Wireless config acting up

I recently had my Verizon FIOS system rebooted by verizon due to a crash in
the system. I had two XP laptops and a Mac laptop all working on my wireless
network, using 128 bit encription. Since the reboot, I've had problems.
Verizon thinks it's a router issue, but I'm not sure what's going on. The
Mac works fine, the XP machines don't hold the wireless encription settings
for the router.

I am showing confusing screens on both machines. I've tried going back to
64 bit default settings on the router but that doesn't fix the problem. Both
my machines see the router. The wireless icon in the tray says the wireless
is not connected. IIf I open the wireless connection, I see the router. I
click on Change advanced setting and put in the key, and then I can connect.
However, the tray icon says not connected, and if I look at available
wireless connections, in the Choose a wireless network box, this network says
in the upper right "Not connected", but the text below says 'You are
currently connected to this network. To disconnect fromo the network click
Disconnect", and that button is live. I can get on the internet and do
things inspite of this pscyhophrenic dialog box and the tray icon that says
I'm not connected, but if I close my email or IE, I can't get back on and I
have to go through this whole thing again. My Mac doesn't have this problem.

Since both XP laptops are doing the same thing, I have eliminated Zone Alarm
as the problem, since it's only on one of the laptops. Both give the same
messages.

Another quirk: Windows Zero Config does not start automatically on one
laptop, since it interferes with my business network in my office. I have
been opening it manually as needed for wireless. However, right now, (and
since the resetting of the verizon router) I see the wireless networks even
when Zero Config is not running, and I get on the internet when I key in the
access code. If I start the Zero Config, it throws me off the net. Not sure
if this is a clue to anything, however.

Both machines are set to automatically update XP. Was there an automatic
update that might have done something here? The problem did not exit
Thursday evening, and I though MS updates were Tuesday events, so any updates
would have been in place with things working.

So, I'm stumped as to how to stabilize the two systems and get things
working again so the wireless network connections stay in memory and function
as they did before.

Thanks,