Windows XP
Netgear USB Wifi Stick
Sky BB Router

For some reason every now and again my main PC will fail to connect to the home network. It can see the network as it still comes up in the available networks window, and is listed as Automatic. But it simply wont connect.

The only way I can get it to connect again is to remove the USB stick and plug it into a different USB socket. This will then work for maybe 7-14 days, then it will refuse to connect again.

At some point I will be going over to a partially wired network with Homeplugs, but in the mean time this is doing my head in.

None of the other laptops/wireless devices are affected and will happily connect, so Im thinking its definitely the PC, I just cant figure out why.

Any ideas?

it could be 1. Security setting on your router
2. A Problem with your OS drivers for your USB ports
4. Dodgy USB Dongle

I would if i were you go and buy an internal wifi card from somewhere, a)PLus you get the added bonus of freeing up a USB port.

Other than that you could see if you have the latest firmware for your router.

maybe also worth clearing you internet cache and tempory files.

Do you have any other USB devices connected at the same time? As USB is current limited, so if you have a lot of devices its quite easy to overload the USB Hub and loose a device or two.

Its onboard USB, not a hub. And the only other USB device is a wireless keyboard/mouse.

There will be a USB hub device, its internal to your computer It breaks out on the motherboard to your USB ports. Check in the device manager, "USB Root Hub" is the fellow.

Keyboard and Mouse shouldn't be enough to freak it out though.

Ah ok. I understand. Where all the connections come off the board.

Just to clarify, does it loose the entire network connection (ie. your network name is no longer found) or does the offending PC stay actually connected, but just can't access the internet?

(if that makes sense)

It can still see the network name, but isnt connected to it.
Its not possible to access the internet, and its not possible for another PC to access the files stored on it.

Hmm. Curious.

I'd eliminate the USB card next, personally. They can be a royal pain.

Typical actually, I threw a Netgear internal Wi-Fi card away a few weeks ago as I didn't have drivers for Windows 7.