[olpc-help] Help accessing wireless Airport Express

[Nutmeg7]

I agree.  If you can afford to turn WEP off (i.e. if you think it's unlikely that anyone will be able to "listen in" on your wireless network) I'd do it.  I used to have WEP turned on in my old house, but a few of my PC-using guests had trouble accessing my network, even after entering in the HEX key.  Now that I live in a more remote area, I've decided it's not worth the hassle...

If you don't feel it's safe to turn WEP off, here's some ideas.  I'm assuming you're using a Mac to do the following:
1.  Go to Applications -> Utilities -> Airport Admin Utility.  Double-click Airport Admin Utility & find your Airport Express in the list that comes up.  Click it once to highlight it, & click the "Configure" button at the top of that window.

2.  A new window will pop up.  In the bar near the top of that window, the furthest left-hand item, "Airport," should be highlighted.  Near the bottom of that window, it should say "Wireless Security:" & then list what sort of wireless security you have enabled.  Next to that, you should see a button that says "Change Wireless Security."

3.  If you're going to use wireless security on your Airport network, I recommend using "128 bit WEP," because that one was the most compatible with other computers I have tested (if I recall correctly...)  Besides, it's more secure than 40 bit WEP.  Click the "Change Wireless Security" button if you are not already using "128 bit WEP."  In the window that pops up, select "128 bit WEP" from the drop-down menu you see there.  You'll also need to enter the password you used to set up your Airport Express.  (If you forgot your password, see: http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108044)  Once that is done, click "OK."

4.  While you're here, there's a much easier way of finding your HEX key.  After you've set your wireless security to the setting you would like, click on the "Base Station" menu & select "Equivalent Network Password."  Your HEX key will be displayed at the bottom of the window that pops up.  Even though it doesn't look like it, you can highlight the HEX key & copy it by hitting Apple-C or by going to the "Edit" menu & selecting "Copy," & you can save it as a text document or whatever for reference while you try to get your XO working.  Click "OK" to leave that window.

5.  If you changed your wireless security settings in Step 3, you'll need to click the "Update" button at the bottom of the window before the changes will take effect.  Do that now.  Your Airport Express will need to reboot, and you will be without internet access for a minute or so.  While it's rebooting, the light on the Airport Express will be orange.  Once it has finished rebooting, the light will be green.

6.  Once the light on your Airport Express is green again, you're ready to set up your XO.  Click the [Image: http://laptop.org/img/stock-zoom-mesh.png ] button at the top of the keyboard to go to the Neighborhood view.  Now follow the instructions at http://laptop.org/laptop/start/connecting.shtml, and use the HEX key you found in Step 4 above when your XO prompts you for a key.  Notice the instructions at that link say:

> Currently, we do not support WPA-enabled WiFi access points; we anticipate including WPA support in early 2008.
  If, prior to following Step 3 of my instructions, you were using WPA instead of WEP, I assume that was your problem.  Hopefully switching to WEP will fix it.

FWIW, the first time I tried to connect to my Airport using my new XO, it didn't seem to work.  On the other hand, I think my Airport has been a bit flaky ever since I moved up here.  (Damn movers always break something!  [Evil or Very Mad] )  That may be the only reason I had trouble, but if it fails for you on the first try, you might want to try it 1 more time before going back & reconfiguring your Airport again.  2nd time was a charm for me.

Hope that helps.  Whether it does or not, please post back & tell us your experiences so we can all learn from your trouble & hopefully help if anything I wrote was confusing. [Wink] 
If you don't manage to solve the problem with the help everyone offers here, send me a PM (http://olpc.osuosl.org/forum/privmsg.php?mode=post&u=287).  I can try setting my Airport Express up just like yours & see if I can figure out the problem...

Good luck!