Macbook Pro will not reliably connect to our wifi router - any suggestions?!

Hi
My partner has recently bought a second-hand (but fully functional) Macbook Pro running OS X 10.5.8 to set up in our home office.
Our wireless router is not in the same room (it's in the living room via the hallway) but no other computer or device in the house has any problems detecting and connecting to the router.
My partner's pc netbook and my iPhone 4S connect fine all through the flat. My iMac (located in the office) also has no problems.
We have managed to get the Pro connected to the internet wirelessly a couple of times in the living room (although not all the time) but as soon as it is moved into the office the connection cannot be found or successfully connected to.
Can't help but think that there's some little setting or something that we've not done that is causing the problem - seems odd that all the other devices connecting have never had any issues! I'm not completely technically minded, but have had enough experience with computers to feel fairly confident on them - just wondered if anyone might be able to suggest anything?
The Network Preferences pages don't seem to be any help to me - I've tried several things in there that would usually help to rectify a troublesome connection.
Any help or advice would be so much appreciated - my partner bought this Macbook Pro to replace her netbook and a reliable online connection is paramount as she is designing websites etc. with it!
Thanks,
Jimbanzee

Hi JohnTh
Thanks for your suggestion (and apologies that it's taken forever for me to try this out and get back to you)!
I think I've done what you suggested but I think my lack of computer knowledge is letting me down as it did not work.
I went to Network in System Preferences whilst connected to the internet via Ethernet cable, and managed to connect to my router, I then locked the changes, removed the cable and then restarted but straight away upon logging in, it had lost the changes and was unable to find the wireless connection.
To be honest, it will not always find it when the ethernet cable is plugged in - in fact, I've witnessed it go from green light connection, having found the router and getting an ip address to amber without the ip address to not being able to locate the router (all whilst still plugged in on ethernet) within the space of about two minutes!
I'm a bit hazy on the details of your suggestion when you say:
Go to the wireless setup from here, and change the name to something that you can recognise. Make sure that it is password protected. Save it so that it'll write itself to its flash memory (your network will briefly not work).
I went to the Network page of System Preferences straight away - is there somewhere else I should do the wireless setup? Our wireless connection is (as it is on my iMac which connects fine wirelessly) protected with a WPA2 Personal password.
How do I save it so that the setup will write itself to it's flash memory? Sorry not sure where this is!
I have also tried to remove the 'remembered' network from the advanced airport settings using the '-' button and then adding it '+' back in, but this also does not seem to work.
We are planning on upgrading the operating system from 10.5.8 once we can get a secure connection - my partner is happy that she can connect to the internet via Ethernet cable but she is wanting to sell her PC netbook (in order to part fund the purchase of the Macbook Pro) and she's not happy to do so until she can connect wirelessly successfully!
Finally, thanks for all your help and suggestions - really appreciate it and hope to find a solution!
Jimbanzee

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