Need some input please. I’m attempting to help a friend with her network
which consists of an XP desktop and two Vista laptops. They’ve been networked
in this manner for over a year sharing internet, files and printer through a
linksys wireless gateway.

The network has performed well until last week when just one of the laptops
could no longer connect to the network...it could connect to unsecured
neighbors networks, however, and it still has the ability to attempt to
connect to the network name but without success.

The encryption is WEP with hidden network and MAC filtering. When the
network is no longer hidden and MAC filtering is disabled, it does connect
using the network. But I can’t seem to restore the original network settings
so that the laptop will connect in the future after MAC filtering is turning
back on and the network name is hidden. The new connection software will not
accept the WEP key, and yes, I’m sure the key is correct.

The two other computers are fine, there is no software update for the
linksys, under network properties the setting is still showing ‘connect to
this network’, the computer’s MAC address still shows in the filtering list
as allowed I’m totally stumped.