wireless laptop

[Baz]

My daughter is home for a while and she has brought her laptop but it wont connect to the internet as I changed the security on the router to wpa2 earlier this year and all the others in the house work with this. I am guessing this is the problem as if I knock it back down to wpa the laptop works.....but all the others dont or they keep asking for permission or something. I was wondering is it possible to upgrade whatever part looks after that bit in the laptop to be be able to use wpa2 if so what do I look for. driver/firmware/update 

[Sebby]

Is it an old laptop, Baz? The likelihood is that the adapter doesn't support WPA2. If you have a look in Device Manager and see what wireless adapter you have, you can probably find an updated driver which may do the trick...

[Baz]

its a sony vaio vgn fs515h

[Sebby]

That's the model of the laptop, Baz. Is it XP?

[Baz]

yeah sorry Sebby   XP it is

[Sebby]

Right-click on My Computer, select Properties, click the Hardware tab, then press the Device Manager button. Find Network Adapters and expand it. You'll probably have more than 1 item in there, but one will be the wireless adapter. What is it?

[Baz]

LAN-Express AS IEEE 802.11g miniPCI Adapter

driver version 4.1.2.111


and theres an intel one and a 1394 Net Adapter with a red X in it

[Sebby]

Try this, Baz.

[Baz]

thanks Sebby will take a look

[Gary]

My daughter is home for a while and she has brought her laptop but it wont connect to the internet as I changed the security on the router to wpa2 earlier this year and all the others in the house work with this. I am guessing this is the problem as if I knock it back down to wpa the laptop works.....but all the others dont or they keep asking for permission or something. I was wondering is it possible to upgrade whatever part looks after that bit in the laptop to be be able to use wpa2 if so what do I look for. driver/firmware/update 

As Sebby has suggested look for an updated driver for your card, but if XP is using standard wireless zero configuration there is an update for XP SP2 http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=662bb74d-e7c1-48d6-95ee-1459234f4483&displaylang=en

that adds WPA2 to the configuration process, try that. If the connection software on her laptop does not support WPA2 the windows one will.

[Baz]

Thanks Gary, how do I tell if the laptop is using the standard config you mention

[Rik]

Look at the connection icon in the systray, Baz. When you right click on it, is it from the card manufacturer, or a standard Windows item?

[Baz]

theres two icons Rik...Local Area Connection and Wireless Network Connection

[Rik]

You want the wireless one...

[Baz]

ok I guess its a standard windows one  just says  change Windows firewall settings, Open Network Connections, Repair and View available wireless networks

[Rik]

Use Gary's link then, Baz.

[Baz]

ok  next question then. to save me changing my router settings to enable the laptop to connect, is it possible to download this onto a USB stick then install it on the lappy

[Ted]

Just connect the laptop with a cable directly.

[Baz]

Just connect the laptop with a cable directly.

  of course  thanks Ted

not thinking right today

[Ted]

 

[Baz]

didnt work....getting some error message saying a package is not vaild

SP3-UBER

[Rik]

 

Sounds like you've got a German version there, Baz.

[Steve]

If the laptops been updated to XP SP3 it will have WPA2 support,Some routers allow a wireless setting of WPA and WPA2 on the same passcode just a matter of selecting a different button on the menu I believe

[Baz]

you beat me to it Steve.was just going to post this.

In the router security settings are these options

Disable
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access Pre-Shared Key)
WPA2-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 with Pre-Shared Key)
WPA-PSK + WPA2-PSK
WPA-802.1x
WPA2-802.1x

5th item down...........   sorry all.that'll teach me to read things properly.thanks for all the help though 

[Rik]

We've all been there, Baz.