No WPA in WinXP?

[ianbergman]

OK, so I enabled WPA on my new D-Link wireless router (revision C), but I can't get my laptop - a Gateway 400SD with all the latest drivers/firmware - to recognize the WPA network. WPA is not even an option in when setting up the WinXP Wireless client. And yes, I did install the WPA update - several times, at this point.

Any suggestions? Is it possible that the laptop's card is simply not WPA-compatible?

 

[Slogun]

Was the network working prior to enabling WPA?

Did you enter your WPA password?

 

[ianbergman]

Originally posted by: Slogun
Was the network working prior to enabling WPA?

Did you enter your WPA password?

Yes, it was working -- and still works fine if I switch back to an open network.

No, because there's nowhere to enter it. The only options the WinXP client gives me are to enter a WEP key.

 

[InlineFive]

Have you installed the patch that enables WPA support in WinXP?

And here is a TechNet site outlining how to get WPA.

 

[Slogun]

Yea, he had said originally he downloaded the windows patch.

What's the name/model of the wireless adaptor in your notebook. This bears further looking into...

 

[ianbergman]

The card is an Agere/Orinoco MiniPCI 802.11b adapter; as far as I can tell, they only ever made one, and I can't find newer/better drivers for it than are available on Gateway's website (and those date to Jan 03).

It's really tempting to see if a clean wipe/install of the laptop will fix this, so I might go ahead and do that, in case I screwed up the network/WPA patch at some point. The laptop was running XPSP2 Preview for a while.

Mostly I wanted to confirm that this WPA patch should work with any wireless card... ?

 

[Slogun]

Well I would think the WPA patch should be universal.

My wireless notebook adaptor is the microsoft MN-720.
I enter the WPA password through software that comes with the adaptor.

But that's not necessary. Try this:

right-click on my network places/select properties/right click on wireless network connection/click on View Available Wireless Networks
You will see where it asks to enter your WEP Network Key(obviously not what you want with WPA), instead selecct ADVANCED, Highlight your network in the Advanced networks box, select Configure. You should see a box for Network Authentication with a drop down where you select WPA-PSK, below that a drop down box should read Data Encryption TKIP. Below that there will be a box to enter your network key for WPA (2 boxes to enter it redundantly actually)

Hopefully that will do it.

 

[slunk]

Does the Orinoco card support WPA? Isn't there a hardware requirement, in addition to the software requirement?

 

[CZroe]

Heh. Although I know what WPA stands for, seeing WPA + WinXP in such close proximity always makes me assume the thread is about Windows Product activation...

 

[Slogun]

Originally posted by: CZroe
Heh. Although I know what WPA stands for, seeing WPA + WinXP in such close proximity always makes me assume the thread is about Windows Product activation...

You're right, that is funny

 

[Slogun]

ianbergman - any luck?

 

[ianbergman]

Originally posted by: Slogun
ianbergman - any luck?

none. I'm trying to get a definitive answer as to whether the hardware has to support WPA, or if my WinXP client is just screwed up. we'll see.

 

[Slogun]

What do you see when you go here:

right-click on my network places/select properties/right click on wireless network connection/click on View Available Wireless Networks
You will see where it asks to enter your WEP Network Key(obviously not what you want with WPA), instead selecct ADVANCED, Highlight your network in the Advanced networks box, select Configure. You should see a box for Network Authentication with a drop down where you select WPA-PSK, below that a drop down box should read Data Encryption TKIP. Below that there will be a box to enter your network key for WPA (2 boxes to enter it redundantly actually)

 

[Slogun]

ianbergman - Another useful link from JackMDS: More about WPA

In a nutshell one of the points mentioned is that a lot of 802.11b hardware is not WPA compatible unless there is a firmware update and suggests contacting the manufacturer.