Complete Frustration with these wireless products

Question

The problems are -
Most of the time the type of security detected by the WPN111/windows in my PC is incorrect, it detects the opposite of whatever I have set in the Extreme, and when I try to change it in windows it just defaults back to the opposite setting.
So If I have WEP in the extreme, windows wpn111 detects wpa-psk and when I change that to wpa-psk in the extreme, windows then says it's wep!!
Of course yesterday when I had the extreme working for a spell, that wasn't an issue, this just came about after trying to setup the express.
When I disable security the network connects and works fine...as soon as I enable security I have all these problems.
When I read the manual that came with the setup utility it's like it's written for a different version of hardware. It talks about specific settings in the extreme utility that aren't there!
Should I set 'distribute IP addresses' or not?...the fact that it connects with security disabled should indicate that I have the IP's set OK?>.....I disabled auto detect IP's in windows and entered them manually that was the only way I could get that to work.
Should I set windows to handle my network or do it through netgear?
None of this is explained in the documentation.
This is a nightmare.
I've setup 3 other wireless networks and nothing took longer than a couple hrs.
if anyone can help with his before I throw in the towel, great!
Thanks
Rooze
Message was edited by:Host

Answer 1

Well I just have to vent.
After two complete wasted days messing with the
Extreme and Express, trying to replace a Netgear
Rangemax system, I'm about to give up.
I actually had the Extreme working for an hour, after
spending an entire day with it, then when I tried to
add the Express to extend the network, it stopped
working and I can't get it going again.
I'm using Windows PC with XP SP2 and I planned to buy
an iBook.....I just can't see myself giving another
$2000 to this company.
You won't have to. You can't buy an iBook anymore
Most of the time the type of security detected by the
WPN111/windows in my PC is incorrect, it detects the
opposite of whatever I have set in the Extreme, and
when I try to change it in windows it just defaults
back to the opposite setting.
Yes, the WPN111 is a piece of crap. It is is well known that Netgear components such as the WPN111 work with Netgear routers, but forget it to get them to work with any of their competitors routers.
This is a nightmare.
Yes. That should be xpected. Get a reasonably priced PCMCIA card from other than Netgear or better yet get Vista It is supposed to work with your WPN111.