"I don't have a WEP set up because my household uses too many other computers (I think 6 or 7 lol)"
Oh, I think I know two reasons why you're having problems connecting to people. First of all, the connection is shared by too many people, and second, there is no guarantee that someone isn't stealing you Wi-Fi since it's an unprotected signal.
I recommend you to start using WEP.