Guest Network Encryption

[jparisi]

I have a relative staying over with an older laptop that doesn't seem to like WPA. The laptop connects, gets an IP, but cannot ping anything on the network or get internet access.

I set up a guest network and they can get on fine.

I wanted to try to secure the guest network using WEP but anything I try for a key will not work. I even tried to use WPA/WPA2 on the guest network and again, no key will take.

Is encryption supported on the guest network? If so, how do you go about setting it up?

[Ashok]

@ jparisi,

By default the Guest network takes the same security as main router and mostly it works with WPA/WPA2 security, there is no option to change the security on the Guest network.

Once the laptop is connected try to do a release and renew of the IP address or run the diagnostics that should solve the issue.

[jparisi]

Well, there is an option to change the encryption type, it just doesn't work.

I can set up no encryption, so it must be able to take on different settings.

I release/renew didn't help when it connected the first time, but that was to the WPA/WPA2 encryption with no guest network.

[Ashok]

@ jparisi,

That's because mostly the Guest network is taking the same security as main router network. To identify it is an issue with the Guest network security, try connecting any other client device to the Guest network and check.

[jparisi]

I don't think I'm explaining it right.

The old computer will not connect to the regular 2.4ghz wireless network. Other clients connect fine so I was hoping to try WEP on the guest network.

When setting up a guest network, I can create a new SSID and set it with no encryption. The old computer connects fine.

If I try to set up WEP (Which I do get an option for) I cannot add a security key, even though there is an available filed for "Key". Anything I type in turns the box "red" and will not save.

[Ashok]

@ jparisi,

WEP security would accept A-F and 0-9, hence, try the password with this combination and let me know.

[jparisi]

I thought the same thing and tried hexadecimal, didn't work.

Is there a specific length the key needs to be?

[Ashok]

@ japrisi,

Yes at least a minimum of 10 characters.