LinkSys WRT54G to Dell Inspiron 2200

I want to connect a laptop, Dell Inspiron 2200,
w/ Card: Dell Wireless 1470 Dual-Band WLAN MiniPCI Card, Rev. 4.7,

to our LinkSys wireless router model WRT54G.

The router offers security modes
-Secure Easy Setup
(for which I find no match or refernece on the laptop)
-WPA-Personal (also called WPA-PSK) with Encryption TKIP or AES
-WPA2-Personal
RADIUS
WEP-64
WEP-128

I wanted to use WPA-Personal (WPA-PSK) TKIP, but I can't find related
settings on the Dell wireless setup utility.

For now we used WEP-64.

Any hope of running WPA-Personal for better security?

-GeneM

GeneM

GeneM wrote:

> I want to connect a laptop, Dell Inspiron 2200,
> w/ Card: Dell Wireless 1470 Dual-Band WLAN MiniPCI Card, Rev. 4.7,
>
> to our LinkSys wireless router model WRT54G.
>
> The router offers security modes
> -Secure Easy Setup
> (for which I find no match or refernece on the laptop)
> -WPA-Personal (also called WPA-PSK) with Encryption TKIP or AES
> -WPA2-Personal
> RADIUS
> WEP-64
> WEP-128
>
> I wanted to use WPA-Personal (WPA-PSK) TKIP, but I can't find related
> settings on the Dell wireless setup utility.
>
> For now we used WEP-64.
>
> Any hope of running WPA-Personal for better security?
>
> -GeneM

Secure Easy Setup is a Linksys feature that allegedly allows one-button
setup of other Linksys devices with SES after you have set up the first
one. Because you have a Dell wireless NIC rather than a Linksys one,
ignore SES.

You want the "Wireless Network Connection Settings" dialog in the Dell
Wireless WLAN Card Utility.
"To start using the utility, right-click the utility icon in the
notification area, and then click Open Utility. If the icon is not
available, open Dell Wireless WLAN Card Utility in Control Panel. For you
to use the utility and the Wireless Network Wizard, the Let this tool
manage your wireless networks check box must be selected."
(http://tinyurl.com/7s94j)

Don't use Dell's "wizard;" use the "advanced network" connection utility.

"To add a network connection profile, click the Add arrow, and then click
either Use Wizard (basic network) or Use Utility (advanced network)."
(http://tinyurl.com/7s94j)

I imagine that you can reach the "Wireless Network Connection Settings
component" for an existing network (rather than the using the "Add"
button for a new network) by clicking on "edit" or "options" or something
like that, by the on-line documentation doesn't show that route.

See "Connecting to an Advanced Network Using the Dell Wireless WLAN Card
Utility: Dell Wireless WLAN Card User Guide" http://tinyurl.com/cxbyb

You should use WPA2-Personal AES (select WPA-Personal Auto on the Dell
1470). Dell's documentation suggests that the "WPA-Personal Auto" setting
will automatically use either WPA or WPA2, depending on what the AP
(router) is set for. If setting WPA2 on the router doesn't work, try
WPA-Personal AES.

WPA2 is stronger than WPA. WEP 128 is less secure. WEP 64 is even less
secure. RADIUS requires an extra "RADIUS server."

Lem