Unstable and sometimes slow connection

Presumably the poor connection is wireless as you've posted in this section ?

You should try to optimise your reception and avoid interference.

1) raise the router above furniture level
2) Experiment with channels (some will work better or worse depending on your environment)
3) If you can detect strong neighbouring wifi, use a channel 5 stops away from strongest.
4) Relocate cordless phone base or video sender etc.
5) Be prepared to move the computer (or at least turn it so your body is not between the router signal and the wireless adapter's antenna.

it is wireless
1 the router upstarirs the one with poor connection downstairs so it should be high enough
2 i have tried ch. 1, 6, and 11
3 not sure what you mean
4 I have done so and no rel difference
5 i may have to try this

"3 not sure what you mean"

If you live in the country you may not have any neighbours within range but where I am in London I can detect over 20. Most are not likely to conflict but annoyingly there are some within range of our router and some in range of my computer (which is some distance from the router).

The issue is that there can be interference from those on the same channel as you are using (say channel 6) and also from those on channels adjoining (2,3,4,5 and 7,8,9,10) so there are actually less usable channels than advertised. So if you detect neighbours, choose a channel at least 5 stops away, a channel that also works well in your environment (it's a physics thing).

i going to try to clarify

i have 2 laptops 1 desktop

1 laptop runs win 7 both hard wired and wireless works

the other laptop runs kubuntu 10.10 both hard wired and wireless works

my desktop runs win xp wireless works but not full speed

i know its not the wireless adapter as i have tried MANY
we have considered upgrading to win 7 though not sure if it would fix the problem

Regardless of what some people may claim and the makers may imply, wireless is always slower than wired -- it's a duplex system so the claimed speeds can be halved, realistically.

Win 7 seems to have good wireless capabilities -- possibly because the drivers are more recent than those for XP/Vista.

But first look at whether your router is on the optimum channel (as above).

Verizon told us it should be set to channel 11 so I did that
and even you wireless is slower which I agree with my laptop that runs kubuntu uses wireless and gets full speed

I really think I should switch win 7 because it's a decent system Pentium D 4gb ram and I already bought a copy earlier

Verizon's advice to stick to chan 11 is only based on the default they set the router to. You can always change that if you have the instructions for setting it up -- or a copy of the maker's manual (usually available to download from CD or from maker's website).

There's really no great reason to move from XP to Win7 -- in fact it will cause as many new problems as it solves. There are some clever touches but it's just an operating system -- Vista with some of the bugs ironed out and a new skirt and top. Then there's the money.

heres what my laptops get


they both get like the same thing

heres what my desktop gets