Ease in Going Wireless With Your Laptop While Traveling
Written: Aug 21 '05 (Updated Aug 21 '05)
Product Rating:
Pros: Fast and Easy Setup, small size card, WPA security, Futuristic protocol.
Cons: None, so far.
The Bottom Line: I recommend this product because it is easy to set up, "g" fast, and compatible both with the older WEP and with the newer protocols of 802.11i and WPA2.
joga56's Full Review: Linksys WPC54G 802.11g/b Wireless Adapter
I was recently staying at the Holiday Inn Harbourview in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia. I took my laptop with me to keep myself busy in the room, while my friend was at meetings during the day. I knew the hotel provided a free internet connection for all guests, but didn’t realize it was wireless. I had never dealt with anything wireless before, so this was a new adventure for me, and I was impressed at how easy it was to connect.
I have a Dell Inspiron laptop with Windows XP Home (SP2) that is not wireless. The hotel loaned me a Linksys Wireless-B Ethernet Bridge to convert my computer to wireless access. The first couple of bridges that I tried lost their connection. The third one I tried worked just fine.
I was near a FutureShop electronics store, so I went shopping for some hardware I could use for my laptop in the future. After talking with the sales person, I decided to purchase the Linksys Wireless-G Notebook Adapter due to its better security and newer “g” technology, small size, and advertised easy, fast setup. In addition, there was a $15 rebate offer at the time.
I went back to the hotel and unhooked the bridge, and proceeded to setup my new adapter. The setup was quick and easy, and I was online in less than 10 minutes. Following are the steps I used to setup my adapter.
Steps I used to Setup an Adapter with Windows XP Home (SP2):
*Turned computer off
*Inserted the CD with the setup software in my CD-Rom
*Removed the plastic guard in available card slot and inserted the Adapter.
*Turned computer back on.
*Windows then copied driver files to the computer. (I read that you may need to pop the Windows CD in during installation, however, I didn't have to).
*Next Installed the driver and configured the Adapter.
*Windows XP automatically detected the Adapter and said, New Hardware has been found.
*CD was activated and installation began.
*I Click the radio button next, to install the software automatically (Recommended). Then clicked Next.
*When Windows finished installing the driver, I clicked Finish.
*Next you configure the Adapter.
*Windows XP has a built-in configuration tool and you will find it in the system tray at the bottom of your screen. Use this to configure the Adapter. This is referred to as the Windows XP Wireless Zero Configuration tool. Simply double click on this tool.
*A screen will appear and show you any available wireless networks. Select the one you want.
*If the network has WEP encryption enabled, you will need to enter the WEP key of the network access point, then Connect. (Note: Wireless Zero Configuration does not support the use of a passphrase. You must enter the exact WEP key used by the access point.
*If the network does not have WEP encryption enabled, then you will get a screen that says Allow me to connect to the selected wireless network, even though it is not secure. Then click the Connect button.
*These previous two instructions are for people who have installed SP1. If you do not have SP1, select the network you want and click Connect. If the network has WEP encryption enabled, enter the WEP key in the Network key field, then click Connect.
*You will now see a little box saying your connection is active.
*I selected the network I wanted to connect to (Holiday Inn Dartmouth, Nova Scotia)
*Clicked on my browser, and had to enter an ID and Password for the Holiday Inn (A business called SuperClick handles this part for them), then started surfing.
I purchased the adapter towards the end of my stay at the hotel, but was able to test it out for a full day. There were no problems, and I surfed just as I do from home at fast cable speeds. I checked the monitor in my task tray from time to time and it was always saying I had Excellent or Very Good reception while using the service.
The adapter has 2 LED lights, one for Power and the other to signify that you have an active Link. Both will be green when working properly. They are somewhat small and hard to see, but they do light up.
Note: If you need additional information, go to Start/Help and Support and search on wireless in the Windows search engine.
Microsoft XP SP2 and Wireless:
One of the many benefits of having loaded windows Service Pack Two (SP2) on your XP system was that of the many wireless features. SP2 added several enhancements to XP’s wireless networking support, including:
*Built-in support for WPA security
*Wireless Network Setup Wizard – Open My Network Places and select Set Up a Wireless Network For A Home or Small Office from the Network Tasks listed in the left pane. To help with security, the default setting in the wizard enables WEP encryption. However, you also have the option to use stronger WPA encryption. You can have windows automatically assign an encryption key for WEP or WPA or you can manually create your own key. Manually – choose either a five or 13 character key, or a 10- or 26- character hexadecimal key. You could create a key with up to 63 characters (minimum 8) or a 64-character hexadecimal key. By default the characters are hidden while you type them, but you can display them by deselecting the Hide Characters As I Type check box.
*Wireless provisioning services support(WPS) – This means there is automatic configuration of the network settings for connecting to public wireless hotspots such as those in hotels, coffee shops, libraries, and airports. It also automates the identification and payment processing when connecting to a hotspot that is run by a commercial wireless internet service provider (WISP). Using this service requires that the WAP support VLAN IDs or IP filtering, and the WAP needs to be configured as a RADIUS client (meaning there must be an IAS server on the provider network.
The Wireless Network Setup Wizard also allows you to save your network settings on a USB flash memory device, which makes it easy to configure additional computers to use your wireless network. Once you have saved the settings, attach it to each computer and transfer them instead of entering them all manually.
Windows XP Support Patch for SP1 Users: Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA)
If you only have SP1, you do have built-in support for WEP encryption, and this type has many weaknesses. Even though with SP1 you can set up a wireless connection, without SP2 the default is not to use any type of encryption, so your wireless transmissions are wide open to anyone within range who has the equipment and software to capture them. To get the additional enhancements listed above, you can download an update for this problem at:
SP2 also changed the dialog box that’s used to configure wireless network connections. For each wireless network that is detected, the new dialog box shows the network name (SSID), whether it has security (WEP or WPA) enabled, and the connection status. An icon indicates the strength of the signal. A star icon in the upper-right corner means the network is a preferred network. The icon on the left side indicates whether the network is infrastructure (WAP-based) or ad hoc (computer-to-computer).
Two types of wireless LANs (WLANs):
*Infrastructure Network - LAN that uses access points to connect computers on the network.
*Ad hoc network – a computer-to-computer LAN with several users in a limited area, such as a conference room. This type does not use an access point.
Linksys Homepage:
This adapter was released in November, 2002. You can find a Manual for the adapter along with a press release at this site:
*WiFi Certified b g
*2.4 ghz frequency – 802.11gb
*4.53” x 0.3” x 2.13” (115 mm x 7.5mm x 54mm)
*1.66 ounces
*Data rates up to 54 Mbps which is 5 times faster than Wireless-B
*Interoperates with Wireless-B networks (at 11Mpbs)
*Wireless security up to 128-bit WEP encryption
Note: Since Wi-Fi uses the same basic radio technology as the 2.4ghz cordless phone, the phone and the base station can cause interference in a wireless setup. So keep them as far apart as possible.
Package Contents: (I have Windows XP so chose one for this O/S)
*Wireless-G Notebook Adapter
*Setup Wizard CD with User Guide
*Quick installation
*Registration Card
Range of Adapter:
100 – 150 feet indoors. There is an expander option available.
Compatibility:
Backwards compatible with Wireless-B (802.11b) and public hotspots.
Minimum Requirements for your laptop computer:
*200 MHz or faster processor
*64MB of RAM
*Available PC Card Slot
*CD-ROM Drive
*Microsoft Windows 98SE, ME, 2000 or XP
Warranty:
There is a 3 year limited warranty on the product. Linksys guarantees that the adapter will be free from physical defects in material and workmanship for three years from the date of purchase, when used within the limits set forth in the Specifications section of the User Guide. If your adapter is defective during this period, call Linksys Technical support to obtain a return authorization number. You must have your proof of purchase on hand when you make this call. (Refer to the 2nd page in the User Guide for more details).
Finding Public Wi-Fi “Hotspots” on the Road:
A “hotspot” is an area usually found in coffee shops, airports, libraries and other community locations where you can use a wireless connection to use your laptop computer to surf and receive/send email. I came across this site when I was surfing in my room. You can find a directory of “hotspots” all over the world at the following website:
http://www.jiwire.com/
At this site you can find locations where this service is available. Also, if you find a hotel or establishment that provides this service that is not listed, you can send in the information about that business to add it to their list. The Holiday Inn Harbourview in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia was not listed in this directory, as their service is fairly new, so I emailed jiwire the information to add it to the list.
Note: when your computer is in a range of a wireless network, Windows XP sends you a message which appears in the notification area on your screen. You can click the message to see a list of wireless networks and then select a wireless network to connect to. If you are traveling, you can get a list of available wireless networks in the area where you will be staying by entering the city, state or province, and postal code for that area.
Other General Tips:
Disconnecting the Adapter Card:
*right click on Safely Remove Hardware icon in the task tray (right bottom of your screen).
*highlight the Adapter Card and click on Stop
*You will get a message saying it is now safe to remove the device
Note: I have read online that the card is “hot-pluggable”, but I prefer to disconnect using the Safely Remove Hardware feature as a safety precaution.
Security Choices:
*64-bit & 128-bit WEP
*WPA-PSK – offers the TKIP encryption method with dynamic encryption keys. This one is security standard that is stronger than WEP.
Note: Be aware that most vendors do not enable security settings in their default configurations. Windows SP2 will give you the chance to change these settings for a more secure experience.
Why Vendors Disable Security by Default:
Microsoft, among others, leaves the network security disabled for many reasons:
*Enabling it complicates wireless setup.
*Settings which don’t match prevent the wireless client from working.
*Wireless throughput drops when security is enabled, particularly on 802.11b networks or those that mix b & g hardware.
*Security settings not needed with wireless adapter used with a public hotspot because they are usually separated from internal networks and are configured to provide internet access only.
Suggestions for Configuring Your Router or Access Point for Security:
*Enable 128-bit WEP encryption
*Change the default SSID used by network
*Disable broadcast of the SSID
*Enable MAC filtering
*Use Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) when available
Terminology:
SSID (Service Set Identifier):
Identifies the wireless access point or router. Some suggest that you hide this for better security. However, vendors sell these products with a default value for the SSID, so you should change it when you install it on your system.
Windows XP has built-in wireless Ethernet support which scans for SSIDs, so it is also easy for an unauthorized user to gain access.
Wi-Fi: Even though this term is used to refer to all wireless Ethernet hardware, it properly refers only to wireless Ethernet hardware which has been certified for interoperability by the Wi-Fi Alliance.
WPA: (Wi-Fi Protected Access – a newer standard created by the Wi-Fi Alliance)
This standard improved the older WEP security method, and is now a required feature on all Wi-Fi Certified Products. WPA uses a new dynamic keying method which increases the size of keys, the number of keys in use, and adds a secure message verification system which all makes breaking into the LAN much more difficult. It is designed to be backward compatible with WEP and forward compatible with 802.11i.
WPA utilizes the TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) which uses a per-packet key mixing function and a message integrity check (MIC) along with other mechanisms that help with security. It also has improved payload integrity.
It uses a more secure authentication code or MIC (Message Integrity Check) referred to as “Michael” algorithm which is the best they could come up with that would still be compatible with older network cards. To limit attacks on your system, WPA networks will shut down for 30 seconds if someone attempts an attack on your network.
WEP: (older standard called Wired Equivalent Privacy)
An older 802.11x Ethernet standard of security protocol. WEP encrypts each packet separately with an RSA RC4 cipher stream generated by a 64- or 128-bit RCA key. However, there are weaknesses in this key algorithm that makes the network vulnerable to hackers. There are many free tools on the internet that help hackers crack WEP and gain access to wireless networks. WPA was introduced in 2003 to enhance wireless security, and to augment and strengthen these vulnerabilities. WPA is the standard today and a vast improvement over WEP.
WPA-PSK:
A special mode of WPA for home users without an enterprise authentication server and provides the same strong encryption protection. It is an extra-strong encryption where the keys are automatically changed and authenticated between devices after a specified period of time, or after a specified number of packets has been transmitted (rekey interval). This is far superior to WEP and provides stronger protection for two reasons: the process used to generate the encryption key is very rigorous and the rekeying is done very quickly. This stops even the most determined hacker from gathering enough data to break the encryption.
Summary:
Windows XP (SP2) makes the installation and configuring of this hardware and software so easy, that anyone who can read can do it. It really does not take a “geek” to do this. I was impressed with how quick the process was, and how fast I was once again surfing and sending/retrieving email. I think this was due, in part, to how well Windows XP deals with the process and to having SP2 on my machine.
I would recommend this product to anyone who takes their laptop on the road and wants to be able to use it away from home. There are many “hotspots” popping up all over the world where you can use your computer, so why not enjoy the access.
Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) is derived from and will be forward-compatible with the upcoming WPA2 and 802.11i standards. When properly installed, it provides wireless LAN users with a high level of assurance that their data transmitted over the radio link will remain protected through WPA encryption. It also replaces WEP. Since this adapter is also backwards compatible with WEP “b”, I should also be able to connect to networks not yet upgraded to the newer technology, but also be set when companies start upgrading to the more modern protocols. So I feel I have the best of both worlds for now.
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