Tech Help -- Wireless Network Card

[Timber Loftis]

I posted over at Oasis looking for some tech help, and am seeking advice. Thx.

http://www.theoasisforums.com/yabbse...7.new.html#new

[Bungleau]

Okay, TL... first question: do you have a wireless access point? If not, the card won't do you any good. It's like a cordless phone without a base station.

If you do, then configuring it is pretty straightforward. If you don't then it is going to be extremely difficult (and some might say impossible ).

[Timber Loftis]

What do you mean a wireless access point? I have a 2wire modem/router/firewall that I got from SBC. My computer is hooked to it through the ethernet port, and works fine.

Now I want to connect the Wife's computer wirelessly. The documentation tells me I can connect to it w/ other computers via ethernet cable, usb cable, or wireless ethernet card.

I bought a wireless ethernet card and installed it. It works, and identifies several wireless connections available in my neighborhood. I want to connect to my particular modem/router. But, now I'm having trouble working the WEC and SSID and all that info into it, because I don't know them.

I can't open the 2wire modem box and read this information, obviously, so I'm wondering what program I can open on my working/connected computer (which was connected pretty much automatically) that can tell me what info I need to enter into my wife's computer to make it work.

[Zebodog]

You'll need to log into the router to get the SSID, channel and WEP/WPA. You can usually do that with telnet or entering 192.168.0.1 into your browser address bar.

Digging around in your router, you'll find all these mysterious settings. Once you have them, enter the very same settings into the wireless card. It may take a few reboots here and there, but setting up a wireless is fairly straightforward in XP as compared to 98 or ME.

If you have the option, WPA is much better than WEP, use that. Also, most default login ID's for routers is username: admin, password: 1234. If you haven't changed the password do it, before someone else does and locks you out of your own network.

[ 10-14-2005, 02:49 PM: Message edited by: Zebodog ]

[Bungleau]

Originally posted by Timber Loftis: What do you mean a wireless access point? I have a 2wire modem/router/firewall that I got from SBC. My computer is hooked to it through the ethernet port, and works fine.

I mean that critter. That modem/router/firewall may or may not support wireless connections. Your wife's computer can communicate wirelessly... that's great. What you need is something on the other end that can receive that. That critter may or may not be the thing that can do it.

Try this:

First, if you can, post the make and model of the critter. I (or someone else) can look it up and tell you if it supports wireless or not.

Second, and especially if you can't do the first: does it have a couple of antennas sticking out of the back? If it does, then it probably supports wireless, and all you have to do is to configure. If it doesn't, the odds have dropped faster than a football in a Detroit Lions receiver's hands. (I'd say Bears, just for you, but the Lions are worse...)

If it doesn't, you'll have to get a wireless access point (WAP). Based on your statement that it's a two port critter, you may need to get one that's a router as well. They're not expensive ($40-$70, depending), and they're pretty easy to set up.

Let's see where we get to after that.

[Timber Loftis]

It *IS* an access point, and tells me I can use it wirelessly. I just need to enter the right info, name, SSID, etc. If the WEC is not set, I'd also like to set it, which I presume would require changing the network settings on the WAP and my wife's computer.

I just need to know how to get at the router to see the info about it.

[RoSs_bg2_rox]

Well, as stated by others, you have to log into the router. To do this, boot up an internet page on the computer with the router, and in the address bar type 192.168.0.1, and if that doesn't work, 192.168.1.0. The manual for the router will tell you which is correct, and the username / password. Once you're in firstly look to see if it has an instillation process for new cards, some routers take you through it like that, nice and straightforward. If not get back to us.

[Bungleau]

Okay. To this point, nothing you've posted until now has confirmed that it acts like a WAP. Sorry for going back to the beginning.

To change its settings, you need to connect to it. That will be most easily done with a wired connection. Once you're connected via wire, open a browser window to the URL for the WAP. Depending on the brand, it might be something like 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, or something else.

There's probably a password for accessing the WAP. If it's set at the default, make sure you change it to something else.

When you succesfully connect to the WAP, you should be faced with maintenance screens for the WAP itself. And for all the other stuff it does, too -- firewall, router, DHCP server, and so on.

And somewhere in that list of stuff will be the settings for your WAP. Somewhere will be your SSID. Change it from the default, if that's not already been done. Don't change it to something like "home"... make it unique and unlikely for someone to guess. Remember it for later.

You may want to disable broadcasting the SSID, but I had problems with my XP Home box when I did that. So I'm broadcasting. No problems yet.

Somewhere else will be a setting that lets you enable security. It may talk about encryption, WEP, or WPA (I think; don't remember the next level of encryption beyond WEP). Enable it, and set the password to the longest length you can. Remember it for later, in both hex and plaintext.

You may want to restrict access to just your WLAN card. That's the one you picked up for your wife's computer. On it will be a MAC address, which is about 8 or 10 characters long. Somewhere in your setting will be something called something like MAC Address Filtering. Go there, and restrict access to just your MAC address.

Now, it's later. Go into your wife's computer and into the wireless configuration area. Enter the SSID that you remembered from above, enter the password and password type that you remembered from above, and you should be ready to go.

I apologize if this all seems generic, but you *still* haven't identified what make or model it is. With that info, configuration becomes much easier. [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

Good luck.

[Felix The Assassin]

There is no real need to talk to the router, it will not give you the answer. Only M$ will.

On a Windows XP PC, this setting is typically found in the Network Control Panel. From inside the Network Connections control panel, double-click on your connection, then click on View Wireless Networks (XP SP2) or the Wireless Networks tab under Properties (XP pre-SP2).

Also,

If the SSID is not found in the Network Control Panel on a Windows system, look for a program group installed by the card driver. Also check your system tray in the taskbar near the clock and look for a running card setting/configuration tool. This is especially in the case of versions of windows before XP (95-2000).

Now keep in mind there are way more people that know the default codes, so please lock er down once you are established.

Also, you do know your WAN, MAC, IP, and Gateways?
If not, you will have to invoke WMinfo,~hardware~NetWorkAdapterCfg~Then scroll down until you have it.


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[Zebodog]

Originally posted by Felix The Assassin: There is no real need to talk to the router, it will not give you the answer. Only M$ will. On a Windows XP PC, this setting is typically found in the Network Control Panel. From inside the Network Connections control panel, double-click on your connection, then click on View Wireless Networks (XP SP2) or the Wireless Networks tab under Properties (XP pre-SP2). Also, If the SSID is not found in the Network Control Panel on a Windows system, look for a program group installed by the card driver. Also check your system tray in the taskbar near the clock and look for a running card setting/configuration tool. This is especially in the case of versions of windows before XP (95-2000). Now keep in mind there are way more people that know the default codes, so please lock er down once you are established. Also, you do know your WAN, MAC, IP, and Gateways? If not, you will have to invoke WMinfo,~hardware~NetWorkAdapterCfg~Then scroll down until you have it.

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I'm sorry Mr. Assassin, but Windows will not recognize an ethernet based connection as wireless no matter how much you want it to.

If I'm reading the initial post correctly, his functioning PC is hard wired to the router not wireless. Therefore, XP doesn't know there is a wireless network available, only the router does.

[ 10-14-2005, 05:38 PM: Message edited by: Zebodog ]