What operating systems do your other machines have? Do you encrypt your wireless? Do you have mac filtering? Is your wireless router password protected (besides the default)? If not then someone may have tampered with your settings. From changing your DHCP settings to limiting the total possible connections.

You could try resetting your wireless router, or repairing your wireless connection (is that available in 2000?). You could also just try disabling your wireless connection and re-enabling it.

If you supply us with more information we will be able to help you much better, I'm not trying to be mean, just helpful .

Hope this helps

Shane McP

me and my hubby and boys

Although you may think it is just it probably isn't. Your neighbors, someone on the street, anyone going by with a wireless card can see your wireless signal, and connect to it. Once they are connected, all they have to do is find their default gateway and type it into an internet browser and it will redirect they to your wireless router configuration screen. There are even programs that will eliminate the only small steps that are inbetween finding the address they need to connect to.

If you don't have any password set, they won't even have to try to guess. They can then set up mac filtering or encryption themselves and block you out! They could do anything they wanted is my point, so even if you don't want to mess around with WEP or MAC authentication, set a password on your router!

The other problem with not encrypting your data is you make it that much easier for the black van sitting outside your house to get your credit card info when you send the data through the air. Sure there are other layers of encryption, but without your wireless being encrypted, its that much easier. People that commit identity theft and steal credit card numbers are looking for people in your situation to take advantage of. I am aware I may sound a little paranoid but it does happen.