UGH...I HATE products that dont work!!

So I bought the Socket CompactFlash Wireless Card for my Dell Axim - it was supposed to let me surf using the Axim from anywhere in the house. I found an amazing deal on FW - $75 after rebates for the card, which is supposed to be the best of the best when it comes to CompactFlash networking devices.

I got home from vacation today (went to Traverse City, MI - pics will be posted when film is developed!) and it was on my doorstep. Followed the directions to a "T," but the damn thing doesn't work.

The problem is that it works, but only without WEP enabled! There's no way I'm leaving my network unsecured, and it's supposed to be able to work with WEP (up to 128 bit, which is what I have).

So now, I have to go to Staples, but I'm not sure if they'll take it back because it was a special order item (from Ingram Micro) so I have to call the Staples 800-number and find out how to return it.

I am so bummed. I thought I'd get home from TC and be able to sit on the couch all night like a bum surfing the 'net. Instead, I spent ALL afternoon trying to get the damn thing to work, fidding with my wireless router, but absolutely nothing fixes it, except turning off encryption.

If there is a bright side, I now know what open-system, shared-key and short preamble wireless networks are all about. This sucks.

UGH!!

 

[Lithium381]

well don't you have 30 days to post around the internet etc and fix it before you just return it?

 

[notfred]

My wi-fi network isn't encrypted. I don't really care if someone sits on the grass in front of my apartment and downloads stuff.

 

[KingNothing]

WEP has been cracked. There was an article on slashdot about it. I use MAC filtering and that's good enough for me.

 

Originally posted by: Lithium381
well don't you have 30 days to post around the internet etc and fix it before you just return it?

Trust me: I've looked everywhere. I've looked at the Socket forums, the Aximsite forums, and pretty much everywhere else. People have had problems like mine, the only thing that fixed their problem was a return and replacement. The VAST majority of people I have read about have success with the socket card and my model of router. So, I'm thinking that it's a defective card.

Originally posted by: notfred
My wi-fi network isn't encrypted. I don't really care if someone sits on the grass in front of my apartment and downloads stuff.

I don't care about encryption. The point is that this card doesn't work as it's supposed to. If I were to go to a friend's house and he gave me his WEP passphrase, it wouldn't work, even though it's supposed to. I wouldn't encrypt my network either, if it weren't for my sister, who works for a major pharmeceutical company here in A2 and works with a lot of sensitive information on her laptop.

The point is that the card doesn't work as advertised. I'm glad I got it from Staples as opposed to some shady place like TigerDirect.

Anyone know any good CompactFlash 802.11b card brands/models? I'm leaning toward Linksys, since I've got two of their routers and they work great.

 

[Bootprint]

Cracking WEP isn't easy, need lots of packets. As to MAC filtering, you just need to listen/packet sniff and the MAC address of the wireless laptop will be broadcast...

WEP is best to prevent something like XP from automatically associating with you connection..