mcdhu, "AP" = access point = your Netgear.
does this have any effect on the other devices which will still have it in their settings?
Yes, you would need to set the wireless configuration for each wifi device to open, and set it back again after testing, including re-entering the pre-shared key (PSK). I find that copying the key into a text file and storing it on each computer that requires it saves a lot of typing!
That may be because I use a very strong pass phrase, which I achieve by typing a word to generate a WEP key, which I then use as the PSK for WPA.
I notice you mention WEP as the encryption method you use - be advised that it is by far the weakest, being of little more value than wet tissue paper against any attack.
In order of decreasing strength: WPA2 > WPA (AES) > WPA (TKIP) > WEP.
Not all network devices support WPA (AES) reliably, however, and older network devices won't support WPA2 at all.
I am 100% with Mad Jock on the MS updates issue - particularly for hardware updates. I would recommend that you never, ever install a hardware driver update from MS. IMHO, you should only install new drivers from the hardware vendor's website.
SD
ps - I have removed the posts relating to my unedifying spat with Mike Bracknell. Apologies for disrupting the signal-to-noise ratio.