Nowhere to enter WEP key under XP

I have a comapq laptop and have an Ambicom WL1100-PC/PCI PCMCIA
wireless network card which works fine under XP, however i would now
like to enable WEP, but cant find anywhere to enter the WEP string.

Under network connections there is nowhere to access wireless
networking properties.

My card is listed as PRISM2 IEEE 802.11 PC-CARD Adapter_5v.

Under properties for this card there is nothing about wireless at all,
when i configure the card from the General tab (properties of the
card), another page is displayed woth 4 tabs (General, Advanced,
Driver and Resources), under the Advanced tab there is 7 Properties
that you can change, the last being "Use Wep", from here you can
choose, disable, 64 bit or 128 bit.

There is nowhere however to enter the wep key, can anyone tell me
where i should put this.

I have already checked Wireless zero configuration in Services, it was
and still is started, and automatic.

Anyone any ideas what to try next.

Big_Kev wrote:
> I have a comapq laptop and have an Ambicom WL1100-PC/PCI PCMCIA
> wireless network card which works fine under XP, however i would now
> like to enable WEP, but cant find anywhere to enter the WEP string.
>
> Under network connections there is nowhere to access wireless
> networking properties.
>
> My card is listed as PRISM2 IEEE 802.11 PC-CARD Adapter_5v.
>
> Under properties for this card there is nothing about wireless at all,
> when i configure the card from the General tab (properties of the
> card), another page is displayed woth 4 tabs (General, Advanced,
> Driver and Resources), under the Advanced tab there is 7 Properties
> that you can change, the last being "Use Wep", from here you can
> choose, disable, 64 bit or 128 bit.
>
> There is nowhere however to enter the wep key, can anyone tell me
> where i should put this.
>
> I have already checked Wireless zero configuration in Services, it was
> and still is started, and automatic.
>
> Anyone any ideas what to try next.
You don't say if you are in range of a wireless access point when you
are attempting to set WEP. Since encryption is specific to a particular
connection, until the card is in contact with an access point, the
settings for encryption are not available.

When you have an access point in range, you can select that device to
set WEP.

It's not necessarily the case that all parameters are going to be viewable
as properties of the network adapter in the device manager. My D-link
adapter doesn't even show WEP on/off, let alone key values, from the device
manager properties display.

You should use the connection dialog to configure all of the properties,
including WEP. Most adapters install a configuration utility along with the
driver. That utility should have a config tab for WEP. If you're not using a
vendor config utility, your system tray should still have a Windows
connection icon for the wireless adapter.

Just click the icon, select Properties, Wireless Networks, select the SSID
of the network you want to configure, and click "configuration" (if you had
multiple routers, you might have multiple SSIDs and multiple keys to
configure). Windows XP may have "select key automatically" enabled - I'm not
sure how this works, but apparently it's for IT-managed situations where the
NIC comes with a preconfigured key. Disable this to allow manually
configuring the key.

BTW, on the Wireless Networks page, there is a box labeled "Use Windows to
configure my wireless network settings". If you're using your vendor's
config utility, you should definitely disable this, or Windows and the
vendor's config utility will fight each other for control. If you're using
the Windows config, you should enable this and remove your vendor's config
utility from Startup (you might have to use msconfig to really prevent it
from starting up automatically).

"Big_Kev" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) m...
> I have a comapq laptop and have an Ambicom WL1100-PC/PCI PCMCIA
> wireless network card which works fine under XP, however i would now
> like to enable WEP, but cant find anywhere to enter the WEP string.
>
> Under network connections there is nowhere to access wireless
> networking properties.
>
> My card is listed as PRISM2 IEEE 802.11 PC-CARD Adapter_5v.
>
> Under properties for this card there is nothing about wireless at all,
> when i configure the card from the General tab (properties of the
> card), another page is displayed woth 4 tabs (General, Advanced,
> Driver and Resources), under the Advanced tab there is 7 Properties
> that you can change, the last being "Use Wep", from here you can
> choose, disable, 64 bit or 128 bit.
>
> There is nowhere however to enter the wep key, can anyone tell me
> where i should put this.
>
> I have already checked Wireless zero configuration in Services, it was
> and still is started, and automatic.
>
> Anyone any ideas what to try next.

"Jerry Park" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:ePinb.54425$(E-Mail Removed).. .
<snip...>
> You don't say if you are in range of a wireless access point when you
> are attempting to set WEP. Since encryption is specific to a particular
> connection, until the card is in contact with an access point, the
> settings for encryption are not available.
>
> When you have an access point in range, you can select that device to
> set WEP.
>

Not true. WEP configuration can be done at any time. Since it's
SSID-specific, you have to create a connection profile for the SSID you're
interested in. If you're in range of a router broadcasting that SSID, your
site survey will show it and you can configure the profile for the SSID. If
you are *not* in range of the router, or if the router is configured to not
broadcast SSID and not respond to probes for the "universal" SSID, you have
to create the connection profile manually anyway - it will never show up in
your site survey list otherwise.

gary wrote:
> "Jerry Park" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:ePinb.54425$(E-Mail Removed).. .
> <snip...>
>
>>You don't say if you are in range of a wireless access point when you
>>are attempting to set WEP. Since encryption is specific to a particular
>>connection, until the card is in contact with an access point, the
>>settings for encryption are not available.
>>
>>When you have an access point in range, you can select that device to
>>set WEP.
>>
>
>
> Not true. WEP configuration can be done at any time. Since it's
> SSID-specific, you have to create a connection profile for the SSID you're
> interested in. If you're in range of a router broadcasting that SSID, your
> site survey will show it and you can configure the profile for the SSID. If
> you are *not* in range of the router, or if the router is configured to not
> broadcast SSID and not respond to probes for the "universal" SSID, you have
> to create the connection profile manually anyway - it will never show up in
> your site survey list otherwise.
>
>
Interesting. I haven't found any method with my system to manually
configure a connection like you mention.

Since I haven't had the need or opportunity to connect to an access
point (or ad hoc system) with a hidden SSID, I haven't needed to do that.

The utility which came with my wireless card has no option to add an
access point manually either.

"Jerry Park" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:_Tknb.83613$(E-Mail Removed).. .
> gary wrote:
<snip...>
> >
> > Not true. WEP configuration can be done at any time. Since it's
> > SSID-specific, you have to create a connection profile for the SSID
you're
> > interested in. If you're in range of a router broadcasting that SSID,
your
> > site survey will show it and you can configure the profile for the SSID.
If
> > you are *not* in range of the router, or if the router is configured to
not
> > broadcast SSID and not respond to probes for the "universal" SSID, you
have
> > to create the connection profile manually anyway - it will never show up
in
> > your site survey list otherwise.
> >
> >
> Interesting. I haven't found any method with my system to manually
> configure a connection like you mention.
>
> Since I haven't had the need or opportunity to connect to an access
> point (or ad hoc system) with a hidden SSID, I haven't needed to do that.
>
> The utility which came with my wireless card has no option to add an
> access point manually either.
>
>

Since I don't have your vendor config utility, here's how you do it from
the Windows connection icon.

1. Click-open the Windows icon for wireless.
2. Click properties.
3. Click Wireless Networks.
4. Click Add ("Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" must
be checked)

Now a "wireless network properties" box pops up with an Association tab and
an Authentication tab. If you're doing WEP, the authentication tab is
irrelevant. The Association tab lets you specify SSID and all the WEP stuff.
The result shows up in the "preferred networks" display. Alternatively, you
could properly just click "configure" in the "available networks" display
and do the same thing.

All of this and more is described if you click the "Learn about setting up
wireless network configuration" link on the Wireless Networks window.

I am within range of two access points.

I DO NOT have (or am unable to see) anything about wireless on my PC
at all, there does not appear to be any icons for wireless at all.

>
> 1. Click-open the Windows icon for wireless.
> 2. Click properties.
> 3. Click Wireless Networks.
> 4. Click Add ("Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" must
> be checked)
>
> Now a "wireless network properties" box pops up with an Association tab and
> an Authentication tab. If you're doing WEP, the authentication tab is
> irrelevant. The Association tab lets you specify SSID and all the WEP stuff.
> The result shows up in the "preferred networks" display. Alternatively, you
> could properly just click "configure" in the "available networks" display
> and do the same thing.
>
> All of this and more is described if you click the "Learn about setting up
> wireless network configuration" link on the Wireless Networks window.

gary wrote:

> "Jerry Park" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:_Tknb.83613$(E-Mail Removed).. .
>
>>gary wrote:
>
> <snip...>
>
>>>Not true. WEP configuration can be done at any time. Since it's
>>>SSID-specific, you have to create a connection profile for the SSID
>
> you're
>
>>>interested in. If you're in range of a router broadcasting that SSID,
>
> your
>
>>>site survey will show it and you can configure the profile for the SSID.
>
> If
>
>>>you are *not* in range of the router, or if the router is configured to
>
> not
>
>>>broadcast SSID and not respond to probes for the "universal" SSID, you
>
> have
>
>>>to create the connection profile manually anyway - it will never show up
>
> in
>
>>>your site survey list otherwise.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>Interesting. I haven't found any method with my system to manually
>>configure a connection like you mention.
>>
>>Since I haven't had the need or opportunity to connect to an access
>>point (or ad hoc system) with a hidden SSID, I haven't needed to do that.
>>
>>The utility which came with my wireless card has no option to add an
>>access point manually either.
>>
>>
>
>
> Since I don't have your vendor config utility, here's how you do it from
> the Windows connection icon.
>
> 1. Click-open the Windows icon for wireless.
> 2. Click properties.
> 3. Click Wireless Networks.
> 4. Click Add ("Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" must
> be checked)
>
> Now a "wireless network properties" box pops up with an Association tab and
> an Authentication tab. If you're doing WEP, the authentication tab is
> irrelevant. The Association tab lets you specify SSID and all the WEP stuff.
> The result shows up in the "preferred networks" display. Alternatively, you
> could properly just click "configure" in the "available networks" display
> and do the same thing.
>
> All of this and more is described if you click the "Learn about setting up
> wireless network configuration" link on the Wireless Networks window.
>
>
>
>
Thanks. Just didn't see that.

Big_Kev wrote:

> I am within range of two access points.
>
> I DO NOT have (or am unable to see) anything about wireless on my PC
> at all, there does not appear to be any icons for wireless at all.
>
>
>>1. Click-open the Windows icon for wireless.
>>2. Click properties.
>>3. Click Wireless Networks.
>>4. Click Add ("Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings" must
>>be checked)
>>
>>Now a "wireless network properties" box pops up with an Association tab and
>>an Authentication tab. If you're doing WEP, the authentication tab is
>>irrelevant. The Association tab lets you specify SSID and all the WEP stuff.
>>The result shows up in the "preferred networks" display. Alternatively, you
>>could properly just click "configure" in the "available networks" display
>>and do the same thing.
>>
>>All of this and more is described if you click the "Learn about setting up
>>wireless network configuration" link on the Wireless Networks window.
Does your PCMCIA card place a 'signal strength' icon in the system tray?
You should really see your card in the networking window, but clicking
on your card's icon may give you the screen you need.