I’ve got a wireless network at home. On my notebook computer I have a D-Link wireless card and use the utility program that came with it, which does all I think I need to do.
However, my wife’s notebook came with built-in wireless and the app that manages the wireless connection on her system does not have the ability to swap the security code. I use that capability on my router to turn off the internet on the kids’ downstairs computer when needed (like when they want to sneak downstairs at 2:00 AM on a school night to IM chat with their buddies who sneak downstairs at 2:00 AM on a school night.) I simply switch the code from #1 to #2 on the router, switch it to #2 on my notebook, and I’d like my wife to able to switch it to #2 on hers but her app only has room for one code.
So - what is a good free wireless management app that I can use on her notebook to allow me to store more than one code, etc.?
The integrated WinXP wireless connection manager lets you save encryption keys for mutliple wifi networks. You just launch it and select the current network, or you can prioritize wifi spots, so if it doesn’t find one, it connects to the next on the list.
You have to disable the 3rd party utility and tell XP to manage wifi itself. That’s a checkbox in the wireless network adapter properties screen.
EDIT: NM all that nonsense above. I mis-read the question. If your wifi router has MAC address control, perhaps you can keep the same code, but just log on and lock out the MAC addresses of the kids PC after hours. Even better, perhaps it has time based rules as XPav suggests. What router are you using?
My new Linksys router actually has automatic rules to do that sort of “only allow this computer to access the internet from when to when” network-control-nazis^H^H^H^Hconcerned parent stuff.
