I've got a tech-question so I think it's best to post it here. Let's get the worst thing out of the way first... I "steal" my internet. I'm using wi-fi to surf on probably my neighbours network. Before that I was allowed to surf on the connection of my downstairs neighbour.

Now a strange thing is happening. I am connected to the network, I have a decent signal and connection (enough to surf at least as it has always been.. I could even game online) but for the past few days the connection apparantly means squat for my surfing online. Wether I use firefox or Iexplore I can at times not connect to the internet while the connection is there. Even weirder, my MSN works, I can still chat, just cannot browse. Sometimes I can, like now for short periods of time but I'm kicked off at times while the connection does not change.

This previously happened to my downstairs neighbour network aswell. I haven't had the chance to ask if he talked to the provider but the connectivity there hasn't been fixed yet.

Anyone got any ideas? I only have my Wi-Fi stick plugged in as of now and I have disabled my firewall though it doesn't seem to matter.

I remember my old wired internet having something similar, where I could use messenger, but not browse for some reason. turned out the thing was full of viruses that the cheap as free crap AVG couldn't delete.

Mmm viruses could very well be the issue, but I forgot to mention that my mates Mac has the same problem.

Just a word of caution, this is becoming illegal in more places and there have been arrests in some places believe it or not.

The connection to the wireless network is just that, a connection to the device providing wireless.  So as an example, if the cable modem and/or firewall were powered off, but the wireless access point was not, you still may connect to the wireless SSID, but that does not mean you have a working internet connection, as the other devices are needed to be working properly as well.

DNS is very important to browsing as well.  You can see if its a DNS issue by using opendns.com's free DNS servers for instance.  It  being a DNS issue also seems likely because you said MSN works.  It may be using some hard ip lists rather than always doing a DNS lookup (or it may be using a cached lookup).

A DNS lookup BTW is so that when you type in a NAME (i.e. www.vgchartz.com), DNS looks up what the ip NUMBER address of the website is. 

This all said.  Stop stealing.  Even if its not purely illegal where you are yet, it is wrong.  You steal bandwidth from the person paying for it.  Putting quotes around the word steal is a cop-out.  And yes I'm only talking about this time, not the time where your other neighbor was ok with it.