Can a WPA card be used on a WPA2 network?

[Jawadali]

Hi guys,

I'll be getting an older Wireless card (Linksys WPC11 ver. 3) for an old P1 laptop that I have.

However, since the card is so old, It does not support WPA2. It does support regular WPA via a driver update.

I have a trendnet router that suppports WEP, WPA, and WPA2, with the current encryption being WPA2. It has the following securty options:

Authentication Type: WEP, WPA or WPA2 - Currently WPA2
PSK/EAP: I can pick either one - Currently PSK
Cipher Type: TKIP, AES, or Auto - Currently on Auto
And then it has Passphrase and Confirm Passphrase boxes.

Can I get that old wireless card to connect to this network somehow? I don't mind if it cannot see or share info with the rest of the network, I only want it to be able to have internet access.



Any help will be appreciated.

Thank you,

Jawadali

 

[JackMDS]

Wireless Security is Not downward adaptable the whole Network has to be on the same level of security.

From the weakest to the strongest, Wireless security capacity is.

No Security
MAC______(Band Aid if nothing else is available).
WEP64____(Easy, to "Brake" by knowledgeable people).
WEP128___(Hard, but possible to Brake).
WPA-PSK__(Very Hard to Brake ).
WPA-AES__(Not functionally Breakable)
WPA2____ (Not functionally Breakable).

The documentation of your Wireless devices (Wireless Router, and Wireless Computer's Card) should state the type of security that is available with your Wireless hardware.

All devices MUST be set to the same security level using the same pass phrase.

Therefore the security must be set according what ever is the best possible of one of the Wireless devices.

I.e. even if most of your system might be capable to be configured to the max. with WPA2, but one device is only capable to be configured to max . of WEP, to whole system must be configured to WEP.

If you need more good security and one device (like a Wireless card that can do WEP only) is holding better security for the whole Network, replace the device with a better one.

Wireless Security - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Security.html

WEP, WPA, and WPA2 - http://www.ezlan.net/wpa_wep.html

 

[Jawadali]

Thanks for the info, JackMDS. I'll check to see if the card supports WPA-AES.

Originally posted by: JackMDS
[/b]
If you need more good security and one device (like a Wireless card that can do WEP only) is holding better security for the whole Network, replace the device with a better one.

I would definitely go for a better device, but I think most wireless cards of the 16-bit PCMCIA era did not support advanced encryption such as WPA2.

Also, would there be a way to divide the network into secure and non-secure regions with only one wireless router (I don't even know if this would be a solution)?

I also forgot to mention that my router is configured as an access point (it's just adding wireless capability to my current wired network on a wired router), although I don't think it makes a difference.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Jawadali
Thanks for the info, JackMDS. I'll check to see if the card supports WPA-AES.

Originally posted by: JackMDS
[/b]
If you need more good security and one device (like a Wireless card that can do WEP only) is holding better security for the whole Network, replace the device with a better one.

I would definitely go for a better device, but I think most wireless cards of the 16-bit PCMCIA era did not support advanced encryption such as WPA2.

Also, would there be a way to divide the network into secure and non-secure regions with only one wireless router (I don't even know if this would be a solution)?

I also forgot to mention that my router is configured as an access point (it's just adding wireless capability to my current wired network on a wired router), although I don't think it makes a difference.

yes you can..it all depends on your router....each switch port is acutally on the same network.

you routers with different routable ports (that can be used to setup various networks)

ex: http://m0n0.wisetyro.com/open_...s/network%20_large.jpg


hotspot traffic is completely isolated from everything except the internet and an intranet server.

 

[Jawadali]

Thanks for the info. I'll look into setting that up if nothing else works.

 

[Goosemaster]

or you could use a USB wireless adapter that supports it

 

[Jawadali]

I forgot to mention,

This is an IBM 365x from 1996 (P1 120mhz, 72MB RAM, 700MB HD, currently running Windows 98 SE) . It doesn't have USB, and doesn't support 32-bit CardBus PCMCIA cards.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: Jawadali
I forgot to mention,

This is an IBM 365x from 1996 (P1 120mhz, 72MB RAM, 700MB HD, currently running Windows 98 SE) . It doesn't have USB, and doesn't support 32-bit CardBus PCMCIA cards.

:Q

sounds like fun:evil:

 

[JackMDS]

Windows 98SE can Not do WPA2 (WPA-AES).

It should support WPA-PSK provided that your card's drivers support it for Win98.

In many cases WEP is the max that a Wireless system around Win98SE would support.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Windows 98SE can Not do WPA2 (WPA-AES).

It should support WPA-PSK provided that your card's drivers support it for Win98.

In many cases WEP is the max that a Wireless system around Win98SE would support.

I'm even surprised 98 would support WPA. I've only seen one windows 2000 implemention other than intel ones....color me surprised....

<---doesn't use wireless on windows 2000....

 

[Goosemaster]

jack...

the difference between wpa-psk and wpa2 is the switch from just based on the switch from TKIP to AES ?


Been ages and I forgot...been glued to wired for a long time now...

 

[VisionxOrb]

Id say wep128 is very easy to break also, with the latest ptw attack in aircrack I can break 128 encryption in under 10 minuets and thats including still having to boot my laptop.

Originally posted by: JackMDS
Wireless Security is Not downward adaptable the whole Network has to be on the same level of security.

From the weakest to the strongest, Wireless security capacity is.

No Security
MAC______(Band Aid if nothing else is available).
WEP64____(Easy, to "Brake" by knowledgeable people).
WEP128___(Hard, but possible to Brake).
WPA-PSK__(Very Hard to Brake ).
WPA-AES__(Not functionally Breakable)
WPA2____ (Not functionally Breakable).

The documentation of your Wireless devices (Wireless Router, and Wireless Computer's Card) should state the type of security that is available with your Wireless hardware.

All devices MUST be set to the same security level using the same pass phrase.

Therefore the security must be set according what ever is the best possible of one of the Wireless devices.

I.e. even if most of your system might be capable to be configured to the max. with WPA2, but one device is only capable to be configured to max . of WEP, to whole system must be configured to WEP.

If you need more good security and one device (like a Wireless card that can do WEP only) is holding better security for the whole Network, replace the device with a better one.

Wireless Security - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Security.html

WEP, WPA, and WPA2 - http://www.ezlan.net/wpa_wep.html

 

[JackMDS]

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
jack...

the difference between wpa-psk and wpa2 is the switch from just based on the switch from TKIP to AES ?


Been ages and I forgot...been glued to wired for a long time now...

The security is a combo of encryption algorithm and frequent change of the key.

WPA uses RC4 Algorithm and Key change (TKIP).

WPA2 uses AES encryption algorithm (which is much stronger than RC4) and has its own form of key change (TKIP) that is considered better than the WPA one.

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: JackMDS

Originally posted by: Goosemaster
jack...

the difference between wpa-psk and wpa2 is the switch from just based on the switch from TKIP to AES ?


Been ages and I forgot...been glued to wired for a long time now...

The security is a combo of encryption algorithm and frequent change of the key.

WPA uses RC4 Algorithm and Key change (TKIP).

WPA2 uses AES encryption algorithm (which is much stronger than RC4) and has its own form of key change (TKIP) that is considered better than the WPA one.

so even with WPA and AES, this new TKIP implementation is supposed to be much better?