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Wep encryption to a WAP2 encryption; Technician was clueless!

I'm just jumping on here to tell you that if a Verizon "technical assistant" tells you that you need to be 'hard wired' into your router in order to update your encryption from a WEP to a WAP2, that person is COMPLETELY WRONG.

In the end, I figured it out myself on how to do it wirelessly. I explained to him that it was done before, I just forgot my username and password. (I had to reset my smartphone and just needed to connect to my router) and it became a whole ordeal that the technician couldn't figure out. I ended up hanging up the phone on a WEP connection, not what I called in for.

He could not get my router to update because he didn't know how to. Which is ridiculous!! What's the point of having technicians if they can't do their job? After I hung up with him, I remembered how to do it on my own.

Please train your technicians. PLEASE!

Anyways, if you go to http://192.168.1.1 and enter in your username and password. If you forgot, reset your router and then it should be 'admin' for the username and 'password' for the password. After that, set up your own username and password and write it down and store it somewhere you will remember to find it. Next, go into Wireless Settings and then on the left, there is a pane with a few options. Click on Advanced Security Settings. Then it will ask you for a key. Leave it as ASCII and then start out with a capital letter and add some numbers. Write it down and keep it safe, you will need this.

It should automatically send the information to your router and then it will disconnect you. (The Technician couldn't get past this part). When you try to connect to the internet, it will ask you for the key you just entered in for a WAP2 encryption, the problem is, is that your computer is set up for WEP. SO, go into your 'network and sharing' and remove the network set up with WEP. Then set up new connection and enter in the key you used for your WAP2 encryption and VOILA! You now not only have a WAP2 connection with the highest security level, you also did it wirelessly.

And just an FYI, if you are using a WEP connection, it is easily hackable. You should set up to WAP2 which is the best security that is out there right now to protect your wireless connection in your home. You wouldn't want a neighbor or stranger snooping around in your computer, would you?

Comments

jumpin68ny

I will agree with you that using WPA is much better than WEP.

However I think the VZ techncian telling you to be hard wired vs. wireless to change the wireless security from WEP to WPA is a good idea for best practice.

As you know when you are on wireless and change from WEP to WPA you wil lose your wireless connection. For best practices I have to agree with VZ and make the recommendation to be connected via a wired connection when making any changes on wireless.

As far as the pre-shared key there is no requirement that says you must have a capital letter and/or numbers although for security purposes I think incorporating caps and numbers is the best way to ensure you won't be hacked.

viafax999

"Anyways, if you go to http://192.168.1.1 and enter in your username and password. If you forgot, reset your router and then it should be 'admin' for the username and 'password' for the password."

After one of the firmware upgrades in the last 18 months following a reset to factory defaults your userid should be admin and you should be prompted for a new password, anything you want - that's how my router work now anyway.

smith6612

The technician wasn't wrong by any means when he asked you to change the setting while connected using Ethernet. It's very easy to have the Wireless connection drop in the middle of applying key settings, hosing up the router. That doesn't happen on Ethernet. It is just overall best practice, not a requirement. The same goes with firmware upgrades. Easy to hose up the works (or in this case, brick the unit with no way to JTAG header and tftp the router) when updating using Wireless.

As far as the training for changing the Wireless settings go? I'm not sure how often Verizon gets requests for those, but I believe it might be something that isn't called in for as much as "My Services don't work." Yet again, if the technician has Internet access he could probably take a look at Verizon's website and talk you step by step through it. Not very hard to do at all 🙂

weedeater1

If you use wireless to change the key, and accidently mistype a character, then reboot, you'll have to connect directly anyway to fix it.

Agent991

"Anyways, if you go to http://192.168.1.1 and enter in your username and password. If you forgot, reset your router and then it should be 'admin' for the username and 'password' for the password. After that, set up your own username and password and write it down and store it somewhere you will remember to find it. Next, go into Wireless Settings and then on the left, there is a pane with a few options. Click on Advanced Security Settings. Then it will ask you for a key. Leave it as ASCII and then start out with a capital letter and add some numbers. Write it down and keep it safe, you will need this.

I'm lost. The FIOS installer set up my laptop wireless using WEP. I tried changing it to WAP2 on my own and applied the default settings. Now I get no internet connection at all with the laptop.

After clicking Advanced Security Settings, I selected WPA2 and got a defaulted:

Authentication Method - "Pre-Shared Key"

Pre-Shared Key - long multidigit code, "ASCII"

Group Key Update Interval box checked and "3600" seconds.

Does anything need to change above?

Then when you say to get in "network and sharing" where exactly is this?

Thanks.

viafax999

see your other post, I put the details on how to do it there. I strongly suggest that you use an ethernet cable to initially set this up but it can be done wirelessly

smith6612

@Agent99 wrote:
I'm lost. The FIOS installer set up my laptop wireless using WEP. I tried changing it to WAP2 on my own and applied the default settings. Now I get no internet connection at all with the laptop.
After clicking Advanced Security Settings, I selected WPA2 and got a defaulted:
Authentication Method - "Pre-Shared Key"
Pre-Shared Key - long multidigit code, "ASCII"
Group Key Update Interval box checked and "3600" seconds.
Does anything need to change above?
Then when you say to get in "network and sharing" where exactly is this?
Thanks.

Nothing in the router needs to change at that point. Network and Sharing shows up if you are running a Windows Vista or Windows 7 machine. Otherwise, it's the Wireless Network Connection in Windows XP. What you need to do on the PC is set the PC to use WPA2-PSK AES Encryption at this point. Either in the Network and Sharing Center, or in the Wireless Network Connection properties depending on which OS you run, you will want to open up your list of preferred networks, and from there, you will want to double check on your network name to bring up the Properties of your network. From there, either on the main page or in one of the Property tabs, you will see an option for authentication. Change it to WPA2 Personal, set the Algorithm to AES and then for the Wireless Passphrase, enter in your Passphrase. Additionally, you can just delete the wireless network from the Preferred list and then re-connect to it as you would for any wireless network.

Frank97

i CAN'T EVEN GET THROUGH!!!!!! yOUR SERVICE WAS GREAT 2 YEARS AGO- NOW IT STINKS!!!! i WAIT AND WAIT AND WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO ANSWER!!!!!! it is absurd!!!!!!!

KH-OrnEsh1

If you are having an issue with your Verizon service, you can use the Verizon Troubleshooter to fix and report issues with your Verizon Phone, FiOS TV, or Internet Service. You can also schedule a repair. Here is the link: http://www.verizon.com/repair

You can also find tools on the Verizon Residential Support page that may help you diagnose your issue: http://www22.verizon.com/residentialhelp

@Frank9 wrote:
i CAN'T EVEN GET THROUGH!!!!!! yOUR SERVICE WAS GREAT 2 YEARS AGO- NOW IT STINKS!!!! i WAIT AND WAIT AND WAIT FOR SOMEONE TO ANSWER!!!!!! it is absurd!!!!!!!

smith6612

Press 0 at the main phone prompts if you're waiting for tech support for too long. Cheap way of bypassing the main queue and going to other support groups, so don't abuse it. It's possible they might re-direct you since they don't support what you're looking for, but either way, don't abuse it.

MrsMark

I have to disagree with needed to connect hardwired to make encryption changes. The changes will not take affect until after everything is done. Even if a person is connected hardwired, once the change takes affect, you still won't be connected.

I am tired of Verizon claiming not to support wireless connection, yet they provide the wireless router (have to use verizon router equipment) and the router not only supports internet but my TV and phone service also. So why don't they support wireless? If they don't support the service they are providing, who is supporting it?

Anti-Phish1

MrsMark wrote:

I have to disagree with needed to connect hardwired to make encryption changes.

The reason for making changes via a hardwire connect has already been discussed. With a wired connection you can easily reconnect to the router. With a wireless connection, you may not be able to reconnect without making changes to the device.

This makes it more of a support burden and is why CSRs say to only make changes from a wired connection.

MrsMark wrote:

I am tired of Verizon claiming not to support wireless connection, yet they provide the wireless router

Would you rather they supplied a router without wireless?

MrsMark wrote:

the router not only supports internet but my TV and phone service also.

The router has nothing to do with VZ phone service.

MrsMark

MrsMark wrote:

I have to disagree with needed to connect hardwired to make encryption changes.

This makes it more of a support burden and is why CSRs say to only make changes from a wired connection.

Not sure i understand what you mean by reconnecting without making changes. What sort of changes? Wired or Wireless changes to the devices will have to be made. The router setup/password has now changed therefore, these changes need to be made to connect. Also if a person has wireless connection, wouldn't they have to make changes anyway? Maybe I'm reading something wrong. Hard wired or wireless, changes of each device connected will have to be made.

MrsMark wrote:

I am tired of Verizon claiming not to support wireless connection, yet they provide the wireless router

Would you rather they supplied a router without wireless?

I rather they support an item they provide. Is that asking too much? If I sell you a car, and just as you are ready to drive it off the lot to take it home, i turn and say, I don't have the keys. You have to go to another dealer and hope that they help you get a set of keys!

MrsMark wrote:

the router not only supports internet but my TV and phone service also.

The router has nothing to do with VZ phone service.

HAHA ok what supports my Phone if not my VZ router?

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