The Forgotten wrote:

I am running a Belkin wireless g router with my desktop (desktop has
belkin usb dongle thing to pick up wireless signal) no probs.
[...]
I have enabled the wireless bit on the laptop and it either searches and
spends ages `aquiring the network` or it fails to locate the network (even
though it is less than 10ft away)

Belkin makes absolutely terrible routers and is probably the source of your
problem. I had similar problems at a friend's house with their Belkin
router. Nothing would get it to work with my not-Belkin wifi card (theirs
worked fine, they use a Belkin card). They also happened to have a spare
Linksys WRT router laying around, though: Replacing the Belkin router
caused the problem to go away immediately.