XP wireless and airport WEP

[Otto Dafe]

XP wireless and airport WPA

So I'm trying to fix up my friends laptop, I've got a fresh win XP install on it, problem is it won't log into airports. Be they protected or not, it's asking for a 5 or 13(40, 128b) ASCII network key. First question: is this the password? 2nd: My friend downstairs has an airport and her password is 7 chars, if that's ASCII it's 56bit, which windows won't accept, apparently. Stranger still, it won't connect to an unprotected base, I believe--though I wasn't there--it gave the same dialog.

Anyone have any insight into this?

Thanks

 

[Skrying]

Have you tried just hitting enter when it asks for the key?

 

[Otto Dafe]

Have you tried just hitting enter when it asks for the key?

Can't remember hold on a sec...

 

[Otto Dafe]

Alright I miswrote it's WPA. I tried just hitting enter, no dice(this is a secure network). Tried entering network password, it said it needed 128/256 bit key. Then I tried it again and it worked--or at least to the acquiring network address point. I think this is one of the old cards (802.11b?) Maybe it's just getting weak signals. I recall the first gen wireless really sucked compared to 2. I'll go see if the neighbor's home.

As you can see I have zero experience with wireless, I'm too poor for laptops.

 

[the maddman]

Alright I miswrote it's WPA. I tried just hitting enter, no dice(this is a secure network). Tried entering network password, it said it needed 128/256 bit key. Then I tried it again and it worked--or at least to the acquiring network address point. I think this is one of the old cards (802.11b?) Maybe it's just getting weak signals. I recall the first gen wireless really sucked compared to 2. I'll go see if the neighbor's home.

As you can see I have zero experience with wireless, I'm too poor for laptops.

If you only have 802.11b, you don't have WPA. It won't work, ever.

Get a cheap PCMCIA 802.11g card and you'll have much better luck.

 

[Kurt]

In addition, if this is a fresh install of XP, you may have to download one or two patches for full WPA/2 functionality. WGA is required though, since they're considered 'optional' which is a joke. It did the trick for two notebooks of friends and family that would not pick up my Fritzbox unless I used WEP or disabled encryption altogether.

 

[Otto Dafe]

Aha, now you guys are giving me the nitty gritty. This XP is slipstreamed from last month, so that shouldn't be a problem. I do suspect that this is 802.11b, and that must be it. Any one know about what a wireless card runs at a big box store, I doubt she'll buy off the web.

 

[Otto Dafe]

Wait, I take that back, just visited Compaq's site (Presario 2575):

Wireless Connectivity Integrated 54g wireless LAN, Draft 802.11g standard compliant

Now I'm really flummoxed.

 

[Kurt]

KB893357
Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think non-essential updates are included if you use eg. scripts like this to download from Microsoft's servers directly instead of through Windows Update

 

[the maddman]

Wait, I take that back, just visited Compaq's site (Presario 2575):

Wireless Connectivity Integrated 54g wireless LAN, Draft 802.11g standard compliant

Now I'm really flummoxed.

That bit at the end (Draft 802.11g standard compliant) is NOT a good sign. Draft 802.11g is not going to be compatible with the final 802.11g spec, and I bet that is causing your problems. It does look like your laptop uses a pretty standard Mini-PCI card for WiFi, so you could do like I did with my Thinkpad and get a new card from ebay.

You MIGHT be able to get it to work if you can force the card into 802.11b mode, but WPA support was a late add on to 802.11g. I have a few 802.11a/b cards that can do WPA, but they are the exception to the rule.

 

[Otto Dafe]

That bit at the end (Draft 802.11g standard compliant) is NOT a good sign. Draft 802.11g is not going to be compatible with the final 802.11g spec, and I bet that is causing your problems. It does look like your laptop uses a pretty standard Mini-PCI card for WiFi, so you could do like I did with my Thinkpad and get a new card from ebay.

You MIGHT be able to get it to work if you can force the card into 802.11b mode, but WPA support was a late add on to 802.11g. I have a few 802.11a/b cards that can do WPA, but they are the exception to the rule.

Ah nice catch, I didn't even notice 'draft'. I'm going to poke around a bit for a firmware update (there really should be), and when I don't find one I'll just tell her to buy a card.