WLFTW,
Thanks for all the wonderful detailed information. You are very experienced in this sort of thing. I have gone through the resetting of all the router & antenna equipment....the 2 minute wait.......Monday, I finally had to call my internet provider & they came out today.

They found many problems. The huge storm we had last Thursday with all the lightening caused several power surges that effected the equipment. Luckily, my internet antenna was ok & checked out fine.....but as they continued into the house, they found at each point of connection, a bad connector which seems that they didn't go completely out, but kept getting worse & worse until they completely stopped working on Monday afternoon........The guys from my internet company worked their way all the way to the router which I use for my wireless laptop rather than having to stay connected in the computer room (like I am now). The wireless router was degrading for some time now it seems as I have been having some problems for awhile (can't remember when it really started because it's hard to tell when it's the internet that's down, or my own equipment).

My internet is a wireless type of internet that is transmitted from on top of the water tower about 4 miles away from my house. My antenna picks up the signal & then is taken by cable into my house & into the router, then into my desk top or wireless into my laptop anywhere in the house. Everytime we have a storm, I seem to loose my internet because lightening always seems to take out the water tower. Even that isn't always immediate, but causes problems until if finally goes out. It isn't until the water tower is up & running & I am still having some problems that I realize I am the one having the problem. A couple years ago, the antenna broke & in the wind, would move just enough to drop the data being transmitted to it...very intermittent until it finally broke completely (not enough to see, but enough to have moved so far it quit picking up the transmission).

They replaced all the connectors that had blown out, now I just have to replace the router this month when my money from disability comes in. Also found out that the connector in my desk top is not working & needs to be replaced. Something I am sure I can do myself but just need to get the right part. More expenses that I don't need, so may wait until I have a break in my expenses the next month.