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How to Connect to a Secured Wireless Router - Windows Vista
If you have secured your wireless router according to the How to Secure a Wireless Router post in this forum, then these instructions will get your Windows Vista system talking to it in no time.
1. Install your wireless adapter. The device should have come with simple hardware and driver installation instructions.
2. Click on Start -> Connect To.
3. The Connect to a network window displays. Listed here are all the wireless networks your computer currently knows about, or can see in the immediate vicinity. If you have configured your router NOT to broadcast, then it will not show up here, which is one reason I recommend turning off broadcasting.
4. Click on the Set up a connection or network link towards the bottom of the window.
5. Under the Choose a connection option, select Manually connect to a wireless network. Then press the Next button.
6. The Manually connect to a wireless network window displays. Here we will provide the specific security information you chose when you set up your router:
7. You should get the confirmation window "Successfully added <SSID>". Click on the Connect to... link.
8. The original Connect to a network window should reappear, and your router should now be listed as the top item with a status of Connected. Press either Cancel or close the window.
And you're done.
If you have secured your wireless router according to the How to Secure a Wireless Router post in this forum, then these instructions will get your Windows Vista system talking to it in no time.
1. Install your wireless adapter. The device should have come with simple hardware and driver installation instructions.
2. Click on Start -> Connect To.
3. The Connect to a network window displays. Listed here are all the wireless networks your computer currently knows about, or can see in the immediate vicinity. If you have configured your router NOT to broadcast, then it will not show up here, which is one reason I recommend turning off broadcasting.
4. Click on the Set up a connection or network link towards the bottom of the window.
5. Under the Choose a connection option, select Manually connect to a wireless network. Then press the Next button.
6. The Manually connect to a wireless network window displays. Here we will provide the specific security information you chose when you set up your router:
- For Network name, type in your router's SSID.
- For Security type, select WPA2-Personal. If your router was configured using something else, select it here. In any case, it must match the setting on the router.
- For Encryption type, select AES. If you are using WPA Personal above, make sure you're not using TKIP, it has been partially cracked, so I highly recommend AES here. If you selected WPA2-Personal above, AES is your only choice here.
- For the Security key/Passphrase, enter the shared key you chose on the router. If the key is long (and for good security it should be), you can check the Display characters option so you can see what you're typing.
- Check both Start this connection automatically and Connect even if the network is not broadcasting.
- Then press the Next button.
7. You should get the confirmation window "Successfully added <SSID>". Click on the Connect to... link.
8. The original Connect to a network window should reappear, and your router should now be listed as the top item with a status of Connected. Press either Cancel or close the window.
And you're done.
Thanks for the great post and illustrations...I have already done these steps no less than 10x....i have checked and rechecked passcodes etc., and no luck. I have deleted and reinstalled the connection to no avail....I am about to give up but it's my mom's computer and she needs it to work. Any other suggestions?? I'm pretty desperate at this point, thanks 
