Wireless Help

Finally decided to get a router since I have a new laptop on the way. I got a NetGear WGT624 wireless router and am having some troubles/need some advice setting my WiFi access. So here are my questions:

1. What exactly is WEP and WPA-PSK? I know that I have to use one of those, but which one is better? Currently I have mine set to WPA-PSK.

2. I had a friend bring over his laptop so I could test my wireless access. My laptop has not come yet, I'm on a long waiting list for the new ThinkPad T42s. What do I have to do to connect to my access point? When it asks you for your key, do you put your passphrase or is it something else. When I put my passphrase in the box to connect to the network nothing happened. I also tried it with WEP and put one of the keys my settings generated and nothing.

3. How do I get the Mac addresses of the computers in my network? I think I need to find the Mac address to my friends laptop since I have turned on access control to my WiFi access point.

Sorry if this sounds very "newbieish" but I am very new to WiFi networking, and networking in general. I got my wired LAN setup working fine, but I can't seem to solve my WiFi networking. Your help is appreciated. Thanks.

1. Use WPA, here is a link to more info: http://www.dslreports.com/forum/remark,9112548~mode=flat



2. NIce choice in laptop. You need to enter the key into the laptop config. Someetimes a cut and paste will not work and you have to type it in I really do not know why that is but I have run into it a couple of times.

3. Mac adress filtering is also a very nice secuurity measure. You can turn off the filtering connect to the router then on the DHCP page there should be a way to See them. Or you can check under run >> cmd >> ipconfig /all >> will display it


Also you want to disable SSID broadcast, change the SSID, change the default password. That should secure you pretty well

I just got a Thinpad T40 last month and found this thread very helpful.

http://www.ocforums.com/showthread.php?t=231264

Unless they changed it you should on your IBM have a program running called IBM Access Connections. It sets up and monitors your wireless and wired connections.

When I set it up my laptop listed the network, and on my router it listed any wireless stuff in the area. I pretty much did most of the stuff listed in the link above.