Linksys WMP54GS wireless - Windows bluescreen

[canela]

Hello,

I'm converting from WEP to WPA in my home for the added security (I live in a apartment complex). I have a Linksys WMP54GS wireless card in my XP system and a Linksys WRT54GL wireless router.

I've followed the instructions and the WRT54GL seems to work. At least the web interface seems OK.

The WMP54GS driver "monitor" on th XP system is a different matter. This piece of software takes over from Windows wireless and does the SSID auto detection. The problem is, it detects the available WAPS/routers in the vicinity, but the moment you select the desired WAP and are prompted to enter your matching encryption key, BOOM!, blue screen. Every time.

Anyone have any experience with this? I'm tempted to disable this "monitor" and run with the regular windows wireless. I think I did something similar with a Linksys WMP11 card in the past.

[Compunuts]

This piece of software takes over from Windows wireless and does the SSID auto detection.

Windows wireless is too generic for some wireless networks. Some vendor specific features needs their own software to get it working.

SSID detection and broadcast from router can be configured. On my WGR614 (it's old, I know), you can go to advanced area of control panel and choose wireless setting. There, you can disable SSID broadcasting. It's actually safer to do so since a cracker needs to know exact SSID of your network before he/she even start sniffing data.

You can also configure this on client via profiles area.

The problem is, it detects the available WAPS/routers in the vicinity

Actually, this IS the feature. Unless you tell your computer what IS your SSID, it will detect EVERYTHING it possibally can.

but the moment you select the desired WAP and are prompted to enter your matching encryption key, BOOM!, blue screen. Every time.

IF it BSOD your xp box, then it sounds more to me like driver issue than anything else. Have you checked Netgear site for updated driver?

I'm tempted to disable this "monitor" and run with the regular windows wireless.

If it has all the features you need, then I don't see why not just use Windows wireless feature. After all, no one can tell you WHICH program to use as long as it does what you needed it to do.

[canela]

Thanks Compunuts,

Disabling the "monitor" software in the taskbar did the trick. Windows picked up the driver that came with the CDs just fine. Unfortunately, uninstalling the "monitor" removes the drivers. I could do a driver install from the CDs afterwards, but disabling the software seems sufficient.

I wasn't so concerned that I could see other SSIDs, just that the monitor thing seemed to work OK, detecting the SSIDs and then ran in front of the bus.

I'll continue broadcasting my SSID for a little while, it makes the initial setup of the WLAN easier.

I'm now having supplicant issues on the Linux side, but that's another thread.