wireless problem with XP 1

[mark6275]

I read this and it really explains my problem perfectly:

http://www.tek-tips.com/gviewthread.cfm/lev2/5/lev3/34/pid/730/qid/582449

So I then tried to uninstall the hotfix, my machine does not have the hotfix installed, or it was installed with a group of others. I think its in with SP 2. I then used the other option, which was to set up wep.

I did this one other time on my linksys to linksys system and it worked fine. I now am doing it on a machine that has a built in wireless nic to a linksys router.

my wep on the router is has 4 keys, the one on my pc has one. Can someone walk me through this?

mark

 

[manarth]

It's normal for a router to have 4 available WEP keys (clients can have between 1 and 4 - although normally have 4 available): just setup the first key and use the same key in the client PC.



<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]

 

[mark6275]

great, so don't worry about the hotfix then right?

and, how many charachters for 64 bit wep?

 

[manarth]

64bit (or 40 bit) = 5 characters (0 - f)
128bit (or 104 bit) = 13 characters (0 - f)

You can try it with or without the hotfix - I've had success both ways. Use 128bit encryption wherever possible!

I'm afraid I haven't gone into depth in the thread you referenced (long thread!), but bcastner's advice is always worth taking.

Give it your best shot - and if it doesn't work, can you describe how far you get?

<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]

 

[manarth]

Just read the referenced post

Can you give the make/model of the AP and the wifi card?

In most AP and client util configs, you can specify either 64 or 128 bit (it's not like having a 13 character box, and you only enter 5 - normally you select which type of WEP you want, and can only enter the appropriate number of characters).

Also, check your AP's ACL (access control list) - this specifies which MAC addresses can connect to the AP. If you're not in the ACL, you'll still associate and gain an IP (under normal WEP) but you won't be able to access any network resources.

<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]

 

[mark6275]

sure, I think I can get it now. I can't get the hot fix out, so I will just try a few characters in wep and see what happens.

thanks

 

[mark6275]

AP = linksys BEFW11S4

Wireles machine has a built in broadcom. Can't seem to find the model number. It is in a gateway mediacenter 610x.

it uses windows as the util config. I tryed to get one from broadcom, but they do not offer one.

My other wireless machine is uses a linksys WPC11 with their util config. and it works fine.

 

[mark6275]

I just read the rest of your post. I have MAC filtering OFF.

in &quot;64bit (or 40 bit) = 5 characters (0 - f)&quot;

what is 0-f?

 

[manarth]

0-f is the characters you can use in a WEP key: i.e.
0, 1, 2, 3, 4...9, a, b, c, d, e, f.

(each charcter is the hex representations of '0000' to '1111').

Both the media centre and the linksys supports 128bit encryption. If your other linksys client also supports 128bit, stick with that. all 3 devices should be using the same WEP key (multiple clients can connect to an AP at the same time with the same key).

Reinstalling the wifi driver may help:

http://support.gateway.com/s/PC/TVMediaCenter/2900005/2900005si8.shtml

The linksys is an 11b device (11MBps), the gateway 11g (54 MBps). You may need to specify the connection speed.

It may be worthwhile updating your AP's firmware:

http://www.linksys.com/download/firmware.asp?fwid=17

<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]

 

[bcastner]

There was a wireless &quot;rollup&quot; hotfix package released a little while ago, and you should download and apply it. This Hotfix was not &quot;pushed&quot; out to clients as part of Windows Update.

It resolves a large number of oddities in the original WPA XP client, and fixes assorted issues with the Wireless Zero Configuration Service.

Recommended to all:

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=826942

 

[mark6275]

OK, I am really starting to understand this, Thanks guys. One last thing. on my router in 64 bit wep there are 10 slots, and in 128 there are 26? if i try to enter 5 or 13 like you said it says not enough?

On my PC there are not this many slots?

And bcastner ,I looked at the updates, how do I tell if my machine is 64 or 128 bit?

 

[mark6275]

It works! I am connected and working great. I entered &quot;1234567890&quot; on the router in 64. I then Entered &quot;1234567890&quot; on the PC, but it didn't ask 64 or 128. am I ok. I know its working, but I would like to understand whats going on. I take it I now i need to set up my laptop with WEP. The 1234567890 again right? why the 10 characters instead of 5 and 13 instead of 26?

WOW, you guys are good!

 

[manarth]

A WEP key is a given number of encryption bits, plus 24 bits of device key - hence:
64bits maps to 40bits of key
128bits maps to 104bits of key

4 bits = 1 character (0-f) of encryption key

Therefore, a 40bit (i.e. 64bit) key = 40 / 4 characters: 10 normal (0-f) characters of encryption.

Sorry if my explanation is a bit obfusticating!


Set your laptop up with the same key.

The way it works is this: your router / AP is the lock. You choose the key that each client has to use.

<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]

 

[mark6275]

manarth - OK, everything is working fine. But, now I set up WEP at my work (28 PC's, 2 AP,s) all orinoco. And, just like we talked, the WEP is 5 letters or numbers (0 - f). But My Linksys is 10. Both work fine, and in my laptop I set up two profiles that also works both ways. But why the difference?

 

[21352135]

I am hooking up a small home network with a wireless belkin 54g andI want to include a Mac in this network, is it possible and any special instructions.

 

[manarth]

21352135:
- yes it's possible
- no special instructions
- post a new thread (rather than a reply to a current thread) if you run into any problems.
Good luck!


mark6275:
I'm afraid I have no explanation: 10 characters sounds right, 5 characters is very unusual! What this will mean is that it's only running 20bit WEP - which most would consider to be insufficient security for sensitive information. It doesn't take anything more than a laptop, a wireless card, and some readily available software to intercept a signal. The more encryption, the longer it takes to break the code....with todays computing power, breaking 20bit encryption would not take too long.

<marc> i wonder what will happen if i press this...[ul][li]please tell us if our suggestion has helped[/li][li]need some help? faq581-3339[/li][/ul]

 

[shaunwill]

People are sometimes confused about key lengths and how they
relate to each other. Some adapters and APs allow you to enter a WEP key in HEX or ASCII.
So for 40bit (64bit WEP)if you choose a hex key you have to
enter 10 hex chars or if you choose to enter an ascii key you have to enter 5 ascii chars since 1 ascii char = 2 hex
chars. Its probably best to stick to HEX since its easier to
enter more varied keys containing non printable characters.
Confusingly some DLink APs reqire a HEX key to be entered
as A4 D6 24 32 C0 but the same key on a Dlink adapter has to
be entered as A4D62432C0. Obviously the programmers don't
talk to each other. Hope this clears up some of the
confusion.