Need help: Shows not connected but actually is (from time to time)

I recently changed our wireless routers security from W.P.A. to W.E.P.. I downgraded because my sister purchased a internet T.V.box so she can watch her favorite foreign language shows. The box only accepts W.E.P. encryption.

After the changes to our router, the laptop and one of our wireless dekstop PC (both machines with XP) keeps getting disconnected. My sisters' Ipod Touch works fine though. Sometimes it would show not connected but it actually has connection. Websites, I.M. and pinging worked but for only sometime and it will disconnect. I will reconnect (it takes longer than WPA) and would show connected then change to not connected after sometime.

Both PC and laptop only use the MS XP Wireless Zero Configuration.





EDIT: I somehow solved the situation by doing both: a. Changing OPEN WEP to SHARED WEP b. Replacing HEX key with my own.

I would review your authentication settings in the Wireless Networks tab in the wifi adapter properties window. You want IEEE 802.1x enabled.

Also, are you using a wep passphrase to authenticate? Try using the actual key when it asks you for a password as you're connecting.

All else fails, reinstall the network adapter and drop the router to default settings and start clean. It's worth a try if you're pulling your hair out...

Good luck.

Quote:

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Originally posted by Tux0r
I would review your authentication settings in the Wireless Networks tab in the wifi adapter properties window. You want IEEE 802.1x enabled.

Also, are you using a wep passphrase to authenticate? Try using the actual key when it asks you for a password as you're connecting.

All else fails, reinstall the network adapter and drop the router to default settings and start clean. It's worth a try if you're pulling your hair out...

Good luck.

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Thanks for the comment.
BTW I use WRT54GL with Tomato firmware v 1.21.

When I setup the WEP I think I used a generated passphrase. I'm still not sure what it does, care to explain?

One thing I should mention is that I used the first Key on both PC and laptop. Should I only use 1 key for each machine? Hence the 4 other keys available?

Should I just forgo with wireless encryption (WEP, WPA) for MAC filtering? Or can I have both? Redundancy? Cheers!

I would use mac filtering at this point, but you could try and fix your problem for the hell of it...

The passphrase is an easier way to gain access to a wifi network, instead of remembering a 64 or 128-bit key in hex (not so human readable). The passphrase you entered generated 4 keys you can use to access your wireless network. If you use Key 3 you have to specify this as you're connecting. I would just stick with Key 1 for all your devices, assuming you're still going to try WEP. Usually you can just enter the passphrase and not worry about any of the keys but I've run into cases where it wont take it, only the actual key.

All your devices can use one key, or you can change it up, you just have to make sure you specify it ("Key Index" is what it's called).

Quote:

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Originally posted by Tux0r
I would use mac filtering at this point, but you could try and fix your problem for the hell of it...

The passphrase is an easier way to gain access to a wifi network, instead of remembering a 64 or 128-bit key in hex (not so human readable). The passphrase you entered generated 4 keys you can use to access your wireless network. If you use Key 3 you have to specify this as you're connecting. I would just stick with Key 1 for all your devices, assuming you're still going to try WEP. Usually you can just enter the passphrase and not worry about any of the keys but I've run into cases where it wont take it, only the actual key.

All your devices can use one key, or you can change it up, you just have to make sure you specify it ("Key Index" is what it's called).

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Like I said from my original post, the IP-TV device only accepts wired and wireless WEP encryption. I have removed the passphrase and have created my own HEX KEY. I also have MAC filtering inplace and also disabled my SSID broadcast.

I guess this is as far as I can go with this. Thanks, for your input.