Windows Vista home premium running on an HP laptop. Netgear wireless router.
Some months ago I set up a wireless network using the Netgear CD. Works
fine, no problems.

Occasionally visitors come over and I would like to permit them to use their
laptops to access the wireless network. They can identify the network (from
within Windows on their machines) but cannot connect because I don't know
what to enter in all the fill in the blank boxes that pop up when they try to
establish a connection.

Any ideas? Is this something I need to do from within Netgear?

--
leave well enough alone

raymondvillain wrote:

Windows Vista home premium running on an HP laptop. Netgear wireless
router.
Some months ago I set up a wireless network using the Netgear CD. Works
fine, no problems.

Occasionally visitors come over and I would like to permit them to use
their
laptops to access the wireless network. They can identify the network
(from within Windows on their machines) but cannot connect because I don't
know what to enter in all the fill in the blank boxes that pop up when
they try to establish a connection.

When you set up the Netgear, hopefully you set up your wireless network
securely. Since you seem to be unsure how to handle things, here is a full
description of how to make your wireless network secure. It includes the
answer to your question.

Have a computer connected to the router with an ethernet cable. Examples
given are for a Linksys router. Refer to your router manual or the router
mftr.'s website for default settings if you don't have a Linksys. Open a
browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox and in the addressbar type:

http://192.168.1.1 [enter] (this is the router's default IP address, which
varies from router to router so check your manual)

This will bring you to router's login screen. The default username is left
blank and the Linksys default password is "admin" without the quotes. Enter
that information. You are now in the router's configuration utility. Your
configuration utility may differ slightly from mine.

Click on the Administration link at the top of the page. Enter your new
password. WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE YOU WILL NOT LOSE IT. Re-enter the
password to confirm it and click the Save Settings button at the bottom of
the page. The router will restart and present you with the login box again.
Leave the username blank and put in your new password to get back into the
configuration utility.

Now click on the Wireless link at the top of the page. Change the Wireless
Network Name (SSID) from the default to something you will recognize. I
suggest that my clients not use their family name as the SSID. For example,
you might wish to name your wireless network "CastleAnthrax" or the
like. ;-)

Click the Save Settings and when you get the prompt that your changes were
successful, click on the Wireless Security link which is right next to the
Basic Wireless Settings link (where you changed your SSID). If you have a
newish computer, you will be able to set the Security Mode to
WPA2-Personal. Do that and enter a passphrase. The passphrase is what you
will enter on any computers that are allowed to connect to the wireless
network. WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE YOU WILL NOT LOSE IT.

At this point, your router is configured and if the computer you were using
to configure the router is normally going to connect wirelessly, disconnect
the ethernet cable and the computer's wireless feature should see your new
network. Enter the passphrase you created to join the network and start
surfing.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ

"Malke" wrote in message
...
raymondvillain wrote:

Windows Vista home premium running on an HP laptop. Netgear wireless
router.
Some months ago I set up a wireless network using the Netgear CD.
Works
fine, no problems.

Occasionally visitors come over and I would like to permit them to
use
their
laptops to access the wireless network. They can identify the
network
(from within Windows on their machines) but cannot connect because I
don't
know what to enter in all the fill in the blank boxes that pop up
when
they try to establish a connection.

When you set up the Netgear, hopefully you set up your wireless
network
securely. Since you seem to be unsure how to handle things, here is a
full
description of how to make your wireless network secure. It includes
the
answer to your question.

Have a computer connected to the router with an ethernet cable.
Examples
given are for a Linksys router. Refer to your router manual or the
router
mftr.'s website for default settings if you don't have a Linksys. Open
a
browser such as Internet Explorer or Firefox and in the addressbar
type:

http://192.168.1.1 [enter] (this is the router's default IP address,
which
varies from router to router so check your manual)

This will bring you to router's login screen. The default username is
left
blank and the Linksys default password is "admin" without the quotes.
Enter
that information. You are now in the router's configuration utility.
Your
configuration utility may differ slightly from mine.

Click on the Administration link at the top of the page. Enter your
new
password. WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE YOU WILL NOT LOSE IT. Re-enter the
password to confirm it and click the Save Settings button at the
bottom of
the page. The router will restart and present you with the login box
again.
Leave the username blank and put in your new password to get back into
the
configuration utility.

Now click on the Wireless link at the top of the page. Change the
Wireless
Network Name (SSID) from the default to something you will recognize.
I
suggest that my clients not use their family name as the SSID. For
example,
you might wish to name your wireless network "CastleAnthrax" or the
like. ;-)

Click the Save Settings and when you get the prompt that your changes
were
successful, click on the Wireless Security link which is right next to
the
Basic Wireless Settings link (where you changed your SSID). If you
have a
newish computer, you will be able to set the Security Mode to
WPA2-Personal. Do that and enter a passphrase. The passphrase is what
you
will enter on any computers that are allowed to connect to the
wireless
network. WRITE IT DOWN SOMEWHERE YOU WILL NOT LOSE IT.

At this point, your router is configured and if the computer you were
using
to configure the router is normally going to connect wirelessly,
disconnect
the ethernet cable and the computer's wireless feature should see your
new
network. Enter the passphrase you created to join the network and
start
surfing.

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ


To add you can also use Windows Connect Now [WCN] to save off the
wireless settings on a flash drive. Then guests can simply plug in the
flash drive and have their laptop/notebook automatically configured for
your network.

http://blogs.msdn.com/wndp/archive/2...F00_part1.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/com...uy/cg0406.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/com...uy/cg0604.mspx

If your wireless access point/router or clients do not support WCN you
can easily copy-n-paste the network key by opening the flash drive and
navigating to the "\Smrtntky\Wsetting.txt" file and copying the key to
the wireless access point/router or client.

--

Al Jarvi (MS-MVP Windows - Desktop User Experience)

Please post *ALL* questions and replies to the news group for the
mutual benefit of all of us...
The MS-MVP Program - http://mvp.support.microsoft.com
This posting is provided "AS IS" with no warranties, and confers no
rights...
How to ask a question
http://support.microsoft.com/KB/555375

Sooner Al [MVP] wrote:

To add you can also use Windows Connect Now [WCN] to save off the
wireless settings on a flash drive. Then guests can simply plug in the
flash drive and have their laptop/notebook automatically configured for
your network.


http://blogs.msdn.com/wndp/archive/2...F00_part1.aspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/com...uy/cg0406.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/technet/com...uy/cg0604.mspx

If your wireless access point/router or clients do not support WCN you
can easily copy-n-paste the network key by opening the flash drive and
navigating to the "\Smrtntky\Wsetting.txt" file and copying the key to
the wireless access point/router or client.

Thanks for that, Al. I wanted the OP to make sure he'd set up his network
securely which is why I didn't suggest just saving the wireless settings.
Your way is quicker, that's for sure. I just didn't want another person out
there using the router defaults and no security.

Best regards,

Malke
--
MS-MVP
Elephant Boy Computers - Don't Panic!
FAQ - http://www.elephantboycomputers.com/#FAQ