have had a wireless network in place for a while and did have it left open without wep. uses a laptop and a netgear router. I also use an iTouch occasionally. on sunday I decided to finally get around to putting security on and generated security keys remotely from the laptop. I dont have a wiored desktop. Afterwards my laptop wouldnt connect even when I gave it the key. I tried the same with the iTouch and it worked with the new key. So then I re-did the exercise plugged directly into the router. New keys worked on the iTouch but once I disconnect the laptop it wont connect. Any ideas guys? am getting pished off with it.

It must be that the laptop is having problems getting the key verified by the router. I would try the key in upper and lower case and also change it from open to shared.

I had no end of problems getting my laptop to connect wirelessly to my Netgear router. Had a similar problem to you – as soon as I put any security on it just wouldn’t connect. Upgrading the firmware on the router sorted it though….

i tried opening the router to shared and no better.

how do i upgrade the firmware?

when I get home I’ll see about checking the key in lower case, didnt work with upper, upper being what the router has listed.

go to the netgear website and go to the “product support & downloads” section. Choose your product number from the drop down list and it will take you to the support page for that model. Go to the downloads tab and click on the most recent version of firmware. Should take you to a page that’ll give you instructions on how to do it

Upgrading the firmware on the router sorted it though….

Me too.

“Security keys”? Are you using WEP? If so, that’s out dated and can be cracked in a matter of minutes.

Does your router, laptop etc support WPA? Much better and easier to setup as it only uses a single pre-shared key (PSK)

I know wep is outdated and can be cracked but i just wanted to increase from zero security to some. It still doesnt work. other devices can use the key and work but this laptop doesnt and its a pain. My lodgers laptop works, my iTouch works both with the keys but this laptop doesnt. it worked without WEP on this network… i’m thinking its a laptop config thing but cant think what on earth it could be. I tried switching off the laptop local firewall and it made no difference so now I’m stumped.

oh and the firmware upgrade didnt make any difference

we’ve an old tosh laptop that’ll only do WEP and only if the SSID is being broadcast

so I left the whole lot open & use specified MAC access (which I’m sure isn’t that secure but I’m not too bothered where I live) Think I might move that machine onto wired newtorking through the mains some time & use the better wireless security