Internet through ad-hoc wireless keeps dropping

[chssvl]

Hi! New to the forum.

I've just set up my small home wireless network. I have a desktop PC with Win XP SP2 pro for which I just bought a MSI PC 54G2 wireless PCI card. I have access to the internet through this computer by a DSL USB-only modem.

The other one is a laptop (a compaq presario 2108US) with built in wireless networking capabilities and Win XP home SP2.

I managed to set up the wireless ad-hoc network and now I'm sharing files, printers and the internet connection. But I'm having some problems with the latter. The connection in the laptop comes and goes every time. For instance, when I use trillian on the laptop the MSN connection keeps dropping. And when this happens I can't load any pages.

Funny thing is that it seems that this can be avoided sometimes as long as I have permanent network activity. For instance, if I play an MP3 on the laptop from the desktop or by downloading files and such. But as soon as any constant network activity ceases I come back to the same problem.

Any suggestions?

Thanks

[M/Q]

You may want to read the sticky about Wireless Zero Configuration at the beginning of this section. It could be a multitude of issues. The fact that it happens more when you are not as active maybe WZC trying to associate with a different wireless network in your area. Are there any other available networks? Have you tried different channels?

Ad Hoc networks are not anywhere as stable as Infrastructure, have you given any thought of replacing the DSL USB modem with an DSL Ethernet modem and getting a wireless router or access point?

Do you have encryption enabled? If so what happens when you have it off?