Linksys Wireless Router :: E2500 Constantly Dropping Connections

In the last three weeks I replaced a Linksys WRT54G wireless router with a new E2500.  The only reason this was done because the store salesman indicated I should get much better performance over my router that was probably 5 years only.  
 
Since the install I have had nothing but issues.  I could never get on PC runing XP to connect.  It worked one day and the next morning I could never get it to connect again.  I even removed the encryption and went to WEP with no luck. My laptop that I loaded the software on and initially did the connection I didn't have an initial problem.  The problem I now have is the wireless connection is constantly dropping.  In the course of an hour the connection probably drops 3 to 4 times.  If you leave the PC for several hours, you may need to sign of your user and resign in to get the wireless connection to work. This is an experiment gone bad.  My old router never dropped a connection and every PC in the house stayed connected forever.  This new router is located the same distance as my original one was, but is nothing but a series of failed connection.