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Is the ability to connect with WPA security a function of the OS or the
hardware?

Toshiba Tecra 9000 running Windows XP SP2 fully patched.
My WAP gives me the option to set up WPA security - the Wireless network
properties on the Laptop only has WEP and Disable under the security
drop-down box....

Gordon wrote:
> Is the ability to connect with WPA security a function of the OS or the
> hardware?
>
> Toshiba Tecra 9000 running Windows XP SP2 fully patched.
> My WAP gives me the option to set up WPA security - the Wireless network
> properties on the Laptop only has WEP and Disable under the security
> drop-down box....
>
>

Both. The Tecra 9000 series is around 7 years old. I *think* that the
built-in wireless is 802.11b only and would not have supported anything
other than WEP, at least initially. From the little looking I've done,
it also seems as if Toshiba never supported WPA on these machines. To
get WPA (or better, WPA2), buy an external wireless-G adapter (USB or
PC-Card) that will be able to handle WPA2 and WPA.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

"Lem" <> wrote in message
news:%23J$...
> Gordon wrote:
>> Is the ability to connect with WPA security a function of the OS or the
>> hardware?
>>
>> Toshiba Tecra 9000 running Windows XP SP2 fully patched.
>> My WAP gives me the option to set up WPA security - the Wireless network
>> properties on the Laptop only has WEP and Disable under the security
>> drop-down box....
>
> Both. The Tecra 9000 series is around 7 years old. I *think* that the
> built-in wireless is 802.11b only and would not have supported anything
> other than WEP, at least initially. From the little looking I've done, it
> also seems as if Toshiba never supported WPA on these machines. To get
> WPA (or better, WPA2), buy an external wireless-G adapter (USB or PC-Card)
> that will be able to handle WPA2 and WPA.
>

Thanks - I thought that it might be the age. I'm looking at getting a more
modern laptop anyway as although I have 1GB RAM, the processor (Pentium III
933 MHz) is a TAD slow for XP and office 2007.....

"Lem" <> wrote in message
news:%23J$...
> Gordon wrote:
>> Is the ability to connect with WPA security a function of the OS or the
>> hardware?
>>
>> Toshiba Tecra 9000 running Windows XP SP2 fully patched.
>> My WAP gives me the option to set up WPA security - the Wireless network
>> properties on the Laptop only has WEP and Disable under the security
>> drop-down box....
>
> Both. The Tecra 9000 series is around 7 years old. I *think* that the
> built-in wireless is 802.11b only and would not have supported anything
> other than WEP, at least initially. From the little looking I've done, it
> also seems as if Toshiba never supported WPA on these machines. To get
> WPA (or better, WPA2), buy an external wireless-G adapter (USB or PC-Card)
> that will be able to handle WPA2 and WPA.
>
> --
> Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking
>
> To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
> http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

As a matter of interest, I have a Toshiba Satellite about a year and a half
old and it only does 802.11b but is does support WPA

Suzy wrote:
> "Lem" <> wrote in message
> news:%23J$...
>> Gordon wrote:
>>> Is the ability to connect with WPA security a function of the OS or the
>>> hardware?
>>>
>>> Toshiba Tecra 9000 running Windows XP SP2 fully patched.
>>> My WAP gives me the option to set up WPA security - the Wireless network
>>> properties on the Laptop only has WEP and Disable under the security
>>> drop-down box....
>> Both. The Tecra 9000 series is around 7 years old. I *think* that the
>> built-in wireless is 802.11b only and would not have supported anything
>> other than WEP, at least initially. From the little looking I've done, it
>> also seems as if Toshiba never supported WPA on these machines. To get
>> WPA (or better, WPA2), buy an external wireless-G adapter (USB or PC-Card)
>> that will be able to handle WPA2 and WPA.
>>
>> --
>> Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking
>>
>> To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
>> http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm
>
> As a matter of interest, I have a Toshiba Satellite about a year and a half
> old and it only does 802.11b but is does support WPA
>
>

FYI --

Newer 802.11b devices can (and do) support WPA.

WPA was deployed in mid-2003 (approximately), and was an interim step
between WEP (which had quickly become insecure) and the complete
implementation of IEEE standard 802.11i. In the words of the industry
group, "WPA was designed to be a replacement for WEP networks without
requiring hardware replacements."

WPA2 is the industry name for compliance with 802.11i, and was
introduced sometime in late 2004. Some equipment implements WPA with
AES encryption, which is almost equivalent to WPA2. In fact, it might
be the same, but just too early to be "certified" as WPA2.

As near as I could tell (and I didn't look very hard), the most recent
drivers for the OP's Tecra 9000 wifi hardware were dated in 2001. Thus,
my conclusion that the OPs hardware probably doesn't support WPA.
That's not inconsistent with a 802.11b product from 2006 that does
support WPA.

--
Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking

To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

"Lem" <> wrote in message
news:%...
> Suzy wrote:
>> "Lem" <> wrote in message
>> news:%23J$...
>>> Gordon wrote:
>>>> Is the ability to connect with WPA security a function of the OS or the
>>>> hardware?
>>>>
>>>> Toshiba Tecra 9000 running Windows XP SP2 fully patched.
>>>> My WAP gives me the option to set up WPA security - the Wireless
>>>> network properties on the Laptop only has WEP and Disable under the
>>>> security drop-down box....
>>> Both. The Tecra 9000 series is around 7 years old. I *think* that the
>>> built-in wireless is 802.11b only and would not have supported anything
>>> other than WEP, at least initially. From the little looking I've done,
>>> it also seems as if Toshiba never supported WPA on these machines. To
>>> get WPA (or better, WPA2), buy an external wireless-G adapter (USB or
>>> PC-Card) that will be able to handle WPA2 and WPA.
>>>
>>> --
>>> Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking
>>>
>>> To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
>>> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
>>> http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm
>>
>> As a matter of interest, I have a Toshiba Satellite about a year and a
>> half old and it only does 802.11b but is does support WPA
>
> FYI --
>
> Newer 802.11b devices can (and do) support WPA.
>
> WPA was deployed in mid-2003 (approximately), and was an interim step
> between WEP (which had quickly become insecure) and the complete
> implementation of IEEE standard 802.11i. In the words of the industry
> group, "WPA was designed to be a replacement for WEP networks without
> requiring hardware replacements."
>
> WPA2 is the industry name for compliance with 802.11i, and was introduced
> sometime in late 2004. Some equipment implements WPA with AES encryption,
> which is almost equivalent to WPA2. In fact, it might be the same, but
> just too early to be "certified" as WPA2.
>
> As near as I could tell (and I didn't look very hard), the most recent
> drivers for the OP's Tecra 9000 wifi hardware were dated in 2001. Thus,
> my conclusion that the OPs hardware probably doesn't support WPA. That's
> not inconsistent with a 802.11b product from 2006 that does support WPA.
>
> --
> Lem -- MS-MVP - Networking
>
> To the moon and back with 2K words of RAM and 36K words of ROM.
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_Guidance_Computer
> http://history.nasa.gov/afj/compessay.htm

Thanks Lem. That's a little more I now know. As I've said, I've got WPA and
I have also got AES (Belkin 54g and Atheros wireless card in Satellite
laptop (roughly a year and a half old, maybe 2)

Lem <> wrote:

<snip>

> As near as I could tell (and I didn't look very hard), the most recent
> drivers for the OP's Tecra 9000 wifi hardware were dated in 2001. Thus,
> my conclusion that the OPs hardware probably doesn't support WPA.
> That's not inconsistent with a 802.11b product from 2006 that does
> support WPA.

It can depend on the chipset in the device. Som manufactures make their
own updated drivers. Realtek does.