Can't connect to the internet with laptop after setting password on router

[lckdctr1]

We have a Netgear wpn 824 v2 router. Up until 2 days ago it was unprotected (no password), so we called Netgear and had a user name and password put on it. We were able to use all 3 computers in our house, plus our laptop with this router. Now that we have put the password on it, the laptop will not connect to the internet. It can find us but when we click on the connection, it says the computer is out of range. We have a Compaq Presarios 1700T with Windows XP using a link system 2.4 ghz wireless g notebook adapter. Model wpc 54. How do we go about putting the username and password onto the laptop? We have yet to figure that one out and therefore the router is blocking access to the internet.

[BipolarBill]

Please read the manual (you can download it from Netgear's site) and search for the word "reset" in it. There is usually a procedure spelled out for doing what's called a hard reset. Do that and it will be back to factory settings afterward.

Look, you MUST set a different password for access to the router so that no one can get in and reconfigure it without your knowledge. That password does not affect how you connect to it, however.

What you actually did was to set security encryption so that no one can connect to your network without permission. that is different from the Setup password.

There are basically 3 types of encryption:

WEP (oldest and weakest)
WPA
WPA2

In order to use any one of them, the wireless adapter in the PC you're using must support the encryption protocol that you select. Many older laptops do not support WPA or WPA2. This may be what's wrong.

Also, don't forget that passwords are case sensitive. If you used capital letters to make the password, you must use them to enter it - and vice-versa.

Ultimately, there is no substitute for reading your manual and understanding the technology. It's not rocket science. You can do it. Far too many of us depend on others to do our "leg work" for us when we are perfectly capable of it ourselves. That's just silly.

[lckdctr1]

Thanks, I think. I feel like I have just been scolded. I have been on the phone and emailing Netgear for three days, since we put on the password. Each time I get a different technician, all from India I think, very hard to understand, both in emails and on the phone. They are running me in circles. I am not real computer savvy, so excuse me if this doesn't come as easy to me as it does to you.

[BipolarBill]

Actually, it was a mild scolding, but that was just the last part. I also gave you valuable information. I'll repeat:

A. There are two places where you need passwords.

1. To get into the router setup.
2. To set the password for connecting PCs to the router. This is also called the encryption password.

You haven't specified which one was set.

B. There are three different levels of encryption protocol - the method used to connect your PCs to the router. The reason it's called "encryption" is that the data between your PCs and the router is scrambled so that no one else can read intercept and read the data you send and receive.

Each encryption protocol requires a password in order to connect. This is where you lost communication.

The types are listed in my first reply. Older laptops may only work with WEP. If your Indian support tech set you up for WPA, you may not be able to connect.

Please understand that explaining all of this stuff from soup to nuts would require us to write a small book for each person that asks. That is unreasonable. The user needs to at least try to read their manual and perhaps some online tutorials to get a basic framework so that we don't have to explain everything. There are many places to go to get this information. It's available for reading 24/7.

Example:

Wireless Security - WiFi Wireless Home Network Security Tips

Please read that page and then explain what you believe is wrong. We can then help you better and faster.

In the meantime, do a hard reset on your router as per your manual to make it available to you until security can be set.

[BipolarBill]

I did a quick Google search for setup netgear router. This was the first result. It's pretty good:

Netgear Wireless Router Setup

It explains what you need to know in a digestible manner.

[lckdctr1]

Thank you for all the information. I did find the manual for the router and I have read the section I needed. They had me set up WPA-PSK from WEP. The laptop is probably too old for this, as you suggested.

[BipolarBill]

WPA is more secure and it's well worth the upgrade to add a PCMCIA network adapter card that supports it. Example:

Newegg.com - ZyXEL NWD-170N Draft 802.11gn Wirelsss Draft 802.11n Wireless 32-bit Cardbus Wireless Adapter Up to 300Mbps Data Rates 64/128/152-bit WEP (Hex & ASCII), WPA/WPA2 - Wireless Adapters

The other advantage of WPA is that it can use real words for passwords as opposed to something like a6f573ca4bb6cc1a257f05873b. Crazy, huh?

As I said earlier, make sure that you set a good username and password for the router's Setup. Otherwise, any 13 year old brat can lock you out of it.

[lckdctr1]

Thank you for lightening your tone after the first message. It appeared that you had forgotten that you too did not know all this from birth but at one point also had to be taught!

Also what you did not know was that my wife had gone to this site on her own in order to get a problem fixed so I would not have to worry about it while I was at work. You also did not know that I had gone through the laptop and reset the config. to what netgear had recomended. What was jamming me up was that the WPA-psk(tkip) setting was not compatible with the wireless adapter (this even when the box the adapter came in said was able to accept WPA, WPA2). I also tried to set the WEP setting but again the adapter would allow only capital letters and not small case. so the wep address was not allowed. This my freind was why we reached out for help. It was not that efforts were not made to get the problem fixed without you! NOW that the scolding was returned, you did offer advise that was heeded. We went to Best Buy and purchsed a new Netgear Wireless adapter. No problems in fact this message is brought to you by the laptop that was not on line via wireless connection for several days. Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerley ,
Lckdctr1

[BipolarBill]

I'm glad you got it fixed.

Quote:

Originally Posted by lckdctr1

Thank you for lightening your tone after the first message. It appeared that you had forgotten that you too did not know all this from birth but at one point also had to be taught!

Actually. I am self-taught. Granted, I may have had more time than most people have for learning this stuff. Perhaps I have a knack for it too. Frankly, I occasionally had to ask questions in forums like this one, but the replies were not that helpful, so I stayed and started answering them myself. I got my answers mostly via Google or direct support queries.

I'm still going to recommend that members read their documentation. If nothing else, it creates common ground and facilitates communication.