Obi202 WiFi won't connect to wireless network

[cork2win]

I'm having trouble getting my Obi 202 device to connect to my wifi network.  It works fine if I connect it via the ethernet cable to our router, but as soon as I try to get it to work via the wifi dongle it never connects.

I've gotten to the obiconnect/wifi page and it finds our network.  I enter out network key and it won't connect.  I've never had any issues getting a wireless device to connect to our network before this.

I've read around the forums and help and I've tried disabling DHCP on the Obi device and setting it to bridge mode and this had no effect.  Other things I've read are over my head and I'm afraid to start messing with the router settings as I've never had to do this in the past for any other device.

I don't know what to try next.  Can someone please help?

[QBZappy]

cork2win,

Do you have a wireless filter setting on the router preventing it from connecting?

[cork2win]

Yeah, I wish I knew how to answer your question but I'm pretty clueless about router config so I have no idea. I found an area in the config for MAC address filtering but it is not being used.

[QBZappy]

cork2win,

What is your router model/number? I assume from your previous answer that the router is running the stock firmware supplied by the router manufacturer. (No fancy 3rd party Tomato firmware installed on it)

[cork2win]

Oh, absolutely nothing fancy!  The router was provided by our phone company, CenturyLink.  It's a DSL modem/router combo.  On the bottom it says 2Wire EQ-660HW ADSL.

[QBZappy]

Edit: Never mind about the first part. Go straight to the last part. That is how you will be able to connect using the wireless. Just curious, is this the first time you try connecting anything wireless to the router?

Different product, same problem. Follow the advice in the troubleshooting steps.

Router Setup Help - Please

http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/NOOK-First-Edition-Technical/Router-Setup-Help-Please/td-p/672052

I assume this is the router. If it is you might want to download the User Guide.

http://www.zyxel.com/products_services/p_660hw_series.shtml?t=p

I saved you the trouble. You do have a wireless filter on that router. Download the User guide and follow the instructions. Be patient it took about 5 minutes to get the PDF downloaded.

7.2.2 MAC Address Filter
Every wireless client has a unique identification number, called a MAC address.1 A MAC address is usually written using twelve hexadecimal characters2; for example, 00A0C5000002 or 00:A0:C5:00:00:02. To get the MAC address for each wireless client, see the appropriate User's Guide or other documentation. You can use the MAC address filter to tell the AP which wireless clients are allowed or not allowed to use the wireless network. If a wireless client is allowed to use the wireless network,it still has to have the correct settings (SSID, channel, and security). If a wireless client is not allowed to use the wireless network, it does not matter if it has the correct settings. This type of security does not protect the information that is sent in the wireless network. Furthermore, there are ways for unauthorized devices to get the MAC address of an authorized wireless client. Then, they can use that MAC address to use the wireless network.

[cork2win]

OK, I see what you are referring to but if I enable this, then I'm going to have to setup allowed access for every wireless device we have.  My husband would kill me for making all these changes!  lol

I called OBI support and they're telling me that it has something to do with the fact that our router uses WEP security and that the Obi has to be set up to use "key #1".  I was unable to determine what they meant by that and due to the language barrier was unable to figure this out any further than to determine that it has something to do with the security we're using on our router.

They suggested I change from WEP to WPA, but again, that's going to mean me re-doing every wireless device we have in the house, and there are a LOT of them.  I would prefer not to have to do this, but I can't figure out what the tech guy meant by configuring the obi to use key #1. 

[QBZappy]

OK, I see what you are referring to but if I enable this, then I'm going to have to setup allowed access for every wireless device we have.  My husband would kill me for making all these changes!  lol

If you have other wireless devices connected then the wireless filter is not on.

I was unable to determine what they meant by that and due to the language barrier

Do you need to borrow my universal techno babble translator? 

[cork2win]

I was unable to determine what they meant by that and due to the language barrier

Do you need to borrow my universal techno babble translator? 
[/quote]

Wow, that would really come in handy!! 

OK, well I did have to switch my router's security mode from WEP to WPA and the obi worked like magic.  While I appreciate the solution from tech support, I was kind of bummed I had to spend all day working on this.  I should have called them earlier I guess.  Seems like this would be something simple to include in the paperwork.  Obi202 does not work with WEP encryption.  Or, I guess it does but it's difficult to set up and I never did figure out how to do it.  Using WPA worked like magic though and would have made my day a lot easier had I known that about 8 hours ago! 

Anyway, thank you so much for your help.  Maybe this will help someone else someday!

[QBZappy]

cork2win,

You now know that you also have wireless filter in your router if you ever choose to turn it on.

Best--
QBZappy