Updating a laptop with Win XP to support WPA2 WiFi security

Recently a friend asked me to help him create a home WiFi network to connect his laptop with Win XP SP2 to the Internet. He was not sure if his laptop could support WPA2 PSK. Since his laptop was an Acer Travelmate 4152 NLCi, I went to the Acer website & had to search if it did. I finally found out that his laptop had a Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network Connection adapter which worked with the 802.11b or 802.11g wireless standard.

Wi-Fi Protected Access version 2 (WPA2) is the latest version of security for wireless networks. It's more secure than Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and easy to set up using the features built into Microsoft Windows XP Service Pack 2 (SP2).

In addition to the update for Windows XP SP2, you need two components:

1. A router or access point/router that supports WPA2-Personal

2. A wireless card with firmware and drivers that supports WPA2-Personal on your laptop its best to update the drivers of your laptop wireless card.

Also the patch Windows XP Hot fix KB893357 is required to update Win XP SP2 to support WPA2 PSK. This patch can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?displaylang=en&FamilyID=662bb74d-e7c1-48d6-95ee-1459234f4483

Or

http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file/fid,30721-order,4/description.html

for details on WPA2 check out

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/networking/security/wireless.mspx

http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/security/expert/bowman_wirelesssecurity.mspx

How to configure Linksys WRT 120N wireless router

Recently a friend asked me to help him create a home WiFi network to
connect his laptop with Win XP SP2 to the Internet. He was not sure if his laptop could support WPA2 PSK. Since his laptop was an Acer Travelmate 4152 NLCi, I went to the Acer website & had to search if it did. I finally found out that his laptop had a Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network.My friend had bought a Linksys WRT120N WiFi router for his home use, after setting up his network I was shocked to find that his laptop which connected so easily to the internet, at my place thru a Linksys WRT54G router was unable to do so thru this new router. And the strange thing was that another (office) laptop was able to do so !!!! After trawling the Internet for info on this problem I found the solution, that the firmware on the router could be the culprit. I noticed that the firmware ver on the WiFi router was ver 1.0 & that there had been FOUR ver updates till the time of purchase of the router (shows what old junk Croma is selling). The firmware on the router would have to be updated to the current ver which is 1.0.04 dated 15th Oct, 2009 & is 1.19MB in size the release notes state that it has a compatibility issue with the Intel(R) PRO/Wireless 2200BG Network card which has been resolved.
‘Product: WRT120N v1Classification: Firmware Release HistoryRelease Date: Oct 15, 2009
Last Firmware Version: 1.0.04_____________________________________________________________________
General Notes: - Disconnect all wireless clients from the router during the upgrade process. Make sure no wireless clients attempt to associate with the router until the upgrade process is complete.
Firmware 1.0.04 (Build 02)- Resolve connectivity issue with Intel Centrino 2200BG - Resolve issue with Home Network Defender trial period gets activated as soon as the router is connected to the Internet’
Setting up the Linksys WRT 120N is the same as Linksys WRT54G http://socrates0.blogspot.com/2007/12/how-to-configure-linksys-wrt54g.html,
except that in the tab ‘Wireless’ -> ‘Wireless Network Mode’. From this drop-down menu, you can select the wireless standards running on your network. If you have Wireless-N, Wireless-G, and Wireless-B devices in your network, keep the default, Mixed. If you have only
Wireless-G and Wireless-B devices in your network, select BG-Mixed. If you have only Wireless-N devices, select Wireless-N Only. If you have only Wireless-G devices,
select Wireless-G Only. If you have only Wireless-B devices, select Wireless-B Only. If you do not have any wireless devices in your network, select Disabled.

Channel Width For best performance in a Wireless-N

network, select 40MHz only. For Wireless-G and Wireless-B

networking only, keep the default, 20MHz only. If you

are not sure which option to use, select Auto (20MHz or

40MHz).

Else everything remains the same.

Recently I came across two sites which generate random passwords

https://www.grc.com/passwords.htm

https://secure.pctools.com/guides/password/

The first is an online generator whereas the second is a s/w to be installed on your machine to do the needful. When you use a password 63 or 64 characters long copy paste it in your WiFi router then save the password in ‘Notepad’, then transfer this password to a pendrive & paste it in your laptops.

A few other useful sites are mentioned below.

http://www.whatismyip.com
http://downforeveryoneorjustme.com
http://www.dslreports.com/tweaks
https://www.opendns.com
http://speedtest.net
http://pingtest.net
http://airtel.in/speedcheck