help: airport connects to wrong network

I'm running a regular airport card on a 900 MHz G3 iBook with OS X 10.3.8. Sometimes - but not all the time - when I wake the computer from sleep or otherwise re-initialize the wireless connection, the computer connects to the wrong wireless network in my building. Presumably someone else's in the building.

I'd rather not do this for two reasons:

1) The signal for the wrong network is weak. Often, I get poor or nonexistant connectivity.

2) Just doesn't seem right. If I'm paying for DSL, I want to use it, ya know?

So, how do I force my mac to connect to my network? Two things you should know:

1) I've already used the Network System Preference to join my "specific network" by default. But it still usually connects to the wrong network.

2) The wrong network in question has an SSID of <default> which I think might be gumming up the works.

Really, all I want to do is force my mac to connect to my network or blacklist the wrong network it keeps connecting to. Any advice?

thanks.

 

No. In fact, the signal is significantly weaker.

 

No encryption on either my router or the other guy's.

 

1.5 seconds!? Are you kidding!? That's entirely too much!

Actually, this is basically what I do now. It's obviously not a BIG deal, but still a pain. Four reasons why I think I ought to be able to fix this (can you tell I'm big on lists?):

1) It's a pain because Adium starts to connect on the wrong network and sometimes succeeds. Switching to the right network just makes Adium clunky.

2) There's a specific setting in the System Preferences that should fix this. It doesn't. Why?

3) It just doesn't seem very Apple to have your wireless card just connect to random networks when you don't want to.

4) What else will I obsess over if not every nook and cranny of my iBook? I mean...come on!

 

I kinda already tried that. At least wanted to see if there was anything un-invasive I could do. But, alas, the bad network in question is dumb enough to use <default> as the SSID, but not dumb enough to forgo an admin password.