Windows 7 and WEP

[450125]

Tonight I will be configuring a newly-purchased Sony VPCCW290X with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

Almost by accident, I have read/discovered that Windows 7 allegedly either doesn't work with WEP, or doesn't work well with WEP.

Our home router is a Netgear WGR614 v9 (802.11g).

The reason that we "have" to use WEP is that there is an old Mac laptop on the home network, running OS 9.2 (yes, this is OLD!) that does not support WPA. That is, OS 9.2 does not support WPA, and there is no hardware or patch available making it support WPA.

So I've read dozens of threads in these forums about Windows 7 and WEP or WPA, and they just seem to be arguments over whether Windows 7 does or does not support WEP. All I want is a definitive set of instructions of how to get THAT computer to connect to our home network, using WEP.

https://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wc...Id=10151&langId=-1&LBomId=8198552921666058656 is a link to the specific computer, if that matters.

I'd imagine that Windows 7 is "backwards compatible" enough to support WEP; I just want to get this new computer onto our home network.

Thanks.

 

[CyberZeus]

Take a look here does windows 7 support wep.
Hope it helps

 

[450125]

After I posted, I found this:

Set up a security key for a wireless network

To manually create a network profile using WEP shared key authentication

1. Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button
   
   , and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type network, and then click Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click Set up a new connection or network.
3. Click Manually connect to a wireless network, and then click Next.
4. On the Enter information for the wireless network you want to add page, under Security type, select WEP.
5. Complete the rest of the page, and then click Next.
6. Click Change connection settings.
7. Click the Security tab, and then, under Security type, click Shared.
8. Click OK, and then click Close.

So that looks like what I wanted. Not sure how to set up open system authentication, which that article says is the less bad of the two WEP choices.

 

[Harold4187]

After I posted, I found this:

Set up a security key for a wireless network

To manually create a network profile using WEP shared key authentication

1. Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button
   
   , and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type network, and then click Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click Set up a new connection or network.
3. Click Manually connect to a wireless network, and then click Next.
4. On the Enter information for the wireless network you want to add page, under Security type, select WEP.
5. Complete the rest of the page, and then click Next.
6. Click Change connection settings.
7. Click the Security tab, and then, under Security type, click Shared.
8. Click OK, and then click Close.

So that looks like what I wanted. Not sure how to set up open system authentication, which that article says is the less bad of the two WEP choices.

Thanks That worked for me too.
I could not connect to a wep connection.
Every one talks about resetion router. But if you dont own router you cant reset

 

[valereee]

Hi! We're trying to solve this problem, too, but as we go through these instructions we aren't finding number 6 -- "Click Change connection settings." When we're following instruction 5 and we click Next after we complete the rest of the page, we can't find anything that gives us the option to change connection settings.

Thanks for any help!

Val

After I posted, I found this:

Set up a security key for a wireless network

To manually create a network profile using WEP shared key authentication

1. Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button
   
   , and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type network, and then click Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click Set up a new connection or network.
3. Click Manually connect to a wireless network, and then click Next.
4. On the Enter information for the wireless network you want to add page, under Security type, select WEP.
5. Complete the rest of the page, and then click Next.
6. Click Change connection settings.
7. Click the Security tab, and then, under Security type, click Shared.
8. Click OK, and then click Close.

So that looks like what I wanted. Not sure how to set up open system authentication, which that article says is the less bad of the two WEP choices.

Thanks That worked for me too.
I could not connect to a wep connection.
Every one talks about resetion router. But if you dont own router you cant reset

 

[valereee]

Windows doesn't recommend it

Okay...we deleted the network and went through it again, and we must have just clicked something wrong the first time because this time we got the page. However, we still can't connect. We've tried entering it as a WEP, which will allow us to enter the security code in the manually-connect-a-network page, and we've tried entering it as open, which won't, and then putting the security code into the change-connections page. It just keeps telling us we've got the wrong kind of security.

Thanks for any help!

Val

Hi! We're trying to solve this problem, too, but as we go through these instructions we aren't finding number 6 -- "Click Change connection settings." When we're following instruction 5 and we click Next after we complete the rest of the page, we can't find anything that gives us the option to change connection settings.

Thanks for any help!

Val

After I posted, I found this:

Set up a security key for a wireless network

To manually create a network profile using WEP shared key authentication

1. Open Network and Sharing Center by clicking the Start button
   
   , and then clicking Control Panel. In the search box, type network, and then click Network and Sharing Center.
2. Click Set up a new connection or network.
3. Click Manually connect to a wireless network, and then click Next.
4. On the Enter information for the wireless network you want to add page, under Security type, select WEP.
5. Complete the rest of the page, and then click Next.
6. Click Change connection settings.
7. Click the Security tab, and then, under Security type, click Shared.
8. Click OK, and then click Close.

So that looks like what I wanted. Not sure how to set up open system authentication, which that article says is the less bad of the two WEP choices.

Thanks That worked for me too.
I could not connect to a wep connection.
Every one talks about resetion router. But if you dont own router you cant reset

 

[birdmonster]

Did anyone figure this out? Like many others have mentioned, when I go through all the steps it only leads me back to the beginning to say I need to change the security settings.
Thanks

 

[kegobeer]

I would just buy an access point, connect it via ethernet to your wireless router, give it a different SSID, set it up for WEP, and tell your MAC to use that wireless network. On your wireless router, configure it for WPA2/AES and have your Windows 7 computers connect to that wireless network.

 

[fafhrd]

I have not had any trouble with WEP, either with the DLink dir-615 or the 3com Office Connect ASDL router.

I cannot connect to the latter using WPA-PSK TKIP - a known problem for which MS will not do anything, despite the model being on their compatibility list.

If you want to know what encryption modes your wireless adapter driver supports, from a command prompt, type:

netsh wlan show all

and the first section of the output - show drivers - outlines which modes are available to you:

Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]
Copyright (c) 2010 Microsoft Corporation.  All rights reserved.

C:\Windows\system32>netsh wlan show all
Wireless System Information Summary
(Time: 04/08/2011 09:45:16 GMT Daylight Time)


=======================================================================
============================== SHOW DRIVERS ===========================
=======================================================================


Interface name: Wireless Network Connection

    Driver                    : Atheros AR5007EG Wireless Network Adapter
    Vendor                    : Atheros Communications Inc.
    Provider                  : Microsoft
    Date                      : 09/06/2009
    Version                   : 2.0.0.74
    INF file                  : C:\Windows\INF\netathr.inf
    Files                     : 1 total
                                C:\Windows\system32\DRIVERS\athr.sys
    Type                      : Native Wi-Fi Driver
    Radio types supported     : 802.11b 802.11g
    FIPS 140-2 mode supported : Yes
    Hosted network supported  : Yes
    Authentication and cipher supported in infrastructure mode:
                                Open            None
                                Open            WEP-40bit
                                Shared          WEP-40bit
                                Open            WEP-104bit
                                Shared          WEP-104bit
                                Open            WEP
                                Shared          WEP
                                WPA-Enterprise  TKIP
                                WPA-Personal    TKIP
                                WPA2-Enterprise TKIP
                                WPA2-Personal   TKIP
                                Vendor defined  TKIP
                                WPA2-Enterprise Vendor defined
                                Vendor defined  Vendor defined
                                WPA-Enterprise  CCMP
                                WPA-Personal    CCMP
                                WPA2-Enterprise CCMP
                                Vendor defined  CCMP
                                WPA2-Enterprise Vendor defined
                                Vendor defined  Vendor defined
                                WPA2-Personal   CCMP
    Authentication and cipher supported in ad-hoc mode:
                                Open            None
                                Open            WEP-40bit
                                Open            WEP-104bit
                                Open            WEP
                                WPA2-Personal   CCMP

in

Control Panel\All Control Panel Items\Network and Sharing Center\Advanced sharing settings

you may need to reduce the file sharing connection encryption from 128-bit to 40- to 56-bit.

This also often speeds the network up as does disabling the homegroup and disabling IPv6, and the associated link-layer topology discovery. 12% faster network transfers have been reported by doing this.

 

[Tony Koay]

The problem is caused by incompatible driver. Method to resolve as follows:
1. Right Click on Computer and Select properties
2. Select/Click Device Manager
3. Expand the Network Adapters
4. Right Click on the Wireless Adapter and select Update Driver Software…
5. Select/Click Browse my computer for driver software (Locate and install driver software manually.)
6. Select/Click Let me pick from a list of device drivers from my computer (This list will show installed driver software compatible with the device, and all diver software in the same category as the device)
7. Select/Click Have Disk
8. Browse for the compatible Driver (Either on your original driver CD, download from internet Downloads Folder, or your prefer location such as Desktop)
9. Select/Click/Open on the Driver and to install
After the successful l driver installation, connect the internet by using the wireless adapter. Occasionally, you may encounter the problem such as connected to network but without access to internet. Just go to Control Panel/Network and Sharing Center and Click on the “Red X” between the Network and Internet to auto rectify the connection problem.
Cheers! Hope this is helpful.
Tony Koay