Wacky Windows or Crazy Router?

[LimeiBook86]

I have a Intel iMac (Early 2006) with the latest version of BootCamp installed, running Windows XP SP2 Pro, and Mac OS X 10.4.8. Everything runs fine by itself. Mac OS X runs great, and so does Windows but, the problem I'm having is after I come back from Windows XP.

After I select Shutdown or Restart in Windows the computer restarts fine into Mac OS X. The only problem is I can't connect to my wireless network. I'm using a Linksys WTRG54 Wireless Router. Not only will the iMac not connect to the network, it won't even see it! Neither will my PowerBook or my Brother's iBook. So it seems like whatever is happening Windows is messing up my router. I've had plenty of PCs on the network before and I've had no problems.

To fix the problem I have to go upstairs and unplug the router, when I plug it back in everything is fine. This happens about 90% of the time when I restart from Windows XP into Mac OS X via BootCamp. So I don't know if it's a Windows issue, if it's a router issue, or what's happening. My only guess is that it's an IP conflict but...that wouldn't cause the router to mess up that bad...both machines are setup as DHCP.

Any help would be great

 

[Rodimus Prime]

I would blame the router. I could see the router have issues trying to figure out what to do with a computer that has the same MAC address but a different computer name and it gets stuck in a loop trying to figure out give it the correct IP. It more than likely a mistake in the code for the router but if you think about it. It an issue you would never really expect the router to have to deal with.

 

[Shadow]

Shutdown then startup instead of reboot?

EDIT: Rodimus Prime; your answer is logical. Because when you reboot the machine does not actually totally power down (as opposed to actually shutting down) it will have the same MAC address (although it will always have the same MAC address) the router thinks the Mac has just changed its mane suddenly and without warning (as opposed to when you change it in OS X or XP), and therefore gets stuck when configuring a new IP address.