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[greenhorns]

hi,
I'm visiting relatives and I can't connect using wireless on a wep wireless network.
I enter their 10-character passphrase using the passphrase keytype on a circle with their ssid but it just waits a while and then asks again for the key.
I can connect to an unsecured network in the neighborhood ok with the xo.
The xo connected fine back home using wep and a hex key.
Their dell PC and a Vaio PC can connect fine using the passphrase.
I connnected  my psp and playstation3 quickly with no problem using the same ssid and passphrase, so something must be incompatible on the xo.
I did not have to add the MAC addresses to the router for the psp and ps3 so I don' t think the router is doing MAC filtering.
Network strength is good in my location.

Looking at the connected machines' network settings I see:
wep encryption, network authentication: open
channel 11
key index 1

my xo is build 767, sugar 0.82.1, updated to the latest with software update.
I tried the links on this forum to convert the passphrase to hex but it still won't connect using the hex key type, and I didn't have to use hex with the psp and ps3.
I tried "discard network history" in settings then the passphrase again, tried shared as well as open, tried deleting networks.cfg (when I reboot it is there but empty), no luck.
I've tried multiple times, waited a long time for results, tried the next day etc, with no luck.
Their router is a cisco- linksys Wireless-N Gigabit WRT310N.
The password they had for accessing the router doesn't work.   I can't access to the router for changing or even viewing the settings without paying for linksys network tech support and having them do remote access, etc. or else resetting the router completely.   But that shouldn't be necessary anyway, all the other machines are working fine so I hope I can just change something on the xo.
I could just leach insecurely off the neighbors but I've spent hours googling and trying to get this working and I want to know why it doesn't, and it might help someone else if I knew.
Any suggestions without messing with the router?  I'm not new to linux but I am new to build 767...
thanks very much for any ideas.

[Dinky]

First, erasing network history erases the networks.cfg file for you.  The file will be empty until you connect, and then an entry will contain information about the connection.  I still don't know if you have to reboot after erasing history.

Secondly, there is a difference between passphrase, pass key and password on a network.  You appear to not be using router password, so make sure on the XO that you select either passphrase or 40/128 key (pull down menu) and use the corresponding code.  You should not have to do any conversion -- the linksys will show you the passphrase and the hex keys. On my older Linksys, I enter a passphrase on the Linksys, which generates 4 keys, of which I select key 1 to use.  I must use all upper case letters on my XO  ( there is never a letter "O", it is always a zero). I select the 40/128 choice and enter the 26 digit hex key (WEP), check "Open System" and check OK..

You must wait until the XO has finished all its tests (including searches for MESH) before trying to connect.  This may be several minutes.   Sometimes, especially if the signal is weak, you may have to try to connect several times. While connecting to the house across the street, it took 5 tries to connect the first time. It connected automatically thereafter.

For the Linksys, all older models have a reset switch to set the parameters (including administrative password)  back to the factory default -- see manual for defaults.   The spec sheet for the 310 N says it has a reset button ( could not access manual for that model at linksys.com site).  Your host might not like you resetting their wireless.

I hope this provides you some clues.
PS:   The 310N is not listed here:
http://wiki.laptop.org/go/Wireless_Access_Point_Compatibility

[greenhorns]

thanks for the reply.
I can't log into the linksys to get the hex key, and resetting to the factory defaults would mess up other's access.  Signal is strong, waited, and retried many times.  I can connect fine on the XO to a unsecured network nearby.
I've given up on the XO on my relative's network, I'm leaving tomorrow anyway.
Just wish it was as easy connecting as the other PCs and game consoles.

[Dinky]

You might be interested in this post:

http://en.forum.laptop.org/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=163254&p=581464#p581464

For there, I can only guess that encryption was disabled and the router password was enabled ?