WiFi newbie needs help! WEP Encryption labours connection

Hello There.

I purchased a cheap Sweex LC000070 Wireless router & a cheap Sweex 700050 PCI WiFI Lan card. I'm guessing buying cheap is my problem first of all, but I noticed there are some smarties on here that might be able to help me!


I have a 2MBit Cable connection coming through a BB modem. This is going into my router. I have this PC I'm on at the moment with the WiFi card in, and also attached to the router with a network cable (Sorry, don't know the proper terms for it!) I don't have both connections running all the time. This is just a preliminary setup.

I hooked up the WiFi fine first of all without security. It was working fine. Then I enabled WEP and WPA security. First of all I couldn't get it working. I was getting the dreaded "Limited or no connectivity" problem that seems to be widespead across the web. I FINALLY got it working by enabling WEP 128-bit and using a 26-digit hex key consisting of number-letter-number-letter and so on up to 26. I was so happy! I did it! But I have noticed that my connection is VERY laboured. Pages just time-out. When I connect to Overnet on P2P via eMule, I get a "Low ID" via wireless.

But if I disable wireless and use the hardwire connection it's fine. No delay at all when surfing the web. I still get a Low ID on eMule thou.

Do you have any idea/solution why this is happening? I would just have an unsecure connection, but I know so many ppl that have been leeching connections and I want all my bandwidth to myself!

Please help if you can

Thanks

Mr Brainz

Just to update:

I have tried all different combinations of security. WEP, WPA, different keys, different encryption depth, etc.

My temporary fix to stop leechers is to restrict the connection to only my 2 computer's MAC addresses. So I am still susceptible to flooding and people reading my packets I guess (not sure).

My eMule works fine and my connection is not visibly laboured, but I don't notice that download progress can sometimes be a bit "jolty," and it wasn't before. I have 1 machine hardwired and this one wirelessly connected and my housemate and I are sharing the connection with no problems.

I have a Playstation Portable on the way (one of the reasons for getting WiFi) and I don't know whether this will work using the MAC address restriction OR with WEP or WPA. If anyone has any info on this that would be good too.

*edit* PSP does have a MAC address and ONLY supports WEP encryption. So I will want to use WEP even though it is less secure.

But the long and the short of it is I would like to be able to use encryption with no decrease in efficiency !

Any ideas?