WPA on the client side?

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

When implementing WPA on the client side, does it matter much whose WiFi
card you're using? Is WPA handled by the card itself, or software on the
computer.

I'm running WinXP SP2 on all systems. I have a Netgear FWG114P router. My
client side has a Buffalo PCI WiFi card. I had it all working with WPA, but
it seems when the key is renewed, I loose connection, and it won't recover
without a lot of messing around, only to loose it again.

I do have a 2.4GHz video link, in close proximity, and a neighbor across the
street, running WiFi, that I can see. Everything has been worked out,
channel wise, and coexist fine together, so long as I don't enable WPA.

Is WPA not an exact science yet?

Thanks,
Bill Crocker

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

On Sun, 17 Oct 2004 13:20:51 -0400, "Bill Crocker"
<wcrocker007@comcast.net> wrote:

>When implementing WPA on the client side, does it matter much whose WiFi
>card you're using? Is WPA handled by the card itself, or software on the
>computer.

It's in the client software. Most of the PCMCIA cards contain only
the MAC (media access control) layer in firmware. Everything else is
in the "driver". In the case of some USB client radios, only the
packet assembler is done in hardware. For Intel Centrino devices,
everything is done in the driver software.

>I'm running WinXP SP2 on all systems. I have a Netgear FWG114P router. My
>client side has a Buffalo PCI WiFi card. I had it all working with WPA, but
>it seems when the key is renewed, I loose connection, and it won't recover
>without a lot of messing around, only to loose it again.

Wonderful. Any way to bring in a non Buffalo WiFi card with WPA to be
sure it's the driver? You didn't specify what was the observed key
renewal interval. With Windoze managing the client, the WPA key
renewal is buried in a registry key under "Group Key Renewal
Interval". 0 means every 24 hours. The default value is 84600 or
every 140 minutes. It's a negotiated value between the access point
and the client. Whichever is less become the renewal interval. Most
access points use every 60 minutes. Some postings suggest using 300
seconds for really secure systems.

My guess(tm) is that:
1. You have some problem related to "power save" features on your
client radios
2. Windoze is going into a power save mode.
3. If present, uncheck "Allow the computer to turn off this device to
save power" on your wireless devices in hardware or device manager.
4. Your bios playing power save.
5. Your router is set to timeout on idle connections (usually with a
DSL connection) and should be set to 0 (don't timeout).

>I do have a 2.4GHz video link, in close proximity, and a neighbor across the
>street, running WiFi, that I can see. Everything has been worked out,
>channel wise, and coexist fine together, so long as I don't enable WPA.
>
>Is WPA not an exact science yet?

WPA is already obsolete, soon to be replaced by WPA2.


--
Jeff Liebermann jeffl@comix.santa-cruz.ca.us
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 AE6KS 831-336-2558