# Entering WiFi Password for Networking



## newmexicopj (Dec 12, 2008)

Hi Again,

Getting installed on Monday, and I could just wait, but not a patient man.. :lol: 

Is there a way to enter in my home network password on the unit? As I am going to be networking wirelessly. I assume there is, but I have done a google search as well as downloaded the PDF of the user's manual for the HR2x. And couldn't find a thing. :grin:


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## PokerJoker (Apr 12, 2008)

newmexicopj said:


> Is there a way to enter in my home network password on the unit? As I am going to be networking wirelessly. I assume there is, but I have done a google search as well as downloaded the PDF of the user's manual for the HR2x. And couldn't find a thing. :grin:


Well, umm, you see, the HR2x series does not have wireless networking as a built-in feature.:eek2:

You will need to use a RJ45-wireless bridge a/k/a game adapter. This is a small external box that converts the regular RJ45 wired network port on the HR2x to a wifi connection. (Please note that this is not the same thing as an "access point" or "router", although some APs and routers can be switched to work as a bridge. Please also note that I am NOT talking about a USB network adapter here.)

You Wifi password, etc. must be programmed into this adapter. To do this, generally you have to temporarily connect it to your PC. However, I believe there is now one Linksys model (WGA600N) that is supported natively by the HR2X and can in theory be set up directly from the receiver without having to use a PC. (I have not actually done this, but supposedly it works. It's a new feature so it's probably not in the manual yet.)

The WGA600N is about $80 from DirecTV. That's a pretty good price, it's $90-100 elsewhere.

Keith


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## mobandit (Sep 4, 2007)

PokerJoker said:


> Well, umm, you see, the HR2x series does not have wireless networking as a built-in feature.:eek2:
> 
> You will need to use a RJ45-wireless bridge a/k/a game adapter. This is a small external box that converts the regular RJ45 wired network port on the HR2x to a wifi connection. (Please note that this is not the same thing as an "access point" or "router", although some APs and routers can be switched to work as a bridge. Please also note that I am NOT talking about a USB network adapter here.)
> 
> ...


WGA600N is the right one. I have one connected to an HR21-700, and another one connected to an HR20-700. Both were configured by simply connecting them, straight out of the box, to the D* boxes. All I needed to know was my network passkey.


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## jerseyreef (Jun 9, 2007)

I use the DAP-1522 instead, as it supports mulitple wired ports, 4 to be exact. These are Jumbo Giga frame as well. It was a snap to setup and worked flawlessly with my DVR.

I can access it from any computer, which was a problem with other devices. Best of all it has 4 Jumbo Giga Port frame. It cost less that $100 when I got it 6 months ago.

The DAP-1522 has worked flawlessly and it supports all of my wired devices, DVR, Panasonic TH-50PZ850U and my BD 2.0 Blue Ray and I still have a port to spare!

I provided some details in this thread

http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=135412


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## rtphokie (Sep 17, 2006)

Any wireless networking adapter with an RJ-45 port should work. Those aimed at the video came console market can be less expensive than those on the networking gear aisle.

I paid about $30 for one that works fairly well. Be sure get one that is at least as fast as your wireless router. (i.e. if you have an 802.11 G router ge a 802.11G wireless adapter.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I bought the WGA600N adapter and it works great as far as connecting it up. I had some problems because Norton Firewall was causing me problems with my WEP Key being verified but after I got past that it worked great.


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## Spanky_Partain (Dec 7, 2006)

Another bit of information about using the WGA600n from Linksys, it is supported by Directv as a supported wireless device on the Directv equipment. When you plug it into the HR2x device, it will recognize it and help you configure it right on the DVR. When doing this, make sure the router SSID is broad casted for easy setup and then you can turn it back off after configuration. Also make sure you have DHCP address space and or any other security setup ready to go prior to plugging in the WGA600n into the HR2x for configuration. Otherwise, configure it on a PC and then take it to the DVR.

I also happen to have a "n" type 4 port bridge if you need one for sale, http://www.dbstalk.com/showthread.php?t=148069

Have fun!


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Spanky, you just went right over my head about making sure the router SSID is broadcasted for easy setup, etc. I did Port Forwarding before I hooked up my first try which was a WGA54G and it didn't work but I might not have set it up as you described. I then configured it as you said on my PC and that worked. 

Then I bought another WGA600N and it worked okay until it got to the point where I had to enter my WEP Key and then it didn't verify it. I turned off my Norton Firewall and then it worked. Not sure if it was Norton or a coincidence but when I plugged it back in it worked.


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## dettxw (Nov 21, 2007)

Two WGA600N adapters work quite well for me. I also use a couple of Gigabit switches in conjunction in order to connect additional components. 

I got mine before the DVRs supported setting them up, but then I think that I'd go ahead and set them up on the PC anyway so I could assign a static IP. Then you can always access it remotely for status (signal strength, operating channel, etc.) or setup changes and know for sure where to find it. 

Note that if you also have a dual-band wireless n router (e.g. Linksys WRT600N or WRT610N) then you can run your video on the 5GHz band and leave the second 802.11g radio for slow legacy units and avoid competition from the neighbors for bandwidth.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I've got the older WRT54GX which was a Pre-N Router and I believe it supports the 5 GHz bandwidth so should I go in and change it to support just the 5 GHz bandwidth?


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## dettxw (Nov 21, 2007)

richierich said:


> I've got the older WRT54GX which was a Pre-N Router and I believe it supports the 5 GHz bandwidth so should I go in and change it to support just the 5 GHz bandwidth?


I'd guess that it is 802.11a, an old slow standard though supposed to be equivalent to g. The WRT600N/WRT610N operate on the a frequency of 5GHz but at wireless n speeds.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

It says it is a Wireless-G Broadband Router with SRX with 802.11g networking. It uses the MIMO technology.


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## Spanky_Partain (Dec 7, 2006)

richierich said:


> Spanky, you just went right over my head about making sure the router SSID is broadcasted for easy setup, etc. I did Port Forwarding before I hooked up my first try which was a WGA54G and it didn't work but I might not have set it up as you described. I then configured it as you said on my PC and that worked.
> 
> Then I bought another WGA600N and it worked okay until it got to the point where I had to enter my WEP Key and then it didn't verify it. I turned off my Norton Firewall and then it worked. Not sure if it was Norton or a coincidence but when I plugged it back in it worked.


Didn't mean to confuse you there. The reason why I mentioned Broadcsast on the SSID, is because it is posible to turn off the Broadcast of the SSID on the wireless router. Some people turn it off so the name is not displayed to other wireless devices, hence the neighbor cannot connect to your wireless router if he does not know the name of it. So it is a easy measure of security and is recommended if you do not want people to try and connect to your service.


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## drlbg (Mar 31, 2007)

I setup the WGA600N to my HR20-700....configured by connecting to a PC, since the DVR would not verify my wireless network password. But I did get it connected....found the ON Demand stuff...but when I start a download, after about 5 minutes it loses the connection and stops....

If I run the "test connection", it re-connects, then does the same thing. The device is in the same room as my Apple TV which works flawlessly....

Any ideas on why I'm losing the connection...could it be the DVR?

Thanks.


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## Spanky_Partain (Dec 7, 2006)

drlbg said:


> I setup the WGA600N to my HR20-700....configured by connecting to a PC, since the DVR would not verify my wireless network password. But I did get it connected....found the ON Demand stuff...but when I start a download, after about 5 minutes it loses the connection and stops....
> 
> If I run the "test connection", it re-connects, then does the same thing. The device is in the same room as my Apple TV which works flawlessly....
> 
> ...


To be honest with you, I could not keep a consistent wireless connection with a WRT350n and a WGA600n all the time either. If you have a dual band "N" type router, your odds are better and you may also have noise or a bunch of "N" networks around you already. I had to hard wire my home to get a constant reliable connection. It all depends on where you are and the clarity of the used frequencies.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I have a dual band "N" type router called the WRT54GX router and I haven't had any disconnects yet with it being connected to the WGA600N adapters. There definitely is a problem with the DVR being able to "VERIFY" the WEP KEY ID as I tried mine 3 times to no avail.

Then I hooked it up to my PC and still had problems and turned off Norton Firewall and then it worked upstairs. Not sure if it was the Norton Firewall but who knows at least it is working and with good speed.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Spanky_Partain said:


> Didn't mean to confuse you there. The reason why I mentioned Broadcsast on the SSID, is because it is posible to turn off the Broadcast of the SSID on the wireless router. Some people turn it off so the name is not displayed to other wireless devices, hence the neighbor cannot connect to your wireless router if he does not know the name of it. So it is a easy measure of security and is recommended if you do not want people to try and connect to your service.


They can't connect to my Network because of the WEP KEY which may have caused problems for the HR20 to Verify the Key, I just don't know for sure as I am not to savvy at this networking thing yet but getting more educated all the time.


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## Spanky_Partain (Dec 7, 2006)

richierich said:


> They can't connect to my Network because of the WEP KEY which may have caused problems for the HR20 to Verify the Key, I just don't know for sure as I am not to savvy at this networking thing yet but getting more educated all the time.


Education is a fine thing to gain. So you may want to take a look at this site, notice the first tool that is available is a WEP key cracker. WEP is easily sniffed and broken into. There are many free open source automatic tools to break into a WEP wireless scheme, just search for WEP tools and you will see.

Here is the web site to gander upon for security, http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/hackertools/a/aafreewifi.htm

PS
I was able to run WEP, WPA, and WPA2 on my wireless WGA600n hooked up to the HR20-700. You may want to configure your WGA600n on the PC using a different security type other than WEP, get it working, and then plug it into the HRx device.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

Thanks Spanky for that info.


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## laslo (Apr 2, 2007)

Spanky_Partain said:


> Education is a fine thing to gain. So you may want to take a look at this site, notice the first tool that is available is a WEP key cracker. WEP is easily sniffed and broken into. There are many free open source automatic tools to break into a WEP wireless scheme, just search for WEP tools and you will see.
> 
> Here is the web site to gander upon for security, http://netsecurity.about.com/cs/hackertools/a/aafreewifi.htm
> 
> ...


Spanky,
I have a WRT54G router. Will this WGA600N allow me to download movies via On Demand or should I go with the powerline converter option? Thanks for your help.


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

The WGA600N has plenty of speed to allow you to download movies via On Demand if the WRT54G can support it. I don't know if it has the same speed as my WRT54GX so you would need to look at my specs and your specs to see it it can handle it.


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## MartyS (Dec 29, 2006)

Speaking of the WGA600N, has anyone figured out how to get non-capital letters to be able to be entered on the HR series... I had to change my WPA password to all Caps to accomodate the HR's with the 600n's. I'd like to use a combination of caps and non-cap letters in the password, but I can't see how to connect the HR's unless its all caps.

Thanks!


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

I thought as you entered the letters it went like this:

A B C a b c 1 2 3. Maybe I'm thinking about something else. Or you just plug it into your router and configure it that way.


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## mobandit (Sep 4, 2007)

MartyS said:


> Speaking of the WGA600N, has anyone figured out how to get non-capital letters to be able to be entered on the HR series... I had to change my WPA password to all Caps to accomodate the HR's with the 600n's. I'd like to use a combination of caps and non-cap letters in the password, but I can't see how to connect the HR's unless its all caps.
> 
> Thanks!


The lower case letters come after the capital letters...keep pushing the button, just like on a regular keypad/phone keypad.

Also, to those who turn off their SSID for "security" reasons, there is very little reason to do this. If I want to crack your wireless network I can do so whether your SSID is broadcast or not. It does not add significantly to your wireless network security. A better approach is to use strong passkeys and WPA/WPA2 security with the AES protocol. Strong passkeys have a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Don't use names, or easily determined dates (birth dates).


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## Richierich (Jan 10, 2008)

What is wrong with using a WEP Passkey with Upper & Lower case letters and numbers?

Is WEP not as strong or secure as WPA/WPA2 Security?

How do I implement that on my Linksys WRT54GX Router?


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## bikerpaul (Jan 13, 2007)

I am running a Netgear WGR614 v.6 router and a D-Link DWL-G820 Gaming adapter. After I got everything hooked up and running, I had problems with the adapter losing connection. I the hooked up another computer running another copy of Windows XP Pro, and haven't lost the connection in 7 months. I know that it shouldn't matter that the router is "upstream" from the operating system and shouldn't make a difference, but the system is working flawlessly after making the change. Very good donload speeds (4981 kbps) through Buckeye Express Test site. http://speedtest.buckeye-express.com/speedtest.html I am also using the a WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key) password that was very easy to configure.


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## Spanky_Partain (Dec 7, 2006)

WEP is very weak. Give a person 10 minutes while you are using your network and they are in. The real question is, will someone sit there long enough to break into your network. Depending on where you are and who your neighbor is, yes they will.

Our friend mobandit is very accurate and correct on the use of the security type and SSID. However, I turn off SSID broadcast when I use my wireless, no reason to make things easier when there are 12 to 15 other networks sitting there with nothing turned on. Passkeys for this are very easy to establish and remember. I had a pass key that was "Spanky's network is locked!" Notice the upper/lower case and punctuation, this is key to a password phrase. Of course it is easier to program these things on the PC rather than on the DVR. I set my WGA600n up on the PC, checked to make sure it worked and then moved it to the DVR. Another thing to implement is wireless MAC address filtering, this only allows MAC address in the list to connect.

Here is a very easy to read website that has a lot of good information on network security with how-to's...
http://netsecurity.about.com/

There are 4 basic things to do and these are documented in the Linksys manual for a WRT54G: 
1. Change the default wireless network name or SSID
2. Change the default password
3. Enable MAC address filtering
4. Enable encryption, I recommend WPA over WEP and so does Linksys.

WPA2 may not be avaliable on the WRT54G unless it is a certain version of the router and updated with the latest firmware. I had to run "N" to get WPA2 enabled on some of my equipment.

Attached is a pdf that is a simple secure setup on a Linksys router. There is also a TON of information in my signature for network help.

Have fun.


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## MartyS (Dec 29, 2006)

richierich said:


> I thought as you entered the letters it went like this:
> 
> A B C a b c 1 2 3. Maybe I'm thinking about something else. Or you just plug it into your router and configure it that way.





mobandit said:


> The lower case letters come after the capital letters...keep pushing the button, just like on a regular keypad/phone keypad.
> 
> Also, to those who turn off their SSID for "security" reasons, there is very little reason to do this. If I want to crack your wireless network I can do so whether your SSID is broadcast or not. It does not add significantly to your wireless network security. A better approach is to use strong passkeys and WPA/WPA2 security with the AES protocol. Strong passkeys have a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Don't use names, or easily determined dates (birth dates).


Thanks y'all.. never pushed it enough to find out.


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