Dell Desktop. Belkin USB Wireless. Linksys Router. Random Conn Loss.

[Jayce]

Due to the way my buddy's house is constructed, running wires just yet for the desktop isn't an option, so they just stuck in a USB wireless adapter made by Belkin. If my memory serves me, I think it was a 5070.

So he hooks up his Xbox 360 to the desktop via ethernet, and then the desktop just sits there and wirelessly transmits to the router... therefore giving his 360 internet access for online gaming. We go over today and he can't connect, yet the settings are right. I sit down at the desktop and in the lower right corner the wireless icon says connected - excellent strength. Yet... I can't get to web pages...

Here's the weird thing. My buddy said this is completely random and has been happening for the last couple months.

-There are times you can get on web sites + ping that same site.
-There are times you can't get on web sites yet you can still ping that site.
-There are times you can't do either.
-99% of the time when you can't do one of the above, the lower right wireless icon STILL says fully connected, full signal strength, excellent connection.

My first thought was the adapter was crapping out. It's a year and a half old and has been used ever since the computer was bought.

My buddy suggested ipconfig /flushdns. Is that a surefire way to fix this, or is it potentially a hardware issue?