Using a Belkin Wirleless G Universal Range Extender Model F5D7132 between a Netgear Router and a Toshiba Laptop. The signal strength is 4 bars,but 90% of the connects it will not connect to the internet. When it does connect it too often causes IE not to connect. The Toshiba worked just fine off of a router connected to fios prior to this.I am in a RV park that does not have a direct line of sight at my site, however with just 1 bar the toshiba witout the range extender will connect! I am afraid I got a little crazy and played with every network setting on the Toshiba laptop and now need directions to restore them!!! The Toshiba has a Atheos AR5005G Wireless Network Adaptor.
I've had alot of issues with Range Extenders, basically the problem with them is usually they they can't find the access point. If the laptop shows 4 bars, it is more than likely the range extender it is seeing and not the router. The Range extender must then see the router, if the signal from the router is weak, then the range extender might not see it, and therefore the connection could drop and reconnect, even though your laptop thinks the signal is strong
I've been looking into Netgear routers and depending on the kind of router you have my suggestion to you would be to ditch the range extender and beef up the antenna on the router. Most routers you can attach different antenna, which you can purchase depending on type for around $50 and on the high end about $300. I was having this same issue with my back bedroom and i purchased a range extender and had more trouble with it than I wanted, so I took it bank and picked up stronger antennas and this has been working now for over two years
