Mac fails to connect to non-Apple wireless network (& changing channel?)

[sorry to post this in two forums - I think I posted it in the wrong one before]
I have a wireless network set up from a Netgear wireless router. My Windows XP computer automatically connects to the network every time. But my Mac (OS X 10.4.11) only connects about 50% of the time. The rest of the time it says "None of your trusted wireless networks could be found." Then when I click the airport icon in top right and select the network from the list, it says "There was an error joing the Airport network [network name]." When I click "Try again" a few times, it sometimes eventually connects, but other times it fails repeatedly. It is completely unpredictable.
I have been looking for solutions on the internet. Lots of other people have problems connecting Macs to non-Apple wireless networks. But no one else seems to have this exact problem: my Mac connects some of the time, but not all. Anyone have any suggestions?
(One idea I found was to change the channel that the Mac tries to use. How do I do this? I can't find "channel" anywhere under System Preferences - Network - Airport.)
All OSs are fully updated, so that is not the problem.

I travel extensively, and both my I-Mac G5 and Intel MacBook are very inconsistent in this regard. I do not think it is a router issue given the variety of networks I try to access. Additionally frustrating once a connection is made is that Internet Connect or Network Status will say I am connected to the Internet via Airport, yet Safari and Mail say I am not connected to the Internet.
Network Diagnostics has never had an answer. More often than not i end up using my cellular card. but the Mac often has issues with that too... sporadic like first poster describes.
George

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