Thanks for your swift reply!
I would like to put it higher but the cable supplied with the router isn't overly generous! It's about 2 inches long! so the router is sat next to the modem atm!
It seems weird that it's getting no signal at all, i turned the security off this morning, I also changed the channel, makes no difference, the signal strength on the laptop still shows the red circle with the line through it. The wireless light on the router is on and the aerial is screwed in tightly. i've been looking high and low all day for someone I know with a working laptop with wireless card, or a working wireless network that I can test either product on, with no luck