I'm typing this on my laptop downstairs because my new best friend and all round top bloke, falconcy, visited me today and sorted out all my problems. Well, I still need to play the piano better, and I'm not too happy with my hairdresser, but there wasn't much he could do about that.

He could, however, fix my WiFi connection and this he did with grace, humour, kindness and a great deal of clever stuff that I didn't always follow, but for which I am eternally grateful.

Thank you, thank you, thank you - and you even made the sun shine again during the visit. A true miracle worker.

I'm hoping that someone will take pity on me, and help me out with my wiFi connection as I'm on the verge of changing providers and maybe even throwing all my technology out of the window.............

I'm with Cyta, have the grey Thomson modem, and the Home2000 package. I use the internet for the usual browsing and e-mails and, like everyone else, would like to be able to use my laptop and Ipod Touch anywhere in the house and garden.

We live in the usual concrete and steel construction, so I'm aware that the fact that the Thomson box is upstairs connected to the PC, means that the intervening floor and walls act as a Faraday cage when trying to connect to the internet downstairs.

So, I bought a Devolo kit http://www.pcworld.co.uk/gbuk/devolo-1383-dlan-highspeed-ii-starter-kit-00939029-pdt.html
which works well. I used to have a Linksys repeater and router but when the repeater burnt out, it was far too expensive to replace so bought this item instead.

My problem is that I have been having connection issues with the WiFi for a few months now. Cyta always blame my laptop (it's the standard response) but are then silenced when I tell them that both laptops and my iTouch work excellently on any other wireless network except my own. It's so bad that the laptops can't even connect to the internet when in the same room as the Thomson box/PC. Even the Cyta engineer seemed a bit nonplussed by that one.

The box has been swapped for a new (reconditioned) one, after which I had to spend a delightful three hours on Cyta's helpline trying to get it to work (security settings were apparently incorrect, and hadn't been tested by the installing engineer) but it's still hopeless.

It's got to the stage where I will change providers if Cyta don't get this sorted out - but before I contact them for one last time, does anybody have any advice, or can you shed any light on this? Is it normal to be able to detect a WiFi network from three feet away, but not be able to connect to it? Ironically, we can connect downstairs due to the Devolo equipment, but only intermittently as the signal keeps dropping out.

I'd be so very grateful for any advice or help you can offer - and would be thankful if you could treat me as an idiot who knows nothing! That way, I might understand any kind replies.

Many thanks