[UV_Power]

Hey everyone.

I have a funny little problem. I have a secure wireless network using a Linksys wrt54g which has given me no problems for a long time and I am very happy with it. When I set up my network, I had to punch in my encrypted key to connect to it so i knew it was secure.

Recently though, I disconnected from it to use a different wireless network. When I came back home, I tried to connect to my network and it asked me for a network key (which is good). But, I found out that I was able to type in any network key (including leaving the field blank) and it connected to my network anyway. This makes me nervous since this makes me think anyone can do this now.

Does my laptop remember my network key and ask me for one as a formality when I connect to my wireless network? Or is my used-to-be-secure network connection now unsecure? How would I go about testing such a thing since this laptop is my only wireless device I own?

Thanks.

Edited by UV_Power, 06 March 2008 - 12:17 AM.

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if your router is secure, that means no one can access it but you. The thing here is windows has what we call "AUTO COMPLETE" feature. That means if this feature is on, every username or password you typed for a certain website or link (setuppage) for the first time, the computer will remember it and the second time you need to login to it again, it will fill the informations it needed.

Also you can tell how many computers connected to your router by accessing the setuppage (still depends what kind of router you are using).

[wytboy55]

if your router is secure, that means no one can access it but you. The thing here is windows has what we call "AUTO COMPLETE" feature. That means if this feature is on, every username or password you typed for a certain website or link (setuppage) for the first time, the computer will remember it and the second time you need to login to it again, it will fill the informations it needed.

Also you can tell how many computers connected to your router by accessing the setuppage (still depends what kind of router you are using).

[UV_Power]

Well, this is different than the auto complete feature. The auto complete feature will give you a drop down box to select previous entries. My situation is that every network key I put in is accepted and there is no auto complete that I can see.

[dsenette]

MOST wireless programs have a function to create profiles so you don't have to remember every WEP/WPA key you've ever known...this is probably what's at play here....the reason you're connecting with any wep key you type in is probably because you're getting the window that detects the connection and detects the security level BEFORE your wireless software recognizes the connection and matches it to a profile (mine does this when i go to a certain facility in my company....takes about 5 minutes to actually negotiate the profile)....so while you're typing in the key in the other window...it says "oh wait i remember this one....let's just connect automatically like normal"

Edit: the best way to test this would be to get a computer in your house that has NEVER connected to your network and see if you can put in a random key and get it to connect.

[UV_Power]

get a computer in your house that has NEVER connected to your network and see if you can put in a random key and get it to connect.

A couple hours ago my buddy was over with his laptop and the idea popped into my head to try it out and everything turned out alright. He needed to punch in the correct network key to connect, so I can stop worrying.

you're getting the window that detects the connection and detects the security level BEFORE your wireless software recognizes the connection and matches it to a profile

Most likely this is what's happening.

Thanks for everyone help!

Edited by UV_Power, 10 March 2008 - 01:16 PM.