MacBook and Linksys WRT54GS v.1.0 Router

The good news is my black MacBook 2.0 Ghz arrived today! I am very excited. However, I cannot seem to connect to my wireless network. The MacBook finds the network, but when I type in the password, it says it is incorrect. I know the answer seems logical --> I must be typing the password incorrectly, but I have the password written down and typed it in correctly (I clicked on view or whatever it is so I could see what I was typing).

Could it be in need of a firmware upgrade? I downloaded newer firmware, but could not figure out how to install it.

Any thoghts or ideas on how to get this set up would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Mark

mab said:

The good news is my black MacBook 2.0 Ghz arrived today! I am very excited. However, I cannot seem to connect to my wireless network. The MacBook finds the network, but when I type in the password, it says it is incorrect. I know the answer seems logical --> I must be typing the password incorrectly, but I have the password written down and typed it in correctly (I clicked on view or whatever it is so I could see what I was typing).

Could it be in need of a firmware upgrade? I downloaded newer firmware, but could not figure out how to install it.

Any thoghts or ideas on how to get this set up would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Mark

Click to expand...

You may not be selecting the correct encryption protocol. If you're using WEP, make sure you have it set for the same type of WEP you're using on your router (64-bit vs. 128-bit, TKIP, PSK, etc). Same thing if you're using WPA.

Upgrading your firmware occasionally is also recommended. This is typically done by uploading the file you downloaded to your router. I believe the option to upload the .bin file is located under the Administration tab, under Upgrade Firmware. Click the browse button to choose the firmware file.

Thanks for the response. Ultimately, I called Linksys and they walked me through. The answer was I had to enter the entire 26 character key under WEP password. I am still not sure why this had to be done, but it worked. In any event, I need to give kudos to the Linksys tech support. Very helpful and patient with me!

mab said:

Thanks for the response. Ultimately, I called Linksys and they walked me through. The answer was I had to enter the entire 26 character key under WEP password. I am still not sure why this had to be done, but it worked. In any event, I need to give kudos to the Linksys tech support. Very helpful and patient with me!

Click to expand...

Some routers have a proprietary algorithm for converting a "passphrase" into a 128-bit (26 character) key. If you're using a wireless adapter that supports that passphrase algorithm, you can just enter the passphrase instead of the entire key. Since Apple's Airport express card doesn't use the same algorithm, you have to enter the entire key.

I'm impressed that the Linksys support didn't immediately turn you away when you told them you had a Mac. In the past, I've heard it said that Linksys "doesn't support Macs" and won't volunteer any support.

With that said, you should know that WEP encryption is notoriously weak and can be broken by any relatively savvy person with freely available tools and scripts. So, if you're concerned with security, I highly recommend switching over to WPA2 encryption if your router supports it (I have a Linksys WRT54GS router and it does).