XP wireless connection panel says open network but activity says security enables?

I'm connected to a linksys wirless network. When I choos the connection, there is no locl on the wirless network, and the line below says unsecured windows network. When I connect to the network, the connection shows as excellent, but it is slow, slow, slow, (2 packets a minute slow). The activity screen now shows a lock and says the network is secure, but the connection says it is not. What is going on? Is the connection secure or not? If it is why can I connect at all, albiet slow? If it is not why so slow and why does the lock only apear in the activity screen?