Some questions about Wireless network connection properties

Hello everyone,

I have recently installed a small wireless home network for my pc,
printer and laptop. Surprisingly it was easier than I thought to
install everything and it all works. However, due to my inexperience
and lack of knowledge I have a few questions about the way windows
handles wireless networks.

For info, I have a Topcom SKYR@CER WBR 7121gmr NAS router with built
in print server and USB ports. I read on the internet that WPA2
security is best so I set my router's browser page to WPA2-PSK with
AES encryption and broadcast SSID is disabled. Correct me if I'm wrong
but I used these settings since from what I have read this seems to be
the most secure.
Additionally, in my router's browser page I entered a 21 character
long pre shared key for logging onto the wireless network.

Today for some reason or another I could not connect wirelessly and
here's what I did:
- my router's SSID was NOT in the list of available networks, not even
after clicking refresh link. This, I figured, is due to the fact that
I have broadcast SSID DISABLED which makes my SSID invisible to
everyone.
- In "wireless network connection properties" I noticed that under
"network key" there are 8 dots iso the 21 characters I use to login.
So I entered here my 21 characters long pre shared key twice to
confirm and then clicked ok twice to close and save menus.
- Now apparently I was connected. In the list of available wireless
networks my SSID was still not visible though. So I clicked refresh
and there it was, with a note saying I was connected.
- Now, just to check, I went back to "wireless network connection
properties" and noticed that the network key box still contained 8
dots iso 21 which I do not understand. Even more, when I click
disconnect and confirm with "yes" and then click connect, a window
popped up giving 2 boxes with each 8 dots. I tested that I can connect
again just by clicking ok (8 dots in the box) and also by entering my
21 character long key which I do not understand either. When I enter a
wrong key however it did not connect as I anticipated.


Questions:
- So what explains the 8 dots in the network key box iso the 21
characters I use to connect?
- Could it be that if you have broadcast ssid disabled that you need
to have "connect when this network is in range" enabled? I noticed
that when I uncheck the box, I am disconnected from the network and
when I check it on again, I am reconnected. I also noticed that when I
click the disconnect button in the list of wireless networks, that the
"connect when this network is in range" box is unchecked automatically
until I am reconnected.
- In my router's browser page I also tried the setting WPA2 mixed and
noticed that this works too. Is mixed better than TKIP or AES? It
sounds better to me since it uses a mix of 2 different encryption
methods, correct me if I'm wrong though.

Thanks all for your help.

Alex

Delta

On Jul 7, 4:10*pm, Delta <ad1...@telenet.be> wrote:
> Hello everyone,
>
> I have recently installed a small wireless home network for my pc,
> printer and laptop. Surprisingly it was easier than I thought to
> install everything and it all works. However, due to my inexperience
> and lack of knowledge I have a few questions about the way windows
> handles wireless networks.
>
> For info, I have a Topcom SKYR@CER WBR 7121gmr NAS router with built
> in print server and USB ports. I read on the internet that WPA2
> security is best so I set my router's browser page to WPA2-PSK with
> AES encryption and broadcast SSID is disabled. Correct me if I'm wrong
> but I used these settings since from what I have read this seems to be
> the most secure.
> Additionally, in my router's browser page I entered a 21 character
> long pre shared key for logging onto the wireless network.
>
> Today for some reason or another I could not connect wirelessly and
> here's what I did:
> - my router's SSID was NOT in the list of available networks, not even
> after clicking refresh link. This, I figured, is due to the fact that
> I have broadcast SSID DISABLED which makes my SSID invisible to
> everyone.
> - In "wireless network connection properties" I noticed that under
> "network key" there are 8 dots iso the 21 characters I use to login.
> So I entered here my 21 characters long pre shared key twice to
> confirm and then clicked ok twice to close and save menus.
> - Now apparently I was connected. In the list of available wireless
> networks my SSID was still not visible though. So I clicked refresh
> and there it was, with a note saying I was connected.
> - Now, just to check, I went back to "wireless network connection
> properties" and noticed that the network key box still contained 8
> dots iso 21 which I do not understand. Even more, when I click
> disconnect and confirm with "yes" and then click connect, a window
> popped up giving 2 boxes with each 8 dots. I tested that I can connect
> again just by clicking ok (8 dots in the box) and also by entering my
> 21 character long key which I do not understand either. When I enter a
> wrong key however it did not connect as I anticipated.
>
> Questions:
> - So what explains the 8 dots in the network key box iso the 21
> characters I use to connect?
> - Could it be that if you have broadcast ssid disabled that you need
> to have "connect when this network is in range" enabled? I noticed
> that when I uncheck the box, I am disconnected from the network and
> when I check it on again, I am reconnected. I also noticed that when I
> click the disconnect button in the list of wireless networks, that the
> "connect when this network is in range" box is unchecked automatically
> until I am reconnected.
> - In my router's browser page I also tried the setting WPA2 mixed and
> noticed that this works too. Is mixed better than TKIP or AES? It
> sounds better to me since it uses a mix of 2 different encryption
> methods, correct me if I'm wrong though.
>
> Thanks all for your help.
>
> Alex

Thanks all for the help. Took me 1 hour to write this ****!

Alex