I have a Sony Vaio laptop with a factory installed wireless card. I have Cable DSL and a Netgear wireless router. We have a secure wireless connection at the house. The computer is set up to detect the network automatically and connect to it automatically when I am booting up at home.

Until I started taking my computer to work, all was fine with no connection issues.

At work, I have an usecure wireless connection. This is also set up to be automatic connectivity. At work, the computer has no trouble connecting to the network. Never has.

The trouble starts at home. After I have used my computer at work with the wireless network there, I find that I have to reset my home system by turning the router and cable modem OFF in order to access the Internet. When I click on "View Available Networks" at home, my home network is detected (with excellent signal strength, too), but I cannot connect unless I reboot the router and modem. Rebooting my computer does NOT work, nor does clicking on "Repair" (which disables and then enables the wireless card) in the wireless settings window.

Funnily enough, when I turn off my computer at home and then use it again later that day, my home network is seen and connects, assuming I have not taken my machine to work between my connection attempts at home

It is almost as if connecting to the network at work somehow changes some setting that is reset when I reboot the modem and router at home. OR, it could be a security issue, as the home network is secure and the work one is not.

I have, however, taken my computer to hotels and conected to unsecure networks there without trouble connecting when I return home, however.

Colleagues at work have not had this problem and the IT guys have no idea what is going on. I don't mind rebooting the network at home, I guess, but I should not have to...

Help!