Wireless security problem

Sometimes when i connect to my router via wireless. XP wireless networking will give me the "your connected to a insecure wireless network". But wpa is enabled on my router and it asks for the wpa passcode when i connect. If i dont enter it, it wont let me connect. So why isn't it connecting securely or is this some weird glitch?

I'm thinking it may be more related to my new wireless network pci card i have in my pc than the router itself. I have changed 2 things on my network when this started. One i started using my pc with a wireless network card instead of my laptop (which died). And 2 i changed isp to AAISP from Zen. But i doubt its the isp change. Only settings i changed on my router when i changed isp was the dsl username and password.

Are you sure you aren't occasionally connecting to a neighbour's unsecured wifi network?

Pretty sure.. unless it somehow connects to one that isn't broadcasting its name. I have never in my life in my house picked up another wireless network other than my own. Which isn't unusual cause this is a pretty remote area i live in. And people that do live near by tend to be "older" people in retirement.

Edit This is all i ever pickup. And thats mine

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2596/wirelessbww.jpg

Edited by deleted (Mon 24-Aug-09 18:50:11)

In reply to a post by blackmesa8:

And people that do live near by tend to be "older" people in retirement.

And don't us "wrinklies" in "retirement" have wireless networks attached to our Zimmer Frames? Admittedly we wouldn't be stupid enuf not to secure them.

On your original problem, does the full Status of the XP Wireless Network Connection give you any clue?

Not really. the box on the task bar just randomly appears when i connect sometimes warning me about being connected to a "insecure network" Then everytime i open the status i always get the same thing.. This.

http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/4920/wireless2.jpg

Edited by deleted (Mon 24-Aug-09 19:03:08)

That Status window looks OK.

May I see the "Wireless Network Connection" window behind the Status window & also the View Wireless Networks?

View wireless networks leads to "wireless network connection" window which was behind the status window in the screenshot. I already posted a picture of it too earlier in this post.
Only one picked up is my network.

http://img34.imageshack.us/img34/2596/wirelessbww.jpg

Looks good; says it's Security-Enabled (WPA).

Perhaps you should try to make it WPA2, if you can, and see if it makes any difference?

I've got mine at WPA2 and, although my XP desktop is currently Ethernet'ed, I don't remember it giving this msg when it was wireless'ed.

Edited by XRaySpeX (Mon 24-Aug-09 20:22:52)

Done. i'll see how it goes.

http://img25.imageshack.us/img25/7333/wirelesswpa2.jpg

I think the problem is - you need to change your SSID from the default to something unique.

Otherwise you are hoping that no-one else ever turns on a router or AP nearby with the name NETGEAR - which is very common along with the other popular makes. Similarly with the laptop it would be trying to connect to any NETGEAR on the move.

Doesn't matter if you've never seen any other networks (and remember that other people may be hiding their SSID but if it's called NETGEAR you could still end up connected to it by mistake).

This kind of setup can easily happen if you originally setup your network with no security, then added a password as you can end up with unwanted entries in your preferred networks list.

(1) choose something distinctive for your SSID - an easy fix

(2) check and update your preferred networks list - so that it doesn't contain NETGEAR or any other entries you don't expect and
(3) check that it is not set to automatically connect to any non-preferred network.