektop that is running through is 5 years old. I hope this additional info helps. So am I safe to assume it is not my laptop but my home network?
 
It All Depends On If There Is A Cell Tower Where You Live? B/c Laptops Are Ran Off Of Cell Towers
 
You need to investigate Channels.

Wireless A,B and G all have configurable Channels that allow the frequency in which they talk to be offset from eachother slightly this means a network can avoid interference from another wireless network by changing its frequency slightly, its channel.

It should be of note that the Wireless N draft protocol has 2 fixed channels and thus cannot have two such network co-exist in a geographically similar location.

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I suspect it is interference. A method to test this would be to take your wireless router to a friends house with your laptop and attempt to transfer files to and from your laptop at their physical location (you probably wont get internet as the exchange is physically connected to your home phone line). If your network is stable at your friends house then thats a confirmation of interference. If the laptop is still unstable maybe a driver issue.
 
It could be the router not supporting the laptops WNIC card speed.
 
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