Trying to connect to wireless network. ASCII/Hexadecimal Network key?

Question

I'm trying to use my new laptop to connect to my home network. When I type in the network key, it tells me that my network password need to be 40bits ot 104bits depending on my network configuration - this can be 5 or 13 ASCII characters or 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters. Hence I just get this error message repetedly and it won't connect.
My options are Data Encryption (WEP enabled) or Network Authentication (Shared Mode). The house network is already set up via a router, and the network key works for all other computers on the network.
On my desktop computer, the network authentication option is WPA-PSK and the data encryption is TKIP, but I don't have those options on the laptop. Changing the network key isn't really an option because it'd mess up everyone else's connection - and I shouldn't have to if the setup works on every other computer, right?

Thanks for your help in advance!

Answer 1

Not all cards support WPA so you either need to use the less secure WEP from the router, or buy a PCMCIA card that supports WPA if your card doesn't have the option for it.

Answer 2

The option on the laptop shared key is wpa, there may also be a button saying key provided automatically. Turn this button off. This may give you further options. If your key is a word or sentence the input is ascii, if a combination of numbers 0-9 and letters a-z it is hex. Ther are still some cards out there which are poorly supported for wpa, but not too likely on a new laptop.

Answer 3

you are going to be able to correctly be too a good distance away to have a sign good adequate to paintings. attempt to connect from interior his domicile. You state you have the preshare key yet did the configuration on the router contain MAC handle validation? Did your on the spot NIC's MAC handle get entered interior the validation table on the router? verify this out. If neither of those paintings, there is yet another subject with on the spot configuration of your gadget. pass over this config carefully once you're in sparkling line of sight with and on the part of the on the spot get entry to element.