I'm sorry, I am new to wireless computing. I have had my netbook and router less than a year. I do not know the proper terms. I set up the router and network security stuff and set the laptop to connect automatically and haven't given it another thought. I have never taken my netbook "on the road" so when we drove out of town to my parents house, I brought it. When I tried to connect to my mother's network it asked for a password, it may have said Key, she told me two that she uses and they didn't work. HER laptop is set to connect automatically too and she has no idea what the password is to let me on to her network. If it is going to be a big ordeal to figure out her password, I won't bother but when I get home I'm going to have to figure out my own. I am more likely to have someone come over with their laptop than my mother. I did read your advice to tape it to the router but I think I already forgot it by then. OOPS

I also have the Verizon USB connection and its terrific! Dialup is the only choice in my area for internet connections except for satellite which is way more costly. Besides I travel alot and the USB connection allows me to go anywhere there is a signal for Verizon. Each USB device has its own phone number just like a cell phone and includes "Nation Wide Coverage" which means no long distance charges if you are using it out of your area. The broadband speed is sooooo much faster then dialup and only at peak hours do I ever have less then full bars. Which by the way has never really slowed down my connection speed having less bars. At home I can go from the desktop to the laptop with ease and freedom and being able to have an internet connection while traveling in the motorhome is such a convenience!

Do you know the brand name of the router and model # in case we need it. If he had the router set up in his home the router should have retained the settings that he had. Unplugging it does not cause these settings to be lost. So go ahead a connect it. Also, can my aunt somehow still have her own laptop connected to the modem by the cable (i.e. "wired") while the other laptop outside uses the wireless router ? Yes that's how I do it here. Remember her connection will come from the router port, right now I would think she is connected directly to the Modem. You will need 1 cable to connect the Modem to the router any Ethernet cable will do.You will pull her cable out of the modem and plug it into 1 of the available router ports. You may have to go through a power down sequence of the modem an router, then verify she can connect by going to www.Google.com. Then see if he can connect too on the wireless signal.

that link scanner has been a big problem in AVG at various times, I would try doing as one person suggested and disable that link scanner from AVG and see if that works. AVG in their FAQ in fact tells how to install AVG with out the link scanner since it causes so many problems. Frequently Asked Questions this is the reply I am referring to by ripling "I tracked my particular problem to AVG 9 , specifically the AVG Active Surf-Shield in their LinkScanner, I unticked that & all has been fine since apart from not having that particular component of AVG available to use." Of course you can always try reverting back to an earlier version of Firefox which it seems many there have done and it seems to go back to normal. do you have the no script add on in your firefox by chance? I see in some threads there may be an issue with it causing a similar problem, however the most recent update of no script supposedly fixes it. from over on BBR I found this comment "tool>options>security uncheck block reported attack sites and block reported web forgeries. restart firefox and see if that helps" There is a new release candidate of firefox that you can give a try if you want to do that, see if it makes any difference new Firefox! seems to be a problem many are trying to find a cure for and none I have seen is the end all be all fix, some things work for some not for others. Those are so difficult to dig out the root cause.