linksys/XP. SSID off, can't see network

I''ve got a couple of XP machines, and linksys 802.11g router & adapters.
I set SSID on PCs & router, but when I turn off SSID broadcast, the PCs
no longer see the wireless network.

I did a web search, and this seems to be a common problem. What
I couldn't determine from the stuff I read is if this was the fault of XP
or of the Linksys adapters, or what. Would wireless adapters from
another vendor work better? I have a Cisco 802.11b adapter that
I will try to test later.

If it's a Linksys problem I *may* return the Linksys stuff and get
something that works better. I guess SSID broadcast isn't that
big a deal, but I'd like to be able to turn it off.

Your simply better off *NOT* cloaking the SSID. Tools like Kismet can easily discover a cloaked
SSID. Turn it back on and use other measures like 128-bit WEP or better yet WPA with a very LONG
RANDOM key...

--
Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows Networking)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no rights...

"David" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I''ve got a couple of XP machines, and linksys 802.11g router & adapters.
> I set SSID on PCs & router, but when I turn off SSID broadcast, the PCs
> no longer see the wireless network.
>
> I did a web search, and this seems to be a common problem. What
> I couldn't determine from the stuff I read is if this was the fault of XP
> or of the Linksys adapters, or what. Would wireless adapters from
> another vendor work better? I have a Cisco 802.11b adapter that
> I will try to test later.
>
> If it's a Linksys problem I *may* return the Linksys stuff and get
> something that works better. I guess SSID broadcast isn't that
> big a deal, but I'd like to be able to turn it off.
>
>

"Sooner Al" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
> Your simply better off *NOT* cloaking the SSID. Tools like Kismet can easily discover a cloaked
> SSID. Turn it back on and use other measures like 128-bit WEP or better yet WPA with a very LONG
> RANDOM key...

I'm running WPA, and using MAC filtering. I don't like the idea of the SSID broadcast, but I
guess I'll get over it.

Thanks,
David

Try to update the driver. It can help.
--PA

"David" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> I''ve got a couple of XP machines, and linksys 802.11g router & adapters.
> I set SSID on PCs & router, but when I turn off SSID broadcast, the PCs
> no longer see the wireless network.
>
> I did a web search, and this seems to be a common problem. What
> I couldn't determine from the stuff I read is if this was the fault of XP
> or of the Linksys adapters, or what. Would wireless adapters from
> another vendor work better? I have a Cisco 802.11b adapter that
> I will try to test later.
>
> If it's a Linksys problem I *may* return the Linksys stuff and get
> something that works better. I guess SSID broadcast isn't that
> big a deal, but I'd like to be able to turn it off.
>
>

http://support.microsoft.com/default...b;en-us;811427


"David" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>
> "Sooner Al" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:%(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Your simply better off *NOT* cloaking the SSID. Tools like Kismet can
>> easily discover a cloaked
>> SSID. Turn it back on and use other measures like 128-bit WEP or better
>> yet WPA with a very LONG
>> RANDOM key...
>
> I'm running WPA, and using MAC filtering. I don't like the idea of the
> SSID broadcast, but I
> guess I'll get over it.
>
> Thanks,
> David
>
>
>
>