SSID broadcast disabled - wireless connection lost

I have two laptops connected wirelessly to the internet through a Netgear
WPN824 wireless router. The configuration has been set to disable SSID
broadcast, and has been working fine for months. Recently one of the laptops
lost it's wireless connection, so I hooked up the ethernet cable and enabled
SSID broadcast. I then disconnected the ethernet cable, waited awhile, and
the wireless connection returned. So I then disabled the SSID broadcast, and
everything seems to be back to normal and working wirelessly the way I want.

Is there some setting that I should change on the laptop to keep me from
losing the wireless connection while SSID broadcast is set to disabled?
This laptop is only used wirelessly at this access point.

Thanks,

Gary

"GWK" <gkaucher@spamptd.net> hath wroth:

>I have two laptops connected wirelessly to the internet through a Netgear
>WPN824 wireless router. The configuration has been set to disable SSID
>broadcast, and has been working fine for months. Recently one of the laptops
>lost it's wireless connection, so I hooked up the ethernet cable and enabled
>SSID broadcast. I then disconnected the ethernet cable, waited awhile, and
>the wireless connection returned. So I then disabled the SSID broadcast, and
>everything seems to be back to normal and working wirelessly the way I want.
>
>Is there some setting that I should change on the laptop to keep me from
>losing the wireless connection while SSID broadcast is set to disabled?
>This laptop is only used wirelessly at this access point.

1. Some wireless client managers, such as whatever you're using on
your laptop, don't like to connect to AP's that don't broadcast the
SSID.

2. Windoze Wireless Zero config has a priority list of automatic
connections. You may want to move your SSID to the top of the list.
If you haven't saved the connection, do so or it won't auto connect.
It's also very easy for WZC to magically change for "automatic" to
"manual" for the connection. Check that.

3. Did you check for updates for your WPN824 firmware?
<http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/wpn824.asp>
I had a hell of a time with a WPN824 v1 until I updated the firmware.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

> >I have two laptops connected wirelessly to the internet through a Netgear
> >WPN824 wireless router. The configuration has been set to disable SSID
> >broadcast, and has been working fine for months. Recently one of the
laptops
> >lost it's wireless connection, so I hooked up the ethernet cable and
enabled
> >SSID broadcast. I then disconnected the ethernet cable, waited awhile,
and
> >the wireless connection returned. So I then disabled the SSID broadcast,
and
> >everything seems to be back to normal and working wirelessly the way I
want.
> >
> >Is there some setting that I should change on the laptop to keep me from
> >losing the wireless connection while SSID broadcast is set to disabled?
> >This laptop is only used wirelessly at this access point.
>
> 1. Some wireless client managers, such as whatever you're using on
> your laptop, don't like to connect to AP's that don't broadcast the
> SSID.
>
> 2. Windoze Wireless Zero config has a priority list of automatic
> connections. You may want to move your SSID to the top of the list.
> If you haven't saved the connection, do so or it won't auto connect.
> It's also very easy for WZC to magically change for "automatic" to
> "manual" for the connection. Check that.

Yes. I think that I saw that before I "fixed" the problem. My SSID was
designated
as "manual" and there was another SSID called "wireless" that was designated
as
automatic. I deleted the "wireless" SSID, which made my SSID the only one
there.
After I "fixed" everything, my SSID changed to "automatic".

Not sure if I saved the connection. How does one do that in XP?


> 3. Did you check for updates for your WPN824 firmware?
> <http://kbserver.netgear.com/products/wpn824.asp>
> I had a hell of a time with a WPN824 v1 until I updated the firmware.

I will check that out. Thanks for link.

"GWK" <gkaucher@spamptd.net> hath wroth:

>Not sure if I saved the connection. How does one do that in XP?

You don't. Every time you connect to an access point, the connection
settings are saved automagically by WZC. If the connection is listed
in the list of SSID's, it's saved. You can edit it to make any
necessary changes.

--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558