Getting a Belkin 802.11g network card to use WEP

Earlier this year, in order for my son to use Internet on his computer (with Windows XP), I acquired a Linksys WRT54G router and a Belkin

802.11g network card.

Configuring the Linksys was no problem, but I struggled for literally hours to get the Belkin card to do anything. The screens produced by the installation software bore only a passing resemblance to what was in the user manual, I could make no connection, and eventually I gave up and resolved to try another day.

A few weeks later my son reported that he had suddenly acquired an Internet connection!! I didn't understand this but the connection worked fine for months, so I decided that trying to understand it was a waste of time.

I have just acquired a laptop for my work, and on connecting to the Linksys I discovered what had happened: the Linksys had spontaneously reset itself and disabled WEP. (This incidentally does not give me much faith in Linksys equipment - is it a common problem?) Apparently the Belkin card is happy to talk to an unsecured router, but not to use WEP. During the installation I had entered the WEP key (and tried it again ... and again ...)

Obviously I don't want my work going over an unsecured connection. I re-enabled WEP on the Linksys. Connecting the laptop is no problem: it pops up a window showing me my router (and two belonging to the neighbours), I type in the WEP key and off we go.

But of course my son now has no internet connection again. No pop-up appears for him.

How on earth do I persuade the Belkin card to use WEP?

Reply to
Stephen Poley
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Hmm. A kid in the house who wants his Internet to work and a Linksys router that is now reset. It isn't the linksys I would be wondering about in this case. Kids are smarter than you think.. especially when you leave something they want to work broken for weeks. Ask me how i know :-)

I would disable the Belkin software and use windows to configure the wireless connection. You can use msconfig to stop the belkin stuff from running at startup. You may have to go to services and turn on the wireless network manager for XP.

Steve B,

Reply to
Steve B.

I have a similar Belkin 54G PCI card, and for any of these cards to work you MUST use the Belkin software.

You also MUST NOT let Windows manage the connection.

The software MUST be installed either BEFORE you install the card , or with the card DISABLED.

I suggest you try the following:

1) remove the network connection 2) unistall the Belkin software 3) disable the Belkin card 4) re-boot 5) install the Belkin software - it is essential you DO NOT allow windows to manage the wifi connection either via the Belkin software check box, or in the windows network configuration area. 6) Using the Belkin software, configure the network SSID and the WEP passphrase 7) The card should now connect.

The Belkin instructions that come with this card clearly spell out the requirements for using this card. Ignore them at your peril.

Trying to use Windows will stuff up the install and get you into an endless conect/drop connection loop.

Cheers

Rob

Reply to
me here

Forgot to say to re-enable the card AFTER reinstallation of the Belkin software.

Cheers again

Rob

Reply to
me here

While your scepticism is amply justified in general, my son is very open in these sorts of things. If he had discovered a way of fixing something that his father had been unable to, he would have boasted about it to the whole neighbourhood. :-)

Now I think about it, he discovered the working connection when we returned after having been away for a few days. Is it possible that the Linksys uses an internal battery to retain the settings, and that it has an inadequate capacity?

Reply to
Stephen Poley

....

OK, essentially what you are suggesting is that if I made any mistake on the first attempt to install the card, all subsequent attempts would fail as well, and I need to go right back to square 1. Thanks for that - I'll give it a try.

Reply to
Stephen Poley

Unfortunately when I try to remove the network connection, Windows says it can't, without giving a reason. (I have disabled the connection first.)

And when I try uninstalling the software, an Install-Shield window pops up for a fraction of a second and nothing further happens. It does the same whether I use Belkin's own uninstall menu option or try it via Windows.

What am I overlooking?

Reply to
Stephen Poley

...

OK, I was thinking that Belkin's uninstall option would uninstall all Belkin's software (was that so unreasonable?). But no: one first has to remove the driver using Windows and then the rest of the software with Belkin's uninstall option.

So - I went back to square 1. Even physically removed the card.

I then followed Belkin's instructions as exactly as I could, but the description in the manual simply doesn't match what the software actually does. For example, on one screen I am supposed to clear an option "Use Windows to configure wireless network settings", but that option is not present on any tab of the screen. And in the Belkin software there is no field (on any tab) to enter the WEP key. (I can also no longer find a field in Windows to enter that information; I'm not sure whether I've just forgotten where to look, or whether something else has changed.)

I am utterly baffled as to what I should do.

Reply to
Stephen Poley

Those units will hold their settings for months or longer without power. I have had a couple issues where strange power things have happened and caused a few to reset, but it isn't something I see as common. Backup your configuration just in case it ever happens again but don't worry about it.... probably just a fluke.

Visit the Belkin website on another computer and download the current software for your card and try to install.

formatting link
then pick support from the left hand side. Run the new install with the card out and, if possible, but the card back in a different slot when the software tells you to install.

I have seven of these cards in the field and have had much better luck with these cards letting windows manage the wireless network connection though another poster says that won't work so I can't offer any guarantee as he may have found something I don't know.

As a last resort a few places will have the linksys cards on sale next weekend.

Steve B.

Reply to
Steve B.

Thanks.

Since my last post my son has been kicking around the options and he eventually managed to persuade the Belkin software to put up a screen to enter the WEP. (The Belkin manual looks good, but is about as much use as a chocolate fireguard. I think they rewrote the software and didn't update the manual.) But having done so, we still don't have a connection.

As a result this ...

... is beginning to look like the only remaining option.

Reply to
Stephen Poley

Hi Steven,

When you uninstall the Belkin software use the Windows add/remove software tool to do it.

That should get rid of it.

Then maybe you should pull the card, reboot, reload the software, reboot, put the card in annother slot, reboot.

Then use the Belkin software (which I recommend) - do it from the desktop icon.

Also if you have any other network connections active, including modem, disable them before trying to establish a connection.

It may be possible the PC will not run two networks at once unless they are bridged.

Also check you have DHCP enabled.

Other than that I can only suggest Belkin and Linksys are not compatible and you need to change one.

I have an all Belkin setup through a 3Com router and no problems.

Although a bit specific regarding setup, that Belkin card is very good and will even run WPA under Linux quite happily.

Cheers

Rob

Reply to
me here

Done that, except that there is only one slot available. Shouldn't be a problem, as we know that the card works in that slot with an unsecured router.

OK, there aren't any.

Must check that, but that wouldn't make any difference between a secured and an unsecured router, would it?

I'm beginning to suspect that they do indeed have a difference of opinion as regards WEP. I did of course check the entered key very carefully for typos. As my laptop (wireless) and main desktop (wired) both talk happily to the Linksys, it'll be the Belkin that's in line for replacement.

Thanks again for your time.

Reply to
Stephen Poley

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