Cannot Disable SSID on BEFW11S4 Ver 4 with WPA Pre-Share KEY

You might want to check out these links -- from what I have seen, turning off the SSID and MAC filtering don't give you much protection at all -- it is easy to clone the MAC address for anyone trying to get in to your network. Have a look at the following (especially the first one) watch the wrap in the urls:

(...)

Well, what did you expect? If you hide from the world, the world cannot see you.

The solution is to setup a "profile" with the correct SSID preinstalled in the profile on the WPC11 side. The BEFW11S4v4 is setup correctly. You can do this in either Windoze Wireless Zero Config (WZC) or in the Linksys config utility. Specify that this "profile" (or whatever it's called) is the preferred connection and it should work.

You can select between the two config utilities with: Control Panel -> Network Connections -> Properties -> Wireless Networks -> "Use Windoze to configure my wireless..."

My guess(tm) is that you're using XP SP2 WZC and can't find a place to insert the SSID. That's because MS never considered the possibility that someone would hide the SSID. So, what you have to do is turn the SSID broadcast on, let WZC find it, connect, save the configuration, set the SSID as the preferred network, and then turn the SSID broadcast back on. It's somewhat easier with the Linksys config utility where you can just type in the SSID.

As for the usefulness of hiding the SSID, I use Kismet which displays hidden SSID's. If I had the time, I would scribble a Windoze utility that displays the SSID from association and re-association requests and reply packets, and do my part to end this nonsense. Be thankful that I'm too busy, too lazy, and too lousy a programmist to do that.

Incidentally, if nobody answers your question, please do NOT repost it again the next day. It's a holiday weekend in the USA and many people are too busy to deal with usenet. Also, thanks for supply detailed hardware and software info.

If you're using the Windows Wireless Zero configuration utility to manage your wireless connection, that is normal. Windows does not like it when SSID broadcast is disabled. I've had my SSID broadcast disabled while experimenting with the WZC and was able to get it to work, but as soon as I rebooted, I could not get a connection. Still, like the previous posters stated, there is no real protection in disabling the broadcast of your SSID.

"Doug Jamal" wrote

I am sure there is more to this than meets the eye.

I have two nearly identical installations, both using Draytek 2900 wifi routers. Same firmware. Both set up for WPA/PSK with SSID disabled. These are good routers, not cheapo Belkin stuff.

I have an HP 4700 PDA (wm2003 with all the HP patches) and the two network SSIDs are preconfigured in there - obviously they have to be otherwise the PDA has zero chance of finding them :)

With one of them, the PDA connects faultlessly, instantly.

With the other one, it connects much less reliably. Most of the time, it offers to connect to a network with a null name ("") and if I ignore that prompt it generally, sometimes after a number of minutes, connects to the real network.

Now, it could be that I do have a local network which has a null name and which is interfering. However, Netstumbler (running on an XP machine; Ministumbler or any similar program won't run on the HP PDA) doesn't see any such network.

I think a lot of wifi software/firmware is simply crap, and we are seeing the various bugs.

On 4-Jul-2005, Pete I am sure there is more to this than meets the eye.

I'm sure there is, too. Still, when SSID broadcast is disabled, there will be times when you cannot connect wirelessly to your network, especially when WZC is managing it.

Very good hardware

:I>

Not an uncommon occurrence

You could be right. I'll have to experiment with that.

You're kidding, right? (LOL) I refuse to believe that companies package (and/or offer for download) buggy software with their product in an attempt to keep up with the competition and/or consumer demand. (smile)

On Sun, 03 Jul 2005 18:42:28 GMT, Doug Jamal spoketh

I have never had a issue with any of my wireless computers using the WZC and no SSID broadcasts. The laptops are set up with a preferred profile using the correct SSID name, and authenticate to the wireless network without issue after reboot.

Lars M. Hansen

Lars, I can connect to my WLAN without broadcasting the SSID (using WZC), however, acquiring the connection is not as flawless when compared to broadcasting the SSID.

On 11-Jul-2005, Pete >Lars, I can connect to my WLAN without broadcasting the SSID (using WZC),

My experience isn't that drastic. On occasion, the WLAN could not be detected when the SSID was not broadcasted. It didn't matter if I had my WLAN listed in the "Preferred Networks" section or not. Furthermore, it didn't matter if I had my access set to "ANY" or "Access Point (Infrastructure) Only". Having the SSID set to broadcast produced the opposite results. In any case, that was a long time ago and I've been broadcasting my SSID ever since and have been broadcasting it for reasons not listed in this particular post.

"Doug Jamal" wrote

That's what I find too; the time it takes to connect varies from seconds to an hour - depending on the sunspot activity, and which of two sites I do it at. There appears to be no correlation with any other factor. I am sure there is a subtle bug in the Windows XP / Pocket/PC "supplicant" code.

Taking a moment's reflection, Doug Jamal mused: | | and I've been broadcasting my SSID ever since and have been | broadcasting it for reasons not listed in this particular post.

It's because you're really just a show off! ;-)

Okay. You got me. I've been exposed. (LOL)