Adding a WiFi media player to a home network

[#1]

I've just acquired a Dune TV101 media player with built-in WiFi and I'm trying to add it to my home network.  Currently, the network is:
Plusnet Thomson router
Ethernet connections to two desktop PCs
WiFi connection to a laptop
The Dune has detected the network and is asking for the following:
WiFi Network ID (SSID)
Security?  (with a dropdown list of alternatives)
Password
The Dune identified the network as Plusnet 48EF98 so is that the SSID?  The label on the router has "Plusnetwireless48EF98" but is the difference crucial?
How do I determine what security setting is in place?
I assume that the password is the one on the router label: eleven characters begining with CP11.  Is that correct?
I've been trying various combinations of settings with no success, so I'd be very grateful for some advice.  Many thanks.

[#2]

If you login to the router (admin and CP.... as you guessed) then navigate to Home Network, click WLAN then Configure (top right) if will display the information you need to connect your media player - including confirming the SSID. Security will be WPA2 (or WPA+WPA2 meaning either) and you will have to supply the Encryption Key to connect.
Hope this helps.
David

[#3]

Spaxyt, thanks for that.  I knew the security information was there somewhere!
Unfortunately though I'm still not having much luck.  I've identified the SSID and the password, and the security is given as "WPA+WPA2".  The Dune's options include:
WPA TKIP
WPA AES
WPA2 TKIP
WPA2 AES
and I've tried them all, but nothing's doing.  I've also tried entering what the router calls the Wireless Encryption Key (ten characters, beginning with 13) in place of the password (because I have a vague memory of doing something similar in one instance when I set up the network) and then trying all the security variations again: still no joy: the unit announces Waiting for IP address... then times out after two minutes.
The TV101 is definitely detecting the network (along with two others, presumably from my neighbours) so it must just be a question of me not giving it the correct information.  One thought: is the password case-sensitive?  I've not yet worked out how to input upper case letters on the TV101.
I'll persevere...
Bert

[#4]

the wireless password is case sensitive.
Try changing the ssid to few charactors and remove any spaces
again you could reduce the password count to make it work and once it is increase the security strength of the password.

[#5]

Taras, thanks.  I've now entered the password with the correct caps - and it still doesn't work.  I'll try your suggestions, plus perhaps temporarily disabling the network security to see if that makes any difference.
Bert

[#6]

I think the security should be WPA2+TKIP.
The Wireless Encryption Key is 10 characters. I think it is case sensitive (all capitals) because for this type of encryption the string is actually a pass phrase.
Does the media player support 802.11n wireless? You could try configuring the router interface type to 802.11g if it doesn't, to reduce risk of confusion. If you do want to try shortening the SSID you could remove the word Wireless (don't leave any spaces). However if you change this any other wireless devices will immediately lose connection and need the encryption key re-entering.
David

[#7]

David,
I have tried WPA2+TKIP but I'll give it another go.  I suppose it is possible that when the Dune asks for a password what it really needs is the wireless encryption key.  I think I've already tried that with WPA2+TKIP but it might have been before I discovered how to type in caps so I'll try again.
I just tried switching off the security: the connection was established almost immediately and I could browse the files of both of my networked PCs. So the hiccup is definitely to do with the security settings.
Thanks,
Ber

[#8]

Quote from: BertCoules

I have tried WPA2+TKIP but I'll give it another go.  I suppose it is possible that when the Dune asks for a password what it really needs is the wireless encryption key.  I think I've already tried that with WPA2+TKIP but it might have been before I discovered how to type in caps so I'll try again.

Yes the only information the Dune needs is the SSID you want to connect to, the encryption type (WPA2+TKIP) and the Wireless Encryption Key which is 10 characters and case sensitive. It is definitely *not* the password you use to log into the router's web interface.
David

[#9]

David, many thanks for clarifying that: the Dune asks for "Password" which could be put rather more clearly.  I'll try again.
Edited to add:
Well, that didn't work.  With the correct SSID, the security option set to WPA2+TKIP and the wireless encryption key entered correctly and with the right capitalisation - I still can't get a connection.  Time to give up for tonight, I think.
Bert

[#10]

I'd be starting with no security enabled just to establish that the device will connect and if so then play around with security settings.

[#11]

Thanks for the thought.  I temporarily turned off the encryption in the router and the media player connected immediately and with no problems.
This morning, for the first time since getting the media player, I turned on my laptop: its wireless connection to the network also failed.  Something has changed and it's presumably to do with the basic security settings rather than the peripherals.  So at least I have a focus for my investigations rather than blaming the Dune.
Edited to add:
Well.  Having changed nothing at all, I just switched on the Dune again.  It's reporting, ungrammatically as well as unhelpfully, There is no available wireless networks.
Oh, great.  I just tried to turn off the encryption to see if the laptop would then pick up the network - and I can't access the router's homepage.  My basic internet connection is working fine and the site was available last night, so is this some new problem?
Bert

[#12]

Major progress:
On a whim, I changed the Dune's security setting from WPA2 TKIP to WPA2 AES. Success! The encrypted connection was made within seconds and I was able to browse both my desktop PCs (the laptop still isn't cooperating).
Unfortunately, when I then tried to play an AVI file from one of the PCs on the Dune across the connection, the Dune froze up solid.
But at least things are happening at last.
Bert
.

[#13]

An update: the Dune wasn't frozen, it was just taking an extremely long time to load and run files across the network.  Five minutes for a 2.47MB MP3 file, nearly eight for a 1.26GB MP4.  Are these sort of times usual for a media player, or is my wireless connection abnormally slow?
Bert

[#14]

Is there no way you can connect it to your network with an ethernet cable maybe using homeplugs. It could be more useful that way streaming wise.
I use a WD Media Hub hard wired into my network with homeplugs and it's fine.

[#15]

Strat, I've wondered about that but the truth is I bought the Dune primarily for playback from USB sticks, and for that it's fine.  The WiFi connectivity would have been a bonus had it worked satisfactorily but I'm not sure that I want to go to any greater lengths to achieve it than I've already tried, not now that I've established that the connection is actually there.  I might go further in the future, but for now probably not.  Firmware upgrades across the wireless connection would have been desirable, though.
Perhaps I'l look into the Homeplugs solution some time; I don't know much about them.  Thanks for the suggestion.
Bert