Vista - Can't get second laptop to successfully connect to internet?!

Hi, i have a problem with my internet connection...

Basically i have been trying to connect to wireless internet my Mother-In-Laws house where i am currently staying, when it automatically connects it all looks fine until you try to access any website and the whole connection just goes down and i don't understand why?! When it goes off it will immediately try to re-connect, aquire ip address and then connect with and then disconnect again and just does this in circles.

In the diagnostics, if i try to repair, it says -there might be a problem with one or more network adaptors on this computer and then tells me to plug a cable into the network adaptor "local area connection"- I'm not exactly hot with computers and don't understand what this means at all lol

On the computer i am on now, which is the main one in the house, the connection is fine and doesn't break up.

Someone please help cos i'm going insane

Thanks!!

There is a lot of information missing here. First off lets get the hardware out of the way. What kind of laptop are you using, and what kind of router does you MIL have?

Second, the Vista repair message you are getting is suggesting you try using a WIRED connection versus a WIRELESS connection. If this is a plausible option, then by all means do so. I prefer a wired connection over a wireless (wireless G that is), but in most cases it's not an available option.

Another thing that could be a factor is the position of the laptop relative to the location of the router. Some routers just don't have a very good signal strength, and if you're a floor below and a few rooms away from the router, you will notice attenuation in your connection, and possibly the up and down that you are experiencing.