Trying to connect to wireless network. ASCII/Hexadecimal Network key?

I'm trying to use my new laptop to connect to my home network. When I type in the network key, it tells me that my network password need to be 40bits ot 104bits depending on my network configuration - this can be 5 or 13 ASCII characters or 10 or 26 hexadecimal characters. Hence I just get this error message repetedly and it won't connect.


My options are Data Encryption (WEP enabled) or Network Authentication (Shared Mode). The house network is already set up via a router, and the network key works for all other computers on the network.


On my desktop computer, the network authentication option is WPA-PSK and the data encryption is TKIP, but I don't have those options on the laptop. Changing the network key isn't really an option because it'd mess up everyone else's connection - and I shouldn't have to if the setup works on every other computer, right?





Thanks for your help in advance!

Trying to connect to wireless network. ASCII/Hexadecimal Network key?
Not all cards support WPA so you either need to use the less secure WEP from the router, or buy a PCMCIA card that supports WPA if your card doesn't have the option for it.
Reply:The option on the laptop shared key is wpa, there may also be a button saying key provided automatically. Turn this button off. This may give you further options. If your key is a word or sentence the input is ascii, if a combination of numbers 0-9 and letters a-z it is hex. Ther are still some cards out there which are poorly supported for wpa, but not too likely on a new laptop.