KB917021 - why has this not been put on Windows Update?

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917021/en-us

Wireless Client Update for 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows XP
with Service Pack 2

Is there a reason why someone might not want to install this?

Hi

If you are not in need to do this on your "fleet" of Wireless Laptops , you
do not need to install it.

Quote: "However, until the Wireless Client Update is installed, network
administrators cannot centrally configure WPA2 options by using the Wireless
Network(IEEE 802.11) Policies node of Computer Configuration Group Policy.
Computers that have Windows XP Service Pack 2 and the Wireless Client Update
installed can apply these configuration options when they configure the
computers by using Computer Configuration Group Policy".

Jack (MVP-Networking).



"Peabody" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:eWU%(E-Mail Removed)...
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917021/en-us
>
> Wireless Client Update for 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows XP
> with Service Pack 2
>
> Is there a reason why someone might not want to install this?
>
>

"Peabody" wrote:
> http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917021/en-us
>
> Wireless Client Update for 32-bit versions of Microsoft Windows XP
> with Service Pack 2
>
> Is there a reason why someone might not want to install this?

Yes, there is a reason: a newer update that includes 917021
and the new Vista-compatible profile and API support.

http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=918997

Regards,
--PA

In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
(E-Mail Removed) says...

> If you are not in need to do this on your "fleet" of
> Wireless Laptops , you do not need to install it.

> Quote: "However, until the Wireless Client Update is
> installed, network administrators cannot centrally
> configure WPA2 options by using the Wireless
> Network(IEEE 802.11) Policies node of Computer
> Configuration Group Policy. Computers that have Windows
> XP Service Pack 2 and the Wireless Client Update
> installed can apply these configuration options when
> they configure the computers by using Computer
> Configuration Group Policy".

Well, even for non-fleet laptops, it contains additional
improvements involving non-broadcast networks, parking, and
ad-hoc networks, all of which would seem to be good for
everyone.

Let me put it this way - is there a reason NOT to install
it, other than just not needing to? Could installing it
screw things up in some way? Doesn't seem that it would.

In article <B749A4AA-0E5A-4995-8853-077E98FEDC52@microsoft.
com>, (E-Mail Removed) says...

>> Is there a reason why someone might not want to install
>> this?

> Yes, there is a reason: a newer update that includes
> 917021 and the new Vista-compatible profile and API
> support.

> http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=918997

Thanks, but it appears that may not be the case. Well, all
but one of the files in 917021 have later dates than those
in 918997.

In any case, I would want to think about the security
implications of 918997 first. I mean, it should be ok since
it just appears to put some Vista capability back into XP,
but I just want to understand better what it does.

"Peabody" wrote:
> In article <B749A4AA-0E5A-4995-8853-077E98FEDC52@microsoft.
> com>, (E-Mail Removed) says...
>
> >> Is there a reason why someone might not want to install
> >> this?
>
> > Yes, there is a reason: a newer update that includes
> > 917021 and the new Vista-compatible profile and API
> > support.
>
> > http://support.microsoft.com/?kbid=918997
>
> Thanks, but it appears that may not be the case. Well, all
> but one of the files in 917021 have later dates than those
> in 918997.

Hmm. You're right. It seems that the Wlan API update kb 918997
adds only one new file: wlanapi.dll (besides of xpsp3res.dll)
Files v.5.1.2600.2658 are same as in kb 893357.

Probably this means that v... .2658 is the minimal version required
to support the WLAN API & XML profiles. If KB 917021 files are
already installed, they won't be replaced.

Regards,
--PA

Heard about this update from Steve Gibson (Gibson Research: Spinrite) ... he
says all wireless users should have this update. I installed it and my
wireless NIC couldn't connect to my router any more (unable to acquire IP.)

"Peabody" wrote:

> In article <(E-Mail Removed)>,
> (E-Mail Removed) says...
>
> > If you are not in need to do this on your "fleet" of
> > Wireless Laptops , you do not need to install it.
>
> > Quote: "However, until the Wireless Client Update is
> > installed, network administrators cannot centrally
> > configure WPA2 options by using the Wireless
> > Network(IEEE 802.11) Policies node of Computer
> > Configuration Group Policy. Computers that have Windows
> > XP Service Pack 2 and the Wireless Client Update
> > installed can apply these configuration options when
> > they configure the computers by using Computer
> > Configuration Group Policy".
>
> Well, even for non-fleet laptops, it contains additional
> improvements involving non-broadcast networks, parking, and
> ad-hoc networks, all of which would seem to be good for
> everyone.
>
> Let me put it this way - is there a reason NOT to install
> it, other than just not needing to? Could installing it
> screw things up in some way? Doesn't seem that it would.
>
>
>

In article <EF72647A-DF4A-4CAD-B697-39D295412A2C@microsoft.
com>, (E-Mail Removed) says...

> Heard about this update from Steve Gibson (Gibson
> Research: Spinrite) ... he says all wireless users
> should have this update. I installed it and my wireless
> NIC couldn't connect to my router any more (unable to
> acquire IP.)

Well, I went ahead and installed it this morning, and
rebooted, and everything worked fine, just as before. I
read through the list of things it fixes, and it seemed all
are a good idea.

If your router isn't doing so already, you might want to set
it to broadcast its SSID. In my view, that should be on
anyway. I know that some believe turning it off is a
security measure, but I don't think that's right.
Encryption is the only security measure that really works.

SSID was enabled on my router and I'm using WPA-PSK w/ TKIP encryption. Not
sure why it didn't work for me ... it just went into an endless loop of
attempting to acquire my IP and was never able to complete that step. I even
tried disabling the NIC and the "repair" function, all to no avail.

"Peabody" wrote:

> In article <EF72647A-DF4A-4CAD-B697-39D295412A2C@microsoft.
> com>, (E-Mail Removed) says...
>
> > Heard about this update from Steve Gibson (Gibson
> > Research: Spinrite) ... he says all wireless users
> > should have this update. I installed it and my wireless
> > NIC couldn't connect to my router any more (unable to
> > acquire IP.)
>
> Well, I went ahead and installed it this morning, and
> rebooted, and everything worked fine, just as before. I
> read through the list of things it fixes, and it seemed all
> are a good idea.
>
> If your router isn't doing so already, you might want to set
> it to broadcast its SSID. In my view, that should be on
> anyway. I know that some believe turning it off is a
> security measure, but I don't think that's right.
> Encryption is the only security measure that really works.
>
>
>