Problem with encrypted WLAN connection with TalkTalk router

Hi

I have a problem setting up an encrypted wireless connection between a
Dell
Inspiron 1501 laptop and an EchoLife (Huawei) HG520s wireless router,
connected to TalkTalk. A wired (Ethernet) connection between the
laptop and
router works fine (I can surf), and a wireless connection also works
fine
if the 'Authentication Type' is set to 'Open Connection'.

However, if I set the 'Authentication Type' to WEP-128 or WPA2 I
cannot
connect (note: I took great care to enter the encryption phrase
exactly the
same on the laptop and the router). In this circumstance, the state of
the
connection is 'Acquiring network address' and ipconfig shows that the
laptop has not obtained an IP address from the router's DHCP service.
The
Dell Wireless WLAN Card Utility lists my router, so it can 'see' it.

Can anyone please suggest how I can fix this?

David

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Hi
>
> I have a problem setting up an encrypted wireless connection
> between a Dell
> Inspiron 1501 laptop and an EchoLife (Huawei) HG520s wireless
> router, connected to TalkTalk. A wired (Ethernet) connection
> between the laptop and
> router works fine (I can surf), and a wireless connection also works
> fine
> if the 'Authentication Type' is set to 'Open Connection'.
>
> However, if I set the 'Authentication Type' to WEP-128 or WPA2 I
> cannot
> connect (note: I took great care to enter the encryption phrase
> exactly the
> same on the laptop and the router). In this circumstance, the state
> of the
> connection is 'Acquiring network address' and ipconfig shows that
> the laptop has not obtained an IP address from the router's DHCP
> service. The
> Dell Wireless WLAN Card Utility lists my router, so it can 'see' it.
>
> Can anyone please suggest how I can fix this?
>
> David

Tried using fixed IP???

> Tried using fixed IP???

No, but DHCP works with the open connection. So I wonder whether the
DHCP problem just shows there's a problem with the connection and is
not the problem itself. However, I agree it's worth a try.

"Kraftee" <kraftee@b&e-cottee.me.uk> wrote in message
news:f6rggf$491$(E-Mail Removed)...
> (E-Mail Removed) wrote:
>> Hi
>>
>> I have a problem setting up an encrypted wireless connection
>> between a Dell
>> Inspiron 1501 laptop and an EchoLife (Huawei) HG520s wireless
>> router, connected to TalkTalk. A wired (Ethernet) connection
>> between the laptop and
>> router works fine (I can surf), and a wireless connection also works
>> fine
>> if the 'Authentication Type' is set to 'Open Connection'.
>>
>> However, if I set the 'Authentication Type' to WEP-128 or WPA2 I
>> cannot
>> connect (note: I took great care to enter the encryption phrase
>> exactly the
>> same on the laptop and the router). In this circumstance, the state
>> of the
>> connection is 'Acquiring network address' and ipconfig shows that
>> the laptop has not obtained an IP address from the router's DHCP
>> service. The
>> Dell Wireless WLAN Card Utility lists my router, so it can 'see' it.
>>
>> Can anyone please suggest how I can fix this?
>>
>> David
>
> Tried using fixed IP???

I've found that in the case of DHCP failure on a wireless connection, giving
the PC a static IP rarely if ever helps. I think that the failure of DHCP is
a symptom of a wider problem - usually no connection exists despite the
connected-but-waiting-for-IP status of the PC.

Could it be that the PC card doesn't properly support these types of
encryption. Try simple WPA-PSK as opposed to WPA2 and see if that makes any
difference.

When setting the router and PC keys, try using the wireless PC to access the
router via an Ethernet link, then copy the precise key that you've just set
and paste it into the wireless password field. This avoids transcription
problems - though you've taken great care to copy accurately.

It's not a MAC address filtering problem because you can connect when
unencrypted.

Try using the builtin Windows utility for making the connection, instead of
the Dell on, and see if that helps. You'll need to disable the Dell app
somehow and the right-click on the wireless icon (which currently has the
"Aquiring IP" yellow ball on it) and say that you want to use Windows to
make the connection. Sometimes these proprietary utilities are more trouble
than they are worth!


If all that fails, uninstall the Dell drivers/utility and reinstall, and
restore the router to its factory state and remake the config settings from
scratch (having first noted them down!).

Good luck!

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) oups.com...
>
>> Tried using fixed IP???
>
> No, but DHCP works with the open connection. So I wonder whether the
> DHCP problem just shows there's a problem with the connection and is
> not the problem itself. However, I agree it's worth a try.

I think that's the case. With the wrong key, WPA-PSK usually fails to make a
connection (a nice simple "hard" fault), but WEP makes a connection and then
fails to get an IP address, IIRC.

On 8 Jul, 21:11, dandbn...@talktalk.net wrote:
> Hi
>
> I have a problem setting up an encrypted wireless connection between a
> Dell
> Inspiron 1501 laptop and an EchoLife (Huawei) HG520s wireless router,
> connected to TalkTalk. A wired (Ethernet) connection between the
> laptop and
> router works fine (I can surf), and a wireless connection also works
> fine
> if the 'Authentication Type' is set to 'Open Connection'.
>
> However, if I set the 'Authentication Type' to WEP-128 or WPA2 I
> cannot
> connect (note: I took great care to enter the encryption phrase
> exactly the
> same on the laptop and the router). In this circumstance, the state of
> the
> connection is 'Acquiring network address' and ipconfig shows that the
> laptop has not obtained an IP address from the router's DHCP service.
> The
> Dell Wireless WLAN Card Utility lists my router, so it can 'see' it.
>
> Can anyone please suggest how I can fix this?
>
> David

Try 64 bit encription as your Notebook computer may not work with 128
Bit encription.

(E-Mail Removed) wrote:
> Hi
>
> I have a problem setting up an encrypted wireless connection between a
> Dell
> Inspiron 1501 laptop and an EchoLife (Huawei) HG520s wireless router,
> connected to TalkTalk. A wired (Ethernet) connection between the
> laptop and
> router works fine (I can surf), and a wireless connection also works
> fine
> if the 'Authentication Type' is set to 'Open Connection'.
>

The setting of the security on the wireless routers can be confusing, as two
differnt menus, that look similar, but arent.... One of them gives you the
options to use *if* you where using wep or wpa, and the other menu enable
wep or wpa.

also, check you havent got mac address filtering on by mistake.

Gaz

On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 10:38:30 +0100, "Gaz" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>The setting of the security on the wireless routers can be confusing, as two
>differnt menus, that look similar, but arent.... One of them gives you the
>options to use *if* you where using wep or wpa, and the other menu enable
>wep or wpa.
>
>also, check you havent got mac address filtering on by mistake.

It's worth mentioning at this point that WEP is utterly useless now. I
managed to crack an old access point (WEP in "128 bit mode") in 17
seconds. I only tried this because I was starting to doubt all the
claims of how fast you could crack WEP - we know its weak encryption
but some of the claims seemed extreme. I believe them now as I
"cracked" a test AP in 17 seconds without knowing anything other than
the phrase "crack WEP" and the site www.google.com - took a few pages
but in all I went from zero knowledge of the specific method/tools to
cracked network in 40 minutes.

If one of the wireless stations can only do WEP then bin it or upgrade
it. There really is NO point in having WEP turned on these days.

Mr Adams wrote:
> On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 10:38:30 +0100, "Gaz" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>> The setting of the security on the wireless routers can be
>> confusing, as two differnt menus, that look similar, but arent....
>> One of them gives you the options to use *if* you where using wep
>> or wpa, and the other menu enable wep or wpa.
>>
>> also, check you havent got mac address filtering on by mistake.
>
> It's worth mentioning at this point that WEP is utterly useless
> now. I managed to crack an old access point (WEP in "128 bit mode")
> in 17 seconds. I only tried this because I was starting to doubt
> all the claims of how fast you could crack WEP - we know its weak
> encryption but some of the claims seemed extreme. I believe them
> now as I "cracked" a test AP in 17 seconds without knowing anything
> other than the phrase "crack WEP" and the site www.google.com -
> took a few pages but in all I went from zero knowledge of the
> specific method/tools to cracked network in 40 minutes.
>
> If one of the wireless stations can only do WEP then bin it or
> upgrade it. There really is NO point in having WEP turned on these
> days.

Other than to stop the unplanned drive by users.

The chances of someone being determined to hack onto your Wifi link is
suprisingly small. unless you've upset someone that is. There are
still enough unsecured wifi links out there to keep the simpletons
happy so they won't bother you even if you have the easiest security
to hack. It's only if you upset the local Geek bully you should start
to worry.

I've got kit bought recently which will only accept WEP so I've been
running WEP for a couple of years so far & not one nibble.

On Mon, 9 Jul 2007 19:47:28 +0100, "Kraftee"
<kraftee@b&e-cottee.me.uk> wrote:

>Other than to stop the unplanned drive by users.
>
>The chances of someone being determined to hack onto your Wifi link is
>suprisingly small. unless you've upset someone that is.

Depends where you are really - we are (almost literally) wall to wall
with APs around here (I can currently "see" seven APs) and they are
all secured in some way - apart from one ad-hoc "network" that looks
like it's just a HP laptop with wireless turned on. One out of the
seven I can see is WEP, the rest are WPA or WPA2.

The fact remains that connecting to a WEP "protected" network is as
easy as a simple google search followed by a couple of small
downloads. Given the overheads 128-bit WEP imposes I still maintain it
is a waste of time turning it on - 64-bit would at least reduce the
cpu overhead in the AP while affording the same "protection" so if you
must use WEP then I guess that's the way to go.

Your choice though :-)