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Westell 327W sees SSID but won't reconnect

I have 2 wired desktops and 1 wireless laptop connecting to the network. My DSL internet connection does not go down, my wired desktops are fine and connected to the network.

I have the wireless set up with a 128-bit WEP key, Open System. I have set up the laptop with the same profile and it automatically connects to my network when I turn it on. It reconnects automatically when I reboot the laptop. However, after the laptop has been off for several hours (overnight or during work hours while I'm away), I turn it on and it says "unable to connect to your preferred network" or something similar.

It sees my network in the list of available wireless networks, but it will not connect (either automatically or by telling it to connect). The only way to reconnect has been to take these steps:

Go to the router web interface through a wired desktop, and re-enter the WEP key (13 character string for 128bits) and re-enter that same key in my laptop. It is as if the router 'forgets' its WEP key and I have to set it up again.

I have 802.1x authentication turned off on the laptop (I know that causes disconnects)

I have read many suggestions here about dealing with similar but different problems. Changing the channel from 6 to something else, turning on '4x support' and/or MAC filtering (these are disabled - I don't know what they do).

I am debating whether or not to cancel Verizon DSL and go back to more expensive Comcast cable.

Please help, this is very annoying. It is not easy to reproduce the problem because it happens about half the time. I have to reset the WEP key on the router and the laptop everyday. Internet connection through wired computers is fine. Thanks!

Reply to
cansubaykan
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What would changing to Cable from DSL prove? Your problem is with the wireless portion of your local network, not with the internet connection. Why is authentication turned off? Can you change to WPA?. It's better than WEP and has fewer setup pitfalls.

Reply to
Pen

The modem/router (Westell Versalink 327W) was part of the deal with Verizon's DSL promotion. When I called Verizon's tech support and explained this problem the first time, I had the same WEP security setup except Shared Key instead of Open System. The tech told me that they instruct people to set up their wireless network with Open System WEP, and if you want to use any other features of the router (e.g. WPA security or Shared Key WEP, etc) then you are on your own. They don't extend their support for anything more complicated. At that time I changed from Shared Key WEP to an Open System WEP (128 bit), and waited for a couple of days. Then the problem happened again.

This problem has not happened in the last day, but it is hard to reproduce because it takes a whole day of inactivity to invoke , and it occurs half the time.

I don't know what the difference is between WPA and WEP. Have you ever heard of the router "forgetting" its WEP setup? If that is a problem inherent in WEP, then I could try WPA.

Also, is it possible that the wireless card built into my laptop may have any limitations? I had been using a WEP setup with my cable modem

  • netgear router for about a year. Everytime the netgear was broadcasting, my laptop would pick up the signal and connect. This problem is different: laptop sees the router broadcasting (SSID is visible in "list of available wireless networks") and does not connect. Automatically or explicitly.

Thanks

Reply to
cansubaykan

Google for winsockxpfix.exe. This will repair layered services and

*might* fix the problem. Also, disable "automatically connect to non-preferred networks, enable access point (infrastructure) networks only. Make sure that only one of wireless zero config or the westell utility are running. Q
Reply to
Quaoar

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