in need of router help.... anyone know what to check?

blasted wireless router.
I happily connected the kids' computer with wireless adapter and it worked.

However, it somehow disconnected from my laptop's wireless adapter and now I can't be on the internet unless a cord is stretched across the primary walkway of 3 kids and 3 adults.

My laptop keeps telling me that I dont' have an internal wirelss connector??

I've spent hours while I turned everything off and on a dozen times.
I called cox to get me back onto the internet when I couln't even get on with my internal modem and a cord - without the router.

I can link the modem to the router and then run the cord from the laptop to the router but it is not the best way in this busy household.

I spent hours searching for my linksys disk to somehow re-install that program and maybe link it all back up again.

I want to update on my mom's house..... keep checking back.