Simple answer: no, you probably haven't been compromised. More complex answer: your signal strength can be affected by a lot of factors, including sources of radio interference. Like an old microwave oven, or a neighbor with a 2.4GHz cordless phone. An interference source is very consistent with your reported symptoms, because the outside signal disrupts the signal you want, resulting in both lower signal strength and more retransmitted packets.
For your own peace of mind, make sure you have your network set up to use WPA (WiFi Protected Access). This is a system that combines rock-solid encryption with a standardized interface so all you have to do is think up a good passphrase. The only exploit to compromise WPA actually attacks the passphrase-to-key algorithm using a brute-force dictionary attack. In short, it throws words out of a dictionary at the algorithm until it starts to see a recognizable pattern in the encrypted traffic. To protect against this, use a long, complex, and random passphrase-you only have to enter it ONCE when you set up, and you can do it by copying the passphrase from a text file (which you'd move from machine to machine on a USB drive or other portable media). A few minutes of hassle and you'll be set!
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