Nook Color won't connect to WEP network

[NookGuy]

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Caffeine247 wrote:

According to Jo, the NOOK Color is NOT compatible with WEP encryption; security needs to be at WPA-2 in order for it to function. I have not yet tested this, as my husband is changing everything right now, but I wanted to share really quickly in case someone else is trying to fix it. Will let you know our results whenever I'm back online!

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That's just not true. WEP is definitely supported.

However, WEP is not very secure - better than an open network but otherwise pretty useless. WPA2 is a better choice if your router supports it.

[JesseB]

Once again Tech Support is clueless (everytime I have called they have been), My old Wireless Access point does ONLY WEP and my nook connects to it fine once I enter the Passcode...

[reader_824]

My NookColor also connected just fine and quickly to my home WEP secured network, too....once I figured out that I needed to enter the right password. DUH! 

 I don't access it with new hardware enough to remember correctly, so maybe someone is doing what I did and forgot the right password, esp. if your network is an old one.

[PeterDe]

Don't forget that a 64 bit WEP key is 10 charters long using only the numbers "0-9" and letters "A-F".

[timeracer]

There seems to be much discussion on this issue.  I received my nook a few hours ago and am experiencing the same problem.  Has anyone come up with  the solution? 

[MrGriz]

I've been having the same problem with my NetGear Extended Range router.  I'm going to try another router brand.  I'll let you know how that goes.  I've been playing around with this since November 22 and am over it.  The B&N tech support was extremely difficult to understand (India?) and had no solutions to my problem other than to call router support.

[ktjoneslv]

I had the same issues with MAC Address filtering and had to walk down the street to find an unsecured network.  It seems that this could have been fixed by B&N either allowing an initial setup that didn't require a WIFI connection, or displaying the MAC Address somewhere accessible (on the screen or on the NookColor) so that those of us that understand how to secure our networks could have added it to the filter.

[robodojo]

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MrGriz wrote:

I've been having the same problem with my NetGear Extended Range router.  I'm going to try another router brand.  I'll let you know how that goes.  I've been playing around with this since November 22 and am over it.  The B&N tech support was extremely difficult to understand (India?) and had no solutions to my problem other than to call router support.

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Yeah, Barnes and Noble has lost it where customer service is concerned. My two phone calls with tech support were utterly useless. Well, I guess in one case I was told to return my Nookcolor, which may have been called for as it was repeatedly restarting itself. But in neither case did the person suggest that my router might just not be appropriate for the Nookcolor. And that was the case.

The first--seemingly way outsourced--tech support call told me to reset my Nookcolor back to the default settings, insisting this would cure my woes. I must have done this fifteen times, but to no avail. This useless placeholder of "tech support" cost me a great deal of time and offered me no real solution.

I do like my Nookcolor but I think that B&N is putting the Nookcolor and their e-reader business at risk by providing such shoddy customer service. It casts doubt on my purchase and makes the whole nook brand seem "iffy", and, well...unsupported.  

[obxangel525]

I had this same problem after buying my NookColor yesterday. After trying to connect for several hours, and getting extremely frustrated, I realized that even though I have a setup network, which has its own password and everything, my router (which comes from the telephone company that I get internet from) has a little sticker on the bottom of it that says WEP key. I entered that (i think its like 12 digits) and VOILA! I connected instantly.

I hope that maybe i'm not the only one who this can help....

[NookGuy]

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ktjoneslv wrote:

I had the same issues with MAC Address filtering and had to walk down the street to find an unsecured network.  It seems that this could have been fixed by B&N either allowing an initial setup that didn't require a WIFI connection, or displaying the MAC Address somewhere accessible (on the screen or on the NookColor) so that those of us that understand how to secure our networks could have added it to the filter.

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The MAC address is displayed on the Settings Summary Page on the NOOK - I believe right below the serial number. I'd call that pretty accessible.

[scott88]

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NookGuy wrote:

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ktjoneslv wrote:

I had the same issues with MAC Address filtering and had to walk down the street to find an unsecured network.  It seems that this could have been fixed by B&N either allowing an initial setup that didn't require a WIFI connection, or displaying the MAC Address somewhere accessible (on the screen or on the NookColor) so that those of us that understand how to secure our networks could have added it to the filter.

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The MAC address is displayed on the Settings Summary Page on the NOOK - I believe right below the serial number. I'd call that pretty accessible.

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But you can not see that page when setting up the nook. You have to disable MAC address filtering to get pass set up then go to the settings page with MAC address and then turn Mac Address filtering back on and enter the address. If they just put it on the start up page one could just enter the address into the white list.

[phoneboy]

This worked for me...

Sorry if this is a repeat...

I had the same trbl getting on my wep secured ntwk

My fix was to :

on your Nook, access wireless menu, clk on your ntwk and choose forget   

turn off WIFI

Access your router via the browser on your computer

*to do this you need the IP address*

Clk on start

Clk run

type "cmd" in the box n clk OK

type ipconfig  hit enter

your router IP address is the same except you subtract 1 from the last digit

*  ex:  195.167.1.2 will be listed on the screen. the router ip address you enter in you browser address bar would be 195.167.1.1    ** 

you may need the user/pwd info which you get from your  provider(Timewarner/verizon/bell south etc etc)

most router menus will have a Wireless opt then under wireless , security

set up as a shared connection with WEP 64bit encryption(most routers have a 128bit opt as well)

Type your password in the ntwk key field.

Enter 13 ASCII characters or 26 hexadecimal digits for 128-bit encryption keys
Enter 5 ASCII characters or 10 hexadecimal digits for 64-bit encryption keys

(I believe you need 1 key for each device you plan on connecting to you ntwk. I could be wrong)

save to router

turn WIFI on

chose your ntwk and type in ntwk key

Hope this helps

If I missed anything please post corrections

Thanks

phoneboy

[MrGriz]

I went to BestBuy and got a new router (NetGear N300), hooked everything up and the Nook hooked right up to it.  The guy at BestBuy says that the technology of routers and such changes so quickly that even though I got my old router 2 years ago, the new technology of the nook wasn't compatible.  I used the old SSID and passphrase for WPA so the other computers on my home network didn't need to be touched!!  Maybe if the other methods listed above don't work for you (they didn't for me) try upgrading your router.  BestBuy will let you return electronic devices purchaed over the holidays until the end of January.  I'm sure your favorite "computer store" has similar sales and return policies.  Good luck.

[Caffeine247]

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NookGuy wrote:

That's just not true. WEP is definitely supported.

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What do you suppose the issue was then? We tried everything mentioned on here, and were 

positive we were using the correct password (even tried disconnecting & reconnecting other wireless electronics on our network to verify).

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However, WEP is not very secure - better than an open network but otherwise pretty useless. WPA2 is a better choice if your router supports it.

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We were aware of this, so it wasn't a huge deal for us to buy a new router, and we'll keep it regardless. Still frustrating.

[Themus]

I believe most problems will be solved with SSID enabled in your router. All my other devices work fine with it disabled, but Nook Color will loose connection if it isn't turned on.

My problem that remains is when my Nook Color goes to sleep, the wireless disconnects everytime. I have to turn wireless off and then back on in order for it to connect again. Not a big deal, but not like my Ipod touch which always 'just works.'

As a side note, I have not found the last page syncing working very well. It's hit and miss and mostly miss.

[bptsj]

I am trying to set up & register the Nook Color for my daughter using our home Wifi. The router is a Netgear WPN824V3 with WEP 128 bit encryption. The router broadcasts the SSID and does not filter any services or MAC addresses.

The Nook accepts the encryption key and tries to connect, which it says it does but without internet access(!!). I have gone through this step several times telling the Nook to forget then re-entering the encryption. It still connects but without internet.

Next, I changed my router to use NO encryption. The nook accepted this & connected, now asking for my B&N account. Without entering the B&N account I re-started from the beginning with the router set to use my SSID with WEP 128-bit encryption. Again, the Nook appeared to connect okay to the router but without internet access(!). When doing this I can connected to my router with my laptop and see the IP address assigned to the Nook and can also see a MAC address for the Nook.

This is very frustrating to say the least... I don't want to run my Wifi in the open with no security. Any suggestions are most welcome. Unfortunately the B&N tech support was not at all helpfull.

If & when I find a solution I will post the results here.

Cheers,

Brian

[maryloo_vi]

hi,

thank you everyone for your ideas

my nook color could not stay connected to my home wifi for more than 10 sec

so i started to follow advice from this forum

i changed from wap to wep, disabled mac

restarted things left and right

modified the xml file(changed it back too)

in the end i don't know what worked

but it now works

so there is hope

just wish they had made it a little more user friendly

[phoneboy]

I had the same problem. I had to set my router to open.

I can't explain what happened but I was at a friends, she has the same router, and set up wep and my NC connected. Because I prefer WPA  told the nook to forget the connection and set the router up for WPA. NC connected on the first try and worked all weekend.

Got home, told NC to forget my home connection, set router for WPA and the NC connected and has worked fine since. Its a mystery.

There was a time I would be going crazy trying to figure out what happened.

Experience has taught me that sometimes the "shit happens" answer works as long as the result is what I wanted 

Tech sometimes = magic 

Looking fwd to someone cracking the case and posting the answer...

[Caffeine247]

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bptsj wrote:

I am trying to set up & register the Nook Color for my daughter using our home Wifi. The router is a Netgear WPN824V3 with WEP 128 bit encryption. The router broadcasts the SSID and does not filter any services or MAC addresses.

The Nook accepts the encryption key and tries to connect, which it says it does but without internet access(!!). I have gone through this step several times telling the Nook to forget then re-entering the encryption. It still connects but without internet.

Next, I changed my router to use NO encryption. The nook accepted this & connected, now asking for my B&N account. Without entering the B&N account I re-started from the beginning with the router set to use my SSID with WEP 128-bit encryption. Again, the Nook appeared to connect okay to the router but without internet access(!). When doing this I can connected to my router with my laptop and see the IP address assigned to the Nook and can also see a MAC address for the Nook.

This is very frustrating to say the least... I don't want to run my Wifi in the open with no security. Any suggestions are most welcome. Unfortunately the B&N tech support was not at all helpfull.

If & when I find a solution I will post the results here.

Cheers,

Brian

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This was our problem to a T. Regardless of whether there was a better solution, we decided to buy a new wireless router (the Valet -- SO easy to use!). Haven't had a problem since.