Linksys Router and Inspiron configuration

Question

How Do I Set Up WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) Encryption for My Dell™ with a Linksys WRT54G Wireless Router?   When I go to set up a password protected connection, I can enter it but then when I try to connect all that happens is it looks like it is trying to connect but then after about 5 minutes it tells me it can not connect to a WEP.   If I connect normally without a password of any kind it works just fine.  I called Linsys and they told me a password is not necessary.  But I would like to secure the Network we have at home as well as be able to access the secured wireless network at work   This is all new to me and I don't know what to do.   I have a dell inspiron E1505 with a 1390 WLAN mini-card and I am running Windows XP

volcano11 · Answer

Why don't you try the much more secure WPA encryption? Steve

jmwills · Answer

Which is here:

http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,4149,1277020,00.asp
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/expert/bowman_wirelesssecurity.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/moredone/wirelesssetup.mspx

esquire · Answer

or here:  http://www.mesquire.com/faq/computer/wireless/networkg.htm (a setup example with a WRT54G)

beargrad · Answer

Thank you for the suggestions.  It looks simple enough and I will have to try them as soon as I figure out how to install the  WPA client update (from what I have read, that update has to be installed on the computer in order for the rest of this to work).  So far I have been run in circles from all the knowledge based articles at Microsoft.

rwm32 · Answer

You should be able to find all the links you need from Barb Bowman's article, linked in the post from jmwills above.  But WPA (as opposed to WPA2) should work OK without further downloads from MS, if you're up-to-date on XP SP2.

beargrad · Answer

Thanks all, your suggestions worked like a charm.  It took a while to figure it out but once I did.... it works beautifully.    Thanks again.

Networking, Internet, & Bluetooth

Linksys Router and Inspiron configuration

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