T40 wireless security with WEP

[yeti]

Hi,

My first post on forum. Just purchased a refurbished T40 fitted with Cisco Systems PCI Wireless LAN Adaptor. I have also just got a Billion 7402VGP wireless router.

Having lots of trouble configuring the T40 with WEP security. I'm presuming that WPA is not available.

Please help configuring WEP with the wireless card. My operating system is XP. I have tried both using Windows as well as "Access IBM" without success.

Any pointers would be appreciated. Thanks

Regards
Yeti

[K. Eng]

Could you tell us exactly what you did to configure the T40 and the wireless router?

Setting up WEP generally requires only a key (usually a hexidecimal string) in both the the router and the wireless card configuration utility.

[richarddd]

Does it work if you turn security off?

[pipspeak]

Need more information... applying WEP is easy and works fine with my Netgear B router and both the Intel 2100 and IBM a/b/g wireless cards. Just make sure settings at both ends are the same (key type, key #, Hex value etc.)

The IBM card took a few attempts to get working though... not sure what happened but after turning the router's MAC and WEP security on and off a few times it connected fine.

[yeti]

Thanks for resonses. I agree in principle it appears quite easy but it may be more a router specific problems ie getting settings at both ends the same.

I have no problems with wireless without security. My notebook also picks up stray wireless signal when I'm at work from neighbours and I can connect to it without problems. Similarly no problems connecting at home when I disable wireless security on router.

In Billion router config page I set the following
Security Mode: WEP
Web Encryption: WEP128 (select Hex)
Passphrase: blank (I hit generate tab which then generates hex numbers in keys below)
Default used WEP key (0 to 3): 0 (l leave on default which is 0)
Key 0: XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX-XX (generate in passphrase above)
Key 1: as for Key 0
Key 2: as for Key 0
Key 3: as for Key 0
There is a note that states "WDS uses Key 0 for WEP encryption"
I then do the usual of applying and saving settings into flash card of router.

On notebook I do the following which is running XP:
Start / Control Panel / Wireless Network Setup Wizard
Next / Setup a new wireless network
Network name (SSID): I provide name "XXXX" as per router config
Tick "Manually assign a network key"
This is where I run into problems with network key and confirm network key. It doesn't appear to accept the "-" as per hex key above in router setup. I've tried entering without the "-" without success. Is this case sensitive.. I've tried both... Do I need to enter the 26 characters each time I log onto wireless (after successful configuration of WEP)

Any help appreciated. Thanks

Regards
Yeti

[pipspeak]

Not sure why the key is being generated with the dashes. Try creating a key using an actual passphrase... any word will do. That might result in a key with no dashes. Then just cut and paste into the wireless setup field.

I've run into problems when using the WinXP wireless connection utility and I eventually told windows not to manage my wireless connections and instead used either IBM's Access Connections or the Intel Proset utility.

[GomJabbar]

I just chose to use the alpha numeric characters (rather than hex) when setting up my encryption. I picked a word I could remember, and used the same word in setting up the router as in setting up the wireless connection on my laptop (Using IBM Access Connections). Worked fine this way for me.