Re: [Hampshire] eeePC 900 WiFi problem (solved....?)

alan c wrote:
> I have just received an eeepc 900 - really good news :-)
>
> However, I now discover that it has what looks like a generic problem
> connecting to encrypted wifi networks! Open networks apparently are
> ok. I have had no success this morning with a WEP network at the cafe
> in town, and they even rebooted their system for me, just in case it
> was that. Someone else was online with no problem.
>
> There are quite a lot of postings about non connection, with a few
> apparent things to try. They have not yet worked for me though.
>
> I have very little experience with wireless anyway, so I am having to
> catch up on lack of know how, and for various reasons I will not be
> able to follow it up far a week or so now anyway.
>
> I am peeved to say the least that a product such as the eeePC with
> Asus custom Xandros should give any trouble at all!

I think a solution is found.
At least to the problem I encountered.

The coffee shop wifi obviously works for other people, and with a
shiny new machine it is natural for me as a new user to accept the
offered defaults in the gui in the eee pc 900.

The main screen has an 'Internet' Tab which has 13 large icons one of
which is Wireless Networks. This clicked shows a list of available
nearby networks with signal strengths, Refresh, and Details option
display. Selecting the chosen network (santafee coffee in this case)
and clicking Connect is all very reasonable. However, things did not
work.

I am in contact with Asus support who advised to install all available
updates (I had pretty well done that anyway) and delete the existing
connection and try again. So another trip to santafee.....

The consequence of deleting the existing default connection is that I
have to create a new connection, and the wizard offers many choices
which to a wifi newcomer are problematic, because no hints are offered:

Cable
Dialup
Dialup - AOL
GSM/3G(UMTS)/HSDPA
DSL - point to point over ATM
DSL - point to point over Ethernet
Wireless - point to point over Ethernet
Local Area Network
Local Area Network - Wireless
Virtual Private Network -PPTP VPN



BLind guesses from my limited knowledge suggested a short list of the
three
Wireless - point to point over Ethernet
Local Area Network
Local Area Network - Wireless

Prepared for some trial and error, I chose
Local Area Network - Wireless
which led on to a choice of DHCP (I knew that, yes)
then a choice of network name - the Browse Wireless Networks button
worked ok -
Channel settings - Any
Enable encryption? I used Yes (check box) because they gave me a
password, it must have been encrypted....
next question was Encryption Type? Previously I had accepted the
default offered which was WEP, thinking that the default might be
useful in some sensible way.
This time, sceptical, and now knowing that WEP was a dumb thing
anyway, I chose 'WPA' and put in the secret password (available at the
serving counter). It was accepted as being a type 'WPA256 type in
ascii format', which I took to be a good sign.
I accepted the Default connection name of Wireless Connection,
I also chose to check the option 'Start this connection when (wizard)
finished'.
Then I could select the shop network an d Connect - and almost
instantly - in worked.
:-)

So I conclude that my problem and perhaps that for some others also,
is that the WEP default is a false friend, try WPA!

It also explains why the WEP settings complained (only sometimes)
about the password being the 'wrong length or format'.

--
alan cocks
Kubuntu user#10391
Linux user #360648