Laptop HP Broadcom 54g Wireless will not connect to Linksys WRT54GS

[NRGeti]

I can get a connection if I disable WEP security and access the Internet. But if I setng up WEP, then the HP 54g in the laptop refuses to connect.

One additional piece of information: the 54g uses a key of 5 or 13 ASCII characters; any other length string throws an error. But the Linksys expects 26 hex digits which I obtained by just adding characters until I got the 26. The resulting string in this case is 16.

Is there any way to make this work?

 

[LSTAN]

Hi

Did you use a passphase for your encryption?

 

[NRGeti]

Yes. That is the problem as I described in my first note. When I set up a pass phrase on the router and then use it in the wireless adapter, I don't get a connection. But if I disable encryption, then it works.

 

[NRGeti]

Please note that the wireless card is an HP Broadcom 54G. If I use a Linksys card then I always get a connection.

 

[LSTAN]

NRGeti,

I understand your problem because I faced this problem before. Have 3 devices connected to my WLAN (wrt54g router), the two pcs (one using a Linksys USB adapter and the other Aztech USB adapter) have no problems with WEP encryption, only my HP laptop with BroadCom Wifi built-in has diffculty connecting to the web with WEP on.

I have to disable the WEP for my laptop to work.

Have since given up on the WEP on my WLAN, I am currently using WPA which ironically has no problems for all my devices.

A word on WPA, WPA is supported on Win XP (Win 2k??). You can forget about WPA encryption on Win 98 system.

 

[dput]

Have you tried to update the drivers on the HP Laptop? I find often that the drivers must be updated to get WEP or WPA to work.

Dan

 

[NRGeti]

The drivers already on the PC are more recent than the ones I found at the HP site.

It is not worth any more time spent on this problem. My client will have to buy a new adapter if he wants encryption. Linksys cards are only $80.00.

I notice that HP is now selling Linksys stuff on their web site.