Internet Connection Problems

[Beukeboom]

Up until a few days ago we had three computers in which each had their own individual modem. Due to the fact that paying for three different modems was just too much, we decided to get rid of two modems and keep one. So we purchased a broadband router. So we have the modem connected to the router, and then we have each of the three computers connected to the router. All three computers have a connection to the internet, however, the connection seems to skip. By this I mean that the computers seem to lose connection temporarily. For example, on AIM, out of the blue, a dialog appears saying "Attempting to reconnect..." This happens three to six times an hour. The same thing happens on gaming servers. Except the gaming servers don't have an auto-reconnect function, so I simply just get disconnected. If anyone knows what the cause of this could be and knows how to fix it, please let me know.
I'm new to all this router stuff. I don't know too much about them. What I do know is that the signal shouldn't be skipping like this. I've spoken to a bunch of online friends who have a similar network setup as me, however, they don't have this problem.
Also, I was looking for a couple of opinions from anyone who is experienced in this sort of thing. Before I ask the question, let me explain what computer-life is like in this house. As I already explain, we have three computers in the house. One of the computers is used very seldom. It's only for my mom who needs to e-mail or occasionally browse the web for something. However, it is a completely different story when it comes to the other two computers. My dad and I are HEAVY gamers. He's always playing Everquest or one of his RPG games and I'm always on XBConnect (a popular server which allows online play of Xbox games) or I'm playing some sort of RTS game (such as StarCraft, WarCraft, Age of Mythologies, etc.). Chances are, if we are home, we are on the computer playing our games. So here is where I want your opinions. Considering our computer lifestyle, would it be worth it to keep two modems and pay the extra thirty-five dollars a month and just share a connection between one of our computers and my mom's computer (the one that is seldom even used). Or does sharing the connection between me and my dad even make a difference on gameplay (lag). I think it does, it seems as if lag has been worse, but then again, it's hard to tell if it's the actual sharing of the connection that is causing this lag or if it's just a bad host.
I'm also open to any suggestions on how we should network our home so that it's as efficient as possible for all of us.
One last thing: I have so many different questions about routers and networks in general that it would be quite difficult to discuss them on a forum. So if anyone is willing to educate me =) my AIM screen name is Se77imo VII. I'd really like to chat real-time with someone who knows a lot about this stuff so that I can learn easier. Thanks for all your help. I really appreciate it

 

[TomaHawK]

what kinda connection have you got to the internet?
ever tried to make a traceroute to one of them gameservers?
yes, lag can increase if you and your dad are playing, a little packet loss in games like everquest, can mean some "heavy lag". There is no need in having an additional modem if that was your question, if the network is setup correctly and the broadbandconnection (ADSL?? Cable??? 10mbit???) is stable then there is absolutely no need for that modem, you probably won´t even noticing that your mom is mailing or browsing, unless she is mailbömbing your relatives or browses some fancy sites. you have to get more technical =) e.g. what connection and how your network looks like.