WEP blocks Internet access

[Steig]

I have an XP machine connected via a Linksys
wifi/ethernet router. When connected via ethernet, I can
get to the web. When connected via wifi without WEP
turned on, I can get to the web.

When connected with wifi and WEP turned ON, then XP
reports that I'm connected to the network, but I can't
get to the web.

Looking at the properties of the connection, with WEP
turned on, the IP Address begins with 192 and the subnet
is 255.255.0.0 and no gateway is listed. It clearly
isn't getting an IP Address.

Also I can see packets being sent, but none are received.

I've tried 64 bit & 128 WEP. I've tried alpha only and
alpha-numeric passphrases. Nothing seems to matter; same
behavior.

I'd sure appreciate some help!

 

[Bruce J. Weiers]

There's WEP and then there's WPA. You want WPA-PSK, if you want to do
WPA, and WEP with a shared key, if you want to WEP. (All the other
possibilities assume that there's an authenticating server involved to
hand out keys; obviously, you don't have that.)

With WEP, you have to enter a "key" -- for 128 bit WEP, this will be a
26 character, hexadecimal.

You may be able to generate this key with the linksys, using a
passphrase, but then you will have to write it down and enter it
correctly on the XP machine as the "network key" asked for when you
choose to connect to the available wireless network, using the XP
wireless software. (It shows up when you click on the systray wireless
connection icon and choose to view available connections.)

If your Linksys doesn't generate a key from a passphrase, reply and I'll
give you a key, which you can enter into both the XP PC and the linksys.

WPA is the newer standard. With WPA-PSK (PSK stands for preshared key),
you can use a passphrase on both the Linksys and the XP machine. To do
WPA on XP, you will need an update. See KB826942.


With WAP