Wireless Router Assistance?
 

I have a PC in my office where I installed a new wireless router. In the basement I have another desktop machine with a wireless card in it. I can connect to the router, but it won't take the encryption (WEP) code. I was able to hook up both my Droid and my Wireless thermostat (gives the weather) but I can't get this stupid computer to connect.


Security is WPA/WPA2.

It's a 10 digit code generated by the router (or software) itself. The message I get said something like it needs to be 5 - 13 characters in plain text or 10 - 26 in hexadecimal.

Standard XP machine. Anyone know what I'm doing wrong?

Is this the type of new router where you copy the setup to a thumb drive to be installed on other machines??

What Service Pack is installed on XP?

I don't think WPA was supported until 3+

Also, may need to install new wireless drivers. Sounds like it's defaulting to only WEP.

Not to my knowledge.

How do I check that?

Do you have the option of telling your PC that it's a WPA or WPA2 connection, or is WEP your only option? It could be that the driver for the wireless card doesn't support WPA. If that's the case, you'd need to see if you could find a driver that could, or you would need to get a new USB wifi adapter that does support it. Fortunately, these days they are REALLY cheap, I think because the PC has all of the smarts unlike the good old (more expensive) cards that had processors on them. That's my guess, I think WEP and WPA are mutually exclusive. Either you're using one, or you're using the other, they aren't interchangeable.

Wow, looks like I type too slow.

WEP is not the same as WPA ... WPA uses a password of whatever length, WEP requires a certain number of digits

Right click on My Computer -> Properties

Should say in there what SP level.

Downloaded some new drivers. I'm posting this from the basement. You guys made that router my b*tch. Thanks.

Actually, we made the PC in the basement your b*tch. The router is upstairs thinking "whatever, dude."