Disconnecting constantly

[PokeyReese]

I am constantly getting disconnected from the internet every 10 minutes, as well as most of my roommates who have the same laptop as I do (through my school). The strange thing is my friend brought over his laptop and was sitting next to me playuing poker last night and I would continue to disconnect every now and then while he stayed fully connected throughout the time he was here. I can't be more than 10 feet from the wireless signal. My buddy has a newer/better laptop than my five other roommates, whom all usually disconnect sparingly (we all have a Dell D610 latitude). Would this the result of different network cards or whatever they are? These disconnects have cost me far too much money while playing and needs to end. Any suggestions?