RTL8187 USB wifi antenna cannot connect to the internet

I have an acer x3400 desktop - no wifi card. I installed a 6db gain usb wifi antenna. Everything looks good but...
I cannot connect to one of the local networks - It is WPA preshared key TKIP/AES
The realtek wireless lan utility never gets an IP address despite excellent signal strength. I have an acer netbook running xp with built in wireless connects perfectly.

There is a second local network that is not encrypted. I have connected to the system - acquired IP address, Subnet mask and gateway. Network and sharing show the connection PC to Network, but no connection to the internet. My netbook does not have enough gain to access that network but I am sure that it is working fine.

The initial firewall setup was using Mcafee. Mcafee wouldn't let me in without an internet connection. So I uninstalled Mcafee. I have disabled the windows 7 firewall.

I have tried to connect using the Realtek utility and with the windows 7 wireless network connection screen.

IPconfig
media state ... media disconnected
connection specific DNS suffix ... blank
description ... Realtek RTL8187 Wireless 802.11b/g 54MBPS USB 2.0 Network adapter
physical address ,,, 00-0F-11-07-00-1C
DHC enabled ... yes
autoconfiguration enabled ... yes

Device properties indicates that it is working properly.

such is life - Any ideas?

Any more information from the ipconfig? You're not even showing as having an IP address unless you chose to leave that information out.

That was the entirety of info for the Wireless LAN adapter Wireless network connection.

Under Windows IP configuration

Primary DNS sufix ... blank
Mode type hybrid
IP routing enabled ... no
VINS Proxy enabled ... no

Very odd, it should look something more like this:

Attachment 232054

Can you take a screenshot and upload it please?

I could not open your attachment - I got an invalid attachment link - but here is the ipconfig screenshot (hopefully)

Looks like it almost can't even talk to the router properly; how much do you know about routers and networking? I've got a rather involved process I want to try.

Also, what brand of router is it?

I know nothing of routers - and I don't have access to the router. The ones that I log into are semi-public domain supplied by the local hotels, libraries, bars etc.

Well that scuppers the last fifteen minutes I've been typing up a guide for you.

Are you using McAfee by any chance?

I uninstalled it and disabled the firewall. Since I wasn't getting onto the net in any case they just seemed like extra headaches I didn't want to worry about.

You did right to uninstall it, McAfee is pretty bad at handling network connections.
McAfee - Resolving the recent update issues with McAfee Consumer Products

Or we can try another approach.

First thing to do is to open up Control Panel and then in to Network and Sharing. If your control panel has been left at the default view (Category) this will be in Network and Internet. The top option is Network and Sharing Center. Click it.
If you've set your control panel to either small or large icons though, then we can just head straight in to the N&S Center without delay.

In here we can view a whole slew of information about our current connection, but forget half of it because it's about as useful as hiring a dead hooker in a mafia den if the adapter can't talk to the router in the first place.

On the very left hand side you should see Change Adapter Settings. Click it and let me know any icons for network adapters it displays. Or screenshot it; either is good but pictures speak a thousand words per minute and type even faster.