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