Netgear card won't connect to Linksys router

I have a Linksys WRT54G wireless router that works just fine with an
older laptop using a Linksys 802.11g Wireless-G card. I just got a
newer laptop and purchased a Netgear 108 Mbps wireless card for it (it
is 802.11g compatible), installed the software and card and fired it
up.

Here's the deal. The Netgear card refuses to connect to the Linksys
router. I have the router set up to use WEP with 128 bit encryption and
a passphrase. I have checked the passphrase until I am blue in the
face. At first it would "see" the router but not connect, but now it
just searches endlessly.

To add to the confusion, one of my neighbors is running a wide-open
Linksys router box, and the new Netgear card hops on that with no
problem! I can zip right out onto the net. This tells me there is
nothing in the computer setup (e.g., TCP/IP) and that the card is
basically functioning OK, at least when not using WEP.

Do I have a bad Netgear card? The only difference in the setup of the
two cards is the Linksys gives you an "open" or "shared" option, and
won't connect unless "shared" is chosen. There is no such choice in the
Netgear setup.

Short of always using my neighbor's access point, any ideas why the
Netgear card won't connect and my wife's computer and my laptop connect
just fine to the Linksys router?

wizard_chef <wizard_chef@hotmail.com> wrote:

> I have a Linksys WRT54G wireless router that works just fine with an
> older laptop using a Linksys 802.11g Wireless-G card. I just got a
> newer laptop and purchased a Netgear 108 Mbps wireless card for it (it
> is 802.11g compatible), installed the software and card and fired it
> up.
>
> Here's the deal. The Netgear card refuses to connect to the Linksys
> router. I have the router set up to use WEP with 128 bit encryption and
> a passphrase. I have checked the passphrase until I am blue in the
> face. At first it would "see" the router but not connect, but now it
> just searches endlessly.

Use a hex key instead of the passphrase.