> Yesterday a thunderstorm knocked out the WPA function in my router.  It was
> all working fine till that thunderstorm.  Now if I do not use WPA, the home
> network connects, but if I use WPA then the separate PCs have trouble
> connecting to the router: they say "connected" but immediately go back to
> "acquiring IP" and then give up and disconnect.  So now I am running with
> token security using only MAC filtering.
>
> Can a thunderstorm selectively knock out the WPA function of a router?
>
> I have of course tried re-entering (cut and paste) the WPA pre-phrase in all
> PCs and router but that did not help. I entered them all (including the
> router) in the format "..... EE 22 5D 60 57 ....". Is that the correct way
> or should they be entered as text "...8a3c11c5ff..." (I have both in my
> notes recording the WPA used). I am too frustrated to try all the possible
> combinations.
>
> I am ready to go out and by a new router but hesitate because I remember the
> trouble I had getting this home network set up and maybe even the problems I
> now have may just be configuration problems - although all works if I do not
> use WPA. Yuck.
>
> Any advice appreciated.
>
>

> Jeff wrote:
>
>> Yesterday a thunderstorm knocked out the WPA function in my router. It
>> was all working fine till that thunderstorm.  Now if I do not use
>> WPA, the home network connects, but if I use WPA then the separate
>> PCs have trouble connecting to the router: they say "connected" but
>> immediately go back to "acquiring IP" and then give up and
>> disconnect.  So now I am running with token security using only MAC
>> filtering. Can a thunderstorm selectively knock out the WPA function of a
>> router? I have of course tried re-entering (cut and paste) the WPA
>> pre-phrase in all PCs and router but that did not help. I entered
>> them all (including the router) in the format "..... EE 22 5D 60 57
>> ....". Is that the correct way or should they be entered as text
>> "...8a3c11c5ff..." (I have both in my notes recording the WPA used).
>> I am too frustrated to try all the possible combinations.
>>
>> I am ready to go out and by a new router but hesitate because I
>> remember the trouble I had getting this home network set up and
>> maybe even the problems I now have may just be configuration
>> problems - although all works if I do not use WPA. Yuck.
>>
>> Any advice appreciated.
>>
>>
> A lightning-induced power surge can do strange things to electronics.
> I had a DSL modem and DSL interface in the router fried by lightning,
> although (a) the rest of the router's functions worked OK and (b) the
> router's rather primitive hardware diagnostics didn't show any
> problems.
> Try using a new passphrase.  You don't have to make it long or
> complicated for this testing purpose.  As to how it should be entered,
> that depends on your router, which you didn't specify.  If that
> doesn't work, try WEP.  If that doesn't work, I'd buy a new router. Before
> you toss your old one, however, check to see if it has the capability to
> save its configuration as a file on your pc.  If you buy the same
> model router, you may be able to "restore" your old configuration. Before
> you attempt this, however, a call to your router mfr's support
> line would be in order, just to make sure that a config file from the old
> router
> will indeed work with the new one.

> Lem wrote:
>
>>Jeff wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Yesterday a thunderstorm knocked out the WPA function in my router. It
>>>was all working fine till that thunderstorm.  Now if I do not use
>>>WPA, the home network connects, but if I use WPA then the separate
>>>PCs have trouble connecting to the router: they say "connected" but
>>>immediately go back to "acquiring IP" and then give up and
>>>disconnect.  So now I am running with token security using only MAC
>>>filtering. Can a thunderstorm selectively knock out the WPA function of a
>>>router? I have of course tried re-entering (cut and paste) the WPA
>>>pre-phrase in all PCs and router but that did not help. I entered
>>>them all (including the router) in the format "..... EE 22 5D 60 57
>>>....". Is that the correct way or should they be entered as text
>>>"...8a3c11c5ff..." (I have both in my notes recording the WPA used).
>>>I am too frustrated to try all the possible combinations.
>>>
>>>I am ready to go out and by a new router but hesitate because I
>>>remember the trouble I had getting this home network set up and
>>>maybe even the problems I now have may just be configuration
>>>problems - although all works if I do not use WPA. Yuck.
>>>
>>>Any advice appreciated.
>>>
>>>
>>
>>A lightning-induced power surge can do strange things to electronics.
>>I had a DSL modem and DSL interface in the router fried by lightning,
>>although (a) the rest of the router's functions worked OK and (b) the
>>router's rather primitive hardware diagnostics didn't show any
>>problems.
>>Try using a new passphrase.  You don't have to make it long or
>>complicated for this testing purpose.  As to how it should be entered,
>>that depends on your router, which you didn't specify.  If that
>>doesn't work, try WEP.  If that doesn't work, I'd buy a new router. Before
>>you toss your old one, however, check to see if it has the capability to
>>save its configuration as a file on your pc.  If you buy the same
>>model router, you may be able to "restore" your old configuration. Before
>>you attempt this, however, a call to your router mfr's support
>>line would be in order, just to make sure that a config file from the old
>>router
>>will indeed work with the new one.
>
>
> Thank you.  Yes it does have a way to backup the configuration file which I
> did long before this problem arose.
>
> The model is a smcwbr14-g.  I kept the installation instructions (just one
> sheet, not terribly useful) and it does not mention which way to enter the
> passphrase :-(  Of course that might be the problem and the thunderstorm
> made it lose it original memory.  I will try new short passwords for testing
> to see if that is the problem, otherwise I may just buy a new router and how
> configuring it will not be too difficult.
>
> I have an email in to their support and am awaiting their reply.  Not sure
> this router is made any more though.
>
> 2 more related questions if a may:
>
> a) I also thought to change the wireless channel.  I know where to change
> the chanel on the router setup, but where does one change it on the other
> PCs (XP home and XP MCE).
>
> b) I know of a website http://www.andrewscompanies.com/tools/wep.asp  that
> generates WEP passwords.  Can I use the results for WPA or is there a
> similar one for generating WPA passwords?
>
> Thanks for replying.
>
> Jeff
>
>

"Lem" <lem***@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:OJ7YzuM5GHA.4996@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...
> Jeff wrote:
>
>> Lem wrote:
>>
>>>Jeff wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>>Yesterday a thunderstorm knocked out the WPA function in my router. It
>>>>was all working fine till that thunderstorm.  Now if I do not use
>>>>WPA, the home network connects, but if I use WPA then the separate
>>>>PCs have trouble connecting to the router: they say "connected" but
>>>>immediately go back to "acquiring IP" and then give up and
>>>>disconnect.  So now I am running with token security using only MAC
>>>>filtering. Can a thunderstorm selectively knock out the WPA function of
>>>>a
>>>>router? I have of course tried re-entering (cut and paste) the WPA
>>>>pre-phrase in all PCs and router but that did not help. I entered
>>>>them all (including the router) in the format "..... EE 22 5D 60 57
>>>>....". Is that the correct way or should they be entered as text
>>>>"...8a3c11c5ff..." (I have both in my notes recording the WPA used).
>>>>I am too frustrated to try all the possible combinations.
>>>>
>>>>I am ready to go out and by a new router but hesitate because I
>>>>remember the trouble I had getting this home network set up and
>>>>maybe even the problems I now have may just be configuration
>>>>problems - although all works if I do not use WPA. Yuck.
>>>>
>>>>Any advice appreciated.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>A lightning-induced power surge can do strange things to electronics.
>>>I had a DSL modem and DSL interface in the router fried by lightning,
>>>although (a) the rest of the router's functions worked OK and (b) the
>>>router's rather primitive hardware diagnostics didn't show any
>>>problems.
>>>Try using a new passphrase.  You don't have to make it long or
>>>complicated for this testing purpose.  As to how it should be entered,
>>>that depends on your router, which you didn't specify.  If that
>>>doesn't work, try WEP.  If that doesn't work, I'd buy a new router.
>>>Before
>>>you toss your old one, however, check to see if it has the capability to
>>>save its configuration as a file on your pc.  If you buy the same
>>>model router, you may be able to "restore" your old configuration. Before
>>>you attempt this, however, a call to your router mfr's support
>>>line would be in order, just to make sure that a config file from the old
>>>router
>>>will indeed work with the new one.
>>
>>
>> Thank you.  Yes it does have a way to backup the configuration file which
>> I
>> did long before this problem arose.
>>
>> The model is a smcwbr14-g.  I kept the installation instructions (just
>> one
>> sheet, not terribly useful) and it does not mention which way to enter
>> the
>> passphrase :-(  Of course that might be the problem and the thunderstorm
>> made it lose it original memory.  I will try new short passwords for
>> testing
>> to see if that is the problem, otherwise I may just buy a new router and
>> how
>> configuring it will not be too difficult.
>>
>> I have an email in to their support and am awaiting their reply.  Not
>> sure
>> this router is made any more though.
>>
>> 2 more related questions if a may:
>>
>> a) I also thought to change the wireless channel.  I know where to change
>> the chanel on the router setup, but where does one change it on the other
>> PCs (XP home and XP MCE).
>>
>> b) I know of a website http://www.andrewscompanies.com/tools/wep.asp
>> that generates WEP passwords.  Can I use the results for WPA or is there
>> a similar one for generating WPA passwords?
>>
>> Thanks for replying.
>>
>> Jeff
>>
>>
> If you received a CD with the router, the manual is probably there, in pdf
> form.  Otherwise, http://www.smc.com/files/AQ%5CWBR14G_MN.pdf
>
> A.  Changing the channel should have no effect on whether or not WPA
> works.  The main reason for changing channels is to avoid interference
> with, for example, a neighbor's wireless network.  That said, If you
> change the channel on the router, your pc's wireless network adapter will
> scan all channels and find your router's SSID (which is one reason NOT to
> disable SSID broadcast).
>
> B.
> http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=generate+wpa+password&btnG=Google+Search