Networking & wireless forum: Wireless connection frustrations; IBM T42; XP

Been having very frustrating issues with my wireless connection. I have the exact same problem everywhere I bring the laptop, so it has to be the PC rather than a router. I have had IBM come and change the wireless card itself 2x, so the problem isn't the card, either. I am having Windows control the connections rather than IBM Access Connections, which I haven't run for years.

The wireless will connect to the network I choose (same issues whether encrypted or not). It will start at top speed, then will get slower, and then will randomly jump off the network. Sometimes it will reconnect on its own after a few seconds. It's annoying because it is long enough to kick me out of a download or gmail or whatever, but it is OK enough because it comes back. Sometimes, once it comes back it will then stay connected at a low speed (it claims a strong connection, but pages load slowly) for a random period of time. Or, it will remain connected, but at totally variable speeds so that pages will not load, but if I refresh at just the right moment they will.

Other times it will not reconnect, and will not allow me to reconnect it if I try. If I click on available networks, my network will still be there at full strength, but when I click on it nothing happens (connection icon stays at x). If I try to disable the connection, it tells me that I cannot disable because it is in use elsewhere by plug-and-play, but I have no idea what else could be "using" my connection. When I get stuck in this situation, either it jumps back on eventually (e.g., 30 minutes later), or I have to restart the machine. Sometimes, if I put the machine in standby/sleep, and then bring it out, it tricks it into coming back. Usually it just jumps back off in time, though.

Extremely frustrating. Any ideas?