Posts Tagged “Networking”

Windows Vista Still Plaguing My Life

by Nick.

Today I installed dd-wrt on my new Linksys E2000 router because of some connectivity issues I was having. Dd-wrt works great and fixed the problem I was having, but an old problem I was having with Windows Vista surfaced again. My parents desktop connects via a wireless adapter and after I updated my router the their desktop would hang on “Identifying Network…”

After eliminating the router as the problem by connecting with two other laptops and my Android phone I decided the problem was Windows Vista. DD-WRT allows you to create virtual wireless devices so I created a Vista only network with no encryption.

Tried to connect and Vista worked fine, identified the network in seconds and asked me to identify the computers location as normal. So I disconnected trued WEP, same thing. Disconnected again and tried WPA worked fine. Then I tried WPA2 and it hung up on “Identifying Network…”

So I dialed it back to just WPA which is decent security but not great, and for some reason that makes the Vista machine happy. I searched all over the net for this problem for ages and never saw this “solution,” if you can calling having to lower your security to accommodate a shitty OS a solution.

In short it seems Vista can not connect properly to WPA2 networks, and if you use WPA you should be ok. Amazing how bad this is, and it galls me to think I have to buy Windows 7 to fix this properly. I think I might just buy them a iMac and get it over with.

Replacing Verizon’s Router

by Nick.

Ever since I got Verizon FIOS service I have been extremely happy with it. Currently my internet connection is running at 45Mbs down and 30 Mbs up and it really is amazing how fast you get used to having that speed, and how many services it opens up to you. However there is a down side to the service, the cheap ass POS router that Verizon gives you.

When they were installing it I did not think there would be a problem, I figured I would just plug my own router in when they left and be able to do whatever I wanted. For some reason, that eludes me, they ran a COAX cable from the FIOS box outside to the router in the house. So for me to throw out the Verizon router I either have to call Verizon out again, suffer them running dirt all through the house and probably paying a fee, or figure something else out.

Well it turns out that it just adding a new router was not nearly as hard as I though it would be. You can nearly just plug it in and go.