Router problems

[Spikes]

Recently I've had a problem connecting wifi through my router...my desktop (lan) connects fine, but whenever I connect through my wifi it says Local Only (Netgear WGR614)...The routes is connected to my modem (SBV5220 SURFboard) which routes to Time Warner. It's worked fine the past 3 or 4 years...it's WEP secured...at first I thought I might change it to WPA but when I go to do that it asks me to set a passphrase key time limit with 256 mins being the max...

I'm currently using someone elses's unsecured network until I get this fixed, not too big of a deal...
On the wifi router, every light that needs to be on is on steady, and the "Link" light is on on the modem.

[BaldEagl]

I'm sure you mean 256 bit encryption.  I've got a Linksys router using 128 bit WEP encryption.  You can use anything you want as a passphrase and the router should encrypt it for you.

[Bruv119]

had the wireless on my netgear go FUBARED after a few years. 

Frustrating because I tried everything to get it working again.  Firmware upgrades last resort didn't fix it.  A new non Netgear router did 

[Spikes]

Alright yeah I've heard netgear's go bad...

Bald, it says this after entering the phrase:
 Key Lifetime: **a box to enter number 1-256**   (minutes)

[MrRiplEy[H]]

Alright yeah I've heard netgear's go bad...

Bald, it says this after entering the phrase:
 Key Lifetime: **a box to enter number 1-256**   (minutes)

Don't worry it doesn't mean you're going to have to retype the passphrase after that period.

[Denholm]

I would enter 256.

[Ghastly]

Smaller numbers are more secure at the expense of generating a wee bit more overhead in addition to an (at least potential) slight pause in traffic whenever the keys expire (while new ones are regenerated).  At 256 minutes, it would give a hacker a little over 4 hours to break the current secret key.  

Unless you live somewhere where you think someone is going to be running an algorythmic hack on your wireless because you regularly host stuff that a foriegn country might want to steal, I agree - set it to the maximum and not worry about it.

<S>

[gyrene81]

Use the WPA encryption and set your passphrase to at least 8 characters (alpha numeric special)...WEP is as secure as MAC filtering and as easy to punch through. If you have the option to hide your wireless SID, do that too. Everything else is just a matter tweaking for best functionality.

[Spikes]

Ah alright, I thought I was going to have to make a new key every 256 minutes or something...that sounded kind of wrong to me anyway...

[Anodizer]

Recently I've had a problem connecting wifi through my router...my desktop (lan) connects fine, but whenever I connect through my wifi it says Local Only (Netgear WGR614)...The routes is connected to my modem (SBV5220 SURFboard) which routes to Time Warner. It's worked fine the past 3 or 4 years...it's WEP secured...at first I thought I might change it to WPA but when I go to do that it asks me to set a passphrase key time limit with 256 mins being the max...

I'm currently using someone elses's unsecured network until I get this fixed, not too big of a deal...
On the wifi router, every light that needs to be on is on steady, and the "Link" light is on on the modem.

Remove any wep/wpa you have on there...  See if it connects...  If it does, it's something with the set up on your laptop's/pc's end..
Gotta start somewhere as far as trouble shooting..  If you still have issues contecting, the RF on your router could be going.. 
My WGr614 lasted 4 years until it crapped out a few weeks ago...  It was a GREAT router, though..  Had no issues with it until the RF went caput...