50% packet loss on my wireless network!

Now I've always had problems with my wireless router, but never this bad.

This is from 2 metres away:

Ping has started ...

PING 192.168.1.254 (192.168.1.254): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=1 ttl=128 time=35.500 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=4 ttl=128 time=13.359 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=7 ttl=128 time=83.702 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=8 ttl=128 time=98.455 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=9 ttl=128 time=60.282 ms

--- 192.168.1.254 ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 5 packets received, 50% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 13.359/58.260/98.455/30.988 ms

Ping has started ...

PING 192.168.1.254 (192.168.1.254): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=0 ttl=128 time=8480.132 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=1 ttl=128 time=7493.772 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=2 ttl=128 time=6494.477 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=3 ttl=128 time=5491.412 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=4 ttl=128 time=4490.754 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=5 ttl=128 time=3491.359 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=6 ttl=128 time=2491.809 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=7 ttl=128 time=1496.600 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=8 ttl=128 time=497.477 ms

--- 192.168.1.254 ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 9 packets received, 10% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 497.477/4491.977/8480.132/2578.873 ms

What the hell is going on?

I then turned the antenna on its side and I got these from Network
Utility (OS X):

Ping has started ...

PING 192.168.1.254 (192.168.1.254): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=0 ttl=128 time=2.717 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=1 ttl=128 time=3.083 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=2 ttl=128 time=2.876 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=3 ttl=128 time=5.423 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=4 ttl=128 time=6.824 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=5 ttl=128 time=5.982 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=6 ttl=128 time=3.871 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=7 ttl=128 time=3.115 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=8 ttl=128 time=2.946 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=9 ttl=128 time=2.711 ms

--- 192.168.1.254 ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 10 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 2.711/3.955/6.824/1.457 ms

Ping has started ...

PING 192.168.1.254 (192.168.1.254): 56 data bytes
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=0 ttl=128 time=4.986 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=1 ttl=128 time=2.697 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=2 ttl=128 time=2.659 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=3 ttl=128 time=329.426 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=4 ttl=128 time=3.694 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=5 ttl=128 time=2.686 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=6 ttl=128 time=6.140 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=7 ttl=128 time=2.736 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=8 ttl=128 time=3.012 ms
64 bytes from 192.168.1.254: icmp_seq=9 ttl=128 time=3.351 ms

--- 192.168.1.254 ping statistics ---
10 packets transmitted, 10 packets received, 0% packet loss
round-trip min/avg/max/stddev = 2.659/36.139/329.426/97.769 ms

Solution:
Change the antenna position - make it horizontal instead of vertical.
The direction where it's pointing might make all the difference.