Belkin N+ after very good service has begun dropping Internet connection

I have had this Belkin Wireless N+ router since April of last year and it has been always worked well however recently it has been dropping the internet connection a lot. I have a cable modem.

We have 4 computers connecting wirelessly to the router, a vonage vportal device connected directly to it and recently a 4 blackberry phones connect to it as well. As of today, the internet connection is being dropped constantly, with the blue globe indicator light flashing whenever this happens. A quick restart of the router temporarily fixes this however within a 10 minute span the connection will be gone again.

If another computer is directly connected to the modem, the internet works for that computer.

What could be potential problems with this connection between the router and the modem?

 

Update: On unplugging and plugging the router, it has reset itself, now it acts like it just came from the factory with the name and all. Belkin_etc etc

It is no longer working with a traditional WEP password it seems, a WPA-preshared key seems to be going good so far.

Think this router needs to be retired. Anyone with any advice before I contribute to the e-waste that is taking place in the world?

 

Yeah sounds like it bit the dust

It might be overheating though

whats the error rate on the wireless tx/rx?

 

Not sure, how do I check that? via the router or my wireless computer?

But even so, its not just a disconnect of the wireless, its a total internet disconnect. Meaning that even the v-portal that is Ethernet connected to it is losing the connection.

The router is also in a very cool and ventilated area. So I'm not too sure about the overheating unless a component inside it is fried.

Update: Its doing the same dropping of the net on the pre-shared key as well.
I think this is it.

Any advice on a good wireless N router with gigabit ethernet?

 

Should be in the router GUI. Do a hard reset or upgrade firmware before throwing it away.

D-Link DIR 655 or Linksys WRT320N

 

Thanks for the suggetions. Did both of those things already (in fact, it hard reset itself those times I was talking about) and still doing the same crap.

I'll tweak with it in my spare time and use it as a backup if needed, but for now, I need my net constantly up, so I'll take your suggestions for routers very much into my purchasing considerations.

Thanks.