wpa psk problems trobleshoot can't connect with any key

[OatMan]

Dell 700m with Atheros 5005GS wirelessNIC
Driver version 7.4.2.105 with date 4/1/2008
ActionTEC M1424WR - provided by Verizon for FIOS
firmware version 4.0.16.1.56.0.10.7

Other hardware details as requested.

Summary:
Used this combination with WPA for almost a year with no issues. Then my laptop was down with a bad hard drive for like 6 months or so (it's a second machine and I didn't have time). Finally fixed have laptop fixed up and working...

No trouble connecting to my wireless router with wpa disabled. No trouble connecting with SSID non-broadcast. When I enable WPA with the old key (60 character Hex AES) I can't connect. I've cut and pasted. I've entered it manually. I've tried both entering the psk on the client side in the automatic/preferred network list. I've tried entering it manually (cut and paste and typing) by selecting the wireless network manually from the list of available networks. I've tried using a short (8-key) all lower case ascii and hex. Nothing works.

This should be an easy one, but I'm stuck and searching the net and these forums has not turned up anything useful.

TIA

 

[Goosemaster]

I hope it's not as simple a mac filtering that gets turned on when you enable encryption....

 

[spidey07]

What do you mean by "can't connect"? Make sure the security settings match exactly on the router and the client. There are also hotfixes/patches required to get windows to use WPA-AES correctly if you're using windows zero config. Try the actual client utility for your wireless card.

 

[OatMan]

By "Can't Connect" I mean that the wireless card begins negotiation with the wireless router for a connection but does not seem to get past the wpa security to complete connections and get an ip number. I can see it trying three times and then it stops with an alert message.

If I turn off WPA it works fine. It worked for several months with no problems and then I had to rebuild my laptop from a clean install and it has not worked since this rebuild. I have double checked a million times that the wpa info is correct on both ends. I have even tried changing the info so that it matches several times.

What config client can I use in place of the windowsXP default client. This is an upgrade Atheros ar5005gs card that I installed myself and which came with no software. I have looked at the Atheros website and can't find any support information for drivers or client utilities. Any suggestions for client?

 

[Eug]

What happens if you use WEP?

 

[OatMan]

Originally posted by: Eug
What happens if you use WEP?

Wow am I dumb, never thought of that. Let me check...

OK WEP works! That is really strange. I'll try WPA again as I really don't want to use WEP.

 

[OatMan]

Nope. WPA has the same behavior. I put in the key and the negotiation begins. It bounces three times (I see the little moving dot below the system tray icon) then after the third it just sits with a red X.

I think I recall using the Intel client before, so I'll try and find another utility and would appreciate a recommendation (link to download?)

 

[klod]

I see that this is an upgrade that you unstalled yourself. But by chance is there a Dell program for setting up wireless that is conflicting with the windows wireless setup? I assume you're using the XP setup program.

I ask because this is similar to what I ran into recently. I changed my router to a stronger passphrase, but when I tried the same passphrase on the laptop it would connect for a few seconds and then disconnect. I discovered that it was replacing my new passphrase with my old one. I could not get it to stick. I was using the windows XP wireless setup. After I realized that there was a Dell program on the laptop, I used it and the passphrase stuck for good.

 

[OatMan]

klod - what you say makes sense based on what I'm experiencing. It 'feels' like some kind of conflict. Case in point, WEP worked the first time I tried it and fails exactly like my WPA fails on all subsequent attempts.

I can't find any source of conflict. Again, with wireless security disabled everything works fine, including mac filtering, and disabled broadcast (all router side, but just to clarify).

And more frustratingly, I can't find a wireless config client to use instead of the windows wireless.

If anyone has any ideas. I have a self installed Toshiba PA-3426U-1MPC wifi (Atheros ar5005GS based) card in my Dell 700m.

I'm looking for an alternative wifi config client.
Thanks.