NetGear WEP Problems

WEP (Wired Equivalency Protocol) is a popular method for securing a wireless computer network from outside connections and attack, but it can be daunting when a network problem occurs. Here are several common problems with WEP networking and how to resolve them.

Facts

1. WEP is an older form of network security, and it is not generally considered to be reliable; depending upon the length of the security keys used, a WEP network can sometimes be broken into in under 30 seconds. NetGear routers which support it can avoid these security issues by switching to the much stronger WPA protocol.

Wireless Connection Issues

2. Many wireless issues are misdiagnosed as a WEP problem when the issue is actually caused by the wireless signal. If the WEP network does not appear in the list of available networks, this is not a WEP problem; instead, your computer is not finding the wireless network. Try moving closer to the router to ensure a stronger signal; if there are walls between you and the router, changing your position can sometimes strengthen the signal if it is currently being blocked by water pipes or electrical wiring.

Router Troubleshooting

3. If you have access to a computer with a working connection to the router, and you have administrative access to the router, try logging into the administration interface to see if the settings are as you expect them. This is done by pointing your web browser to the IP address of the router; for example, http://192.168.0.1 is a common router address. You can find the IP address of your router by checking the Control Panels or System Preferences of a computer which is already connected to the network.

Try a Hex Password

4. WEP can be configured to use plain text passwords, such as a word or a random jumble of letters and numbers, or it can use a "hex password," which is a number expressed in hexadecimal notation. Hexadecimal (abbreviated "hex") numbers use the numbers 0-9 and the letters A-F and have a set length depending upon the strength of the WEP encryption used. All plain text passwords are converted to hexadecimal behind the scenes, so sometimes the hex password will work when the plain text password is not being correctly converted.

Try an Ethernet Cable

5. If you have physical access to the router, you can bypass the wireless network by connecting an Ethernet cable from your computer directly to the router. This still requires you to use WEP authentication to connect to the network, but will allow you to diagnose if the problem you are having is related to WEP encryption or to an unrelated wireless issue.