Question : Easy Belkin Wireless Router Question and use of Sony Vaio laptop...Wep versus MAC address.

I am trying to help a friend who has a new B/G Belkin Wireless Router (not sure if it is speedbooster model).
She hooked her cable modem into the Router and the Router hardwired via Ethernet to her Dell desktop PC. All is fine there of course.

She has a new Sony laptop with built-in wireless capabilities. Win XP-one user account.
She has that working fine as well at home.

She took it to a coffee shop (Starbucks) and it worked fine there as well.

**She wants a little more security on her wireless connection.
I am a newbie on this. If I put in a 10 position WEP key like 12345FFFFF (example only) on the Belkin router and on her built-in wireless unit in the Sony--things would work well ONLY in her house. I think it would not work at a wireless cafe'.

A. Someone told me I could set up two profiles but do not know how to do this. Need step by step instructions. Or perhaps just show her how to disable the key in her laptop only when she is outside her house in a cafe. Do not know which is better or easier???????

--OR--

B. Same person said I could avoid the WEP key and set up a MAC address so that her wireless router (for wireless purposes) will only recognize the Sony laptop. Not sure how to get IP address of wireless Sony and enter it in and if I need to hardwire the laptop for a portion of this or perhaps use the desktop (already hardwired) to enter the MAC into the router.
Also we need to make sure the hardwired Dell desktop is not affected at all and always is connected to the Internet. It is attached to the router via Ethernet.


Thanks so much.
Learning.........

Peter

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Answer : Easy Belkin Wireless Router Question and use of Sony Vaio laptop...Wep versus MAC address.

Peter

Re: Multiple configs:
It depends on the card and it's driver software, but many allow you to configure them via the standard windows XP wireless interface.  When you arrive somewhere there is another wireless network running, a pop-up will appear by your system tray (where the clock is) notifying you that there is an available wireless network.  If you want to use it, you click the pop-up balloon (or the wireless card icon) and choose OK.  For each network, you'll have the option to configure a WEP key if one is enabled on the associated router/access-point.  On all the cards I've used, you don't loose the WEP key for one configuration when you move to or add another configuration (possible exception is if they both have the same name/SSID defined).  

Windows XP is actually pretty good about walking through this process with you, if you read the dialog boxes and have at least a little familiarity with configuring things (as you sound like you do).  If you have troubles with it when you start, post questions and we'll be here!

Re: Starbucks and changes:
I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.  Unless she uses a fixed ip address at home (I'd recommend dhcp, myself, for simplicity), she shouldn't need to do anything to the IP address to use the Starbucks wireless connection (unless they're really different than the local ones around here).  Could you lay out the scenario you're envisioning in more detail if the above hasn't addressed the question?  

Good luck!

MM