Gateway 3550gz wireless problem

I have comcast broadband. I'am only about 5 feet from my router when i connect with my 3550gz. The connection will start out at 54 mbps and the drop to 1.0 mbps. I have the centrino technology. I have the pro wireless card and the wireless G linksys router. I thought the router was going bad and bought a new router. Still the same. I thought it might be the laptop, but my son has the same one i do and his does the same thing on his wireless. Any thoughts or anyone know if this model laptop has these problems?

Thanks

 

I am very curious if you are saying that this problem occurs at the same time and in the same location for both notebooks. This sort of makes me wonder if you have an interference issue, either with a microwave oven, a 2.4 GHz portable phone, or a neighbor's router.

The below link is to Gateway's support pages for your machine. If you are still in warranty, I would give them a call.

http://support.gateway.com/s/Mobile/Gateway/3000Series/4995nv.shtml

 

If it's the Intel 2200b/g wireless, check out the wireless forum here. There's a huge discussion of this problem - new drivers helped me over the problem. However, using Intel's installation, it still didn't actually install the new drivers - I had to do it manually. Now, the lowest I get is 24, and that's when I'm across the house and upstairs, or sitting outside.

 

Linksys have anything to say about this?