Wireless Timing Out, DNS Trouble! HELP??

I am simple when it comes to all this technology, so Im basically lost here. I have Belkin wireless utility, & up til yesterday it picked up a free netgear unsecured wireless server from a shopping center behind us just fine, 24/7, which is great for me because I live on SS, only $600 a month for now.

But i had to reboot yesterday & when i came back,i couldnt connect to netgear. It just didnt show up more than half the time as an available network, & then it would connect & then fall off. Signal was weak.

I repositioned my modem & it would then connect, but then all the sites i tried to visit would show as unable to be reached, after an infuriatingly slow connection. Sometimes there are spurts of speed & connection, & then back to the same web address cannot be reached, & it says that i may have no connection to the server, and/r that it may be a DNS issue & to reach th adminisrator of the serve which is impossible as its a public free network.

However, the Belkin icon shows a "good" signal, & that i am connected to Netgear.

I run Windows XP home edition, version 2002, service pack 3, on an older HP Pavilion desktop, sempron (AMD 3000+), with 1.25 GB ram, & 1.81 GHz Not much, i know, but its what I got for now & its better than nothing at all, & believe me, I've had nothing at all before, homeless on the street & starving, so Im grateful for what God's given me.

What else can I tell anyone to help me fix this issue, PLEASE?? Im dying to repair this problem.

 

If you are running Windows XP/Vista/7, go to CONTROL PANEL > NETWORK and run the network troubleshooter. If it asks what type of problem you're having, run the network adapter and Internet connection diagnostics: I've had similar issues before with a 5-bar (excellent) signal; troubleshooter has normally solved them by resetting the network adapter.

If this fails (or the problem keeps repeating) and your PC is a notebook, go to a spot offering free Wi-Fi (Starbucks, the local library, etc.) and try connecting there. If you have a desktop PC and are using an external (USB connected) Wi-Fi adapter, unplug the adapter, take it to a friend's house who has their own Wi-Fi and test the adapter on their PC. If the connection is still poor and/or keeps disconnecting, it points to a possible failure of your PC's Wi-Fi Adapter.

If you end up having to replace the adapter, here are a few good choices that won't break the bank:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833210002&Tpk=patriot usb

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16833168061
(this model is has higher power plus an external antenna - the best choice for picking up distant signals)

Hope these tips help.