Wireless internet not working at my house when I use my laptop

I am using a laptop for wireless internet (Dell D610). I have no problem using wireless internet at my school and in other places, but at my house, I can’t browse the internet. The router at my house has a strong signal (4 or 5 bars) and when I try to connect to it, it says that I am connected, but when I open up the internet browser, I can’t get online. The router is in a room right next to mine and it is on the same floor. It is a Linksys WRT54G2 router.

When I go to the network connections folder, for the wireless network connection icon, it says “not connected, firewalled.” I can still browse the internet, though (at places other than my house).

What is the problem here? What can I do to make the internet work?

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'm the only one that uses wireless. If the problem is my laptop's connection settings, what could be the problem? Why would I be able to access the school's wireless internet and not the one in my house?

Another thing that I want to mention- I can't connect to other routers in the neighborhood either (the ones that aren't secured). It just doesn't connect (but for the router in my house, it connects). But my roommate told me that a bunch of people have connected to this one guy's router.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

I'll try using the ethernet cable as a last resort.

I just tried it with my pc, and it connects, but then it says "acquiring network address" and it stays there permanently and never actually connects to the internet.

Another thing- I don't know if this is important, but the computer that is connected to the router is running windows 98. It is also using DSL.

How ya doing, buddy?

If I connect my laptop to the modem, I have to unplug the router, right? When I plug it back in, will I have to reset it or change settings?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

What's power cycling and how do you do it?

I was speaking idiomatically.

I plugged my laptop directly into the router using an ethernet cable and the internet instantly worked and it was very fast.

Does that help isolate the problem?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?