MN-500 DOES support WPA now, according to advertisements.

E.g., http://www.broadband-warehouse.ca/support/MN-500-ds.pdf

"Flexible support for 256-bit Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and 128-bit
Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) delivers strong wireless security."

How can we existing owners get this firmware update? My firmware
updated says I'm current, but I've no WPA support that I'm aware of.

does not appear to be a Microsoft authored document. this site has
detailed spec pdf's which it looks like they put together themselves.
and it is not a Microsoft site. (or it is just plain wrong)

there is no WPA update for the MN-500.



On 14 Feb 2004 14:14:01 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) (Hubert
Scrounger) wrote:

>E.g., http://www.broadband-warehouse.ca/support/MN-500-ds.pdf
>
>"Flexible support for 256-bit Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and 128-bit
>Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) delivers strong wireless security."
>
>How can we existing owners get this firmware update? My firmware
>updated says I'm current, but I've no WPA support that I'm aware of.

--
Barb Bowman
Expert Zone Columnist
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
MS-MVP (Windows)

I hope that/wonder if this is a pre-release document that got let out
of the bag a bit too early?

More likely you're right--they're just wrong.

Too bad that the OS and many 802.11b cards work with WPA, only the
MN-500 being the weak WPA link.


"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>. ..
> does not appear to be a Microsoft authored document. this site has
> detailed spec pdf's which it looks like they put together themselves.
> and it is not a Microsoft site. (or it is just plain wrong)
>
> there is no WPA update for the MN-500.
>
>
>
> On 14 Feb 2004 14:14:01 -0800, (E-Mail Removed) (Hubert
> Scrounger) wrote:
>
> >E.g., http://www.broadband-warehouse.ca/support/MN-500-ds.pdf
> >
> >"Flexible support for 256-bit Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) and 128-bit
> >Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) delivers strong wireless security."
> >
> >How can we existing owners get this firmware update? My firmware
> >updated says I'm current, but I've no WPA support that I'm aware of.

"Too bad that the OS and many 802.11b cards work with
WPA, only the MN-500 being the weak WPA link."

True. Especially since even the MS own 802.11b cards (MN-
520) support WPA. Just hope we get a fix before someone
figures out how to exploit the weakness in large scale,
such as with a virus or worm...

>-----Original Message-----
>I hope that/wonder if this is a pre-release document
that got let out
>of the bag a bit too early?
>
>More likely you're right--they're just wrong.
>
>Too bad that the OS and many 802.11b cards work with
WPA, only the
>MN-500 being the weak WPA link.
>
>
>"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
message
news:<(E-Mail Removed)>. ..
>> does not appear to be a Microsoft authored document.
this site has
>> detailed spec pdf's which it looks like they put
together themselves.
>> and it is not a Microsoft site. (or it is just plain
wrong)
>>
>> there is no WPA update for the MN-500.
>>
>>
>>
>> On 14 Feb 2004 14:14:01 -0800,
(E-Mail Removed) (Hubert
>> Scrounger) wrote:
>>
>> >E.g., http://www.broadband-warehouse.ca/support/MN-
500-ds.pdf
>> >
>> >"Flexible support for 256-bit Wi-Fi Protected Access
(WPA) and 128-bit
>> >Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) delivers strong
wireless security."
>> >
>> >How can we existing owners get this firmware update?
My firmware
>> >updated says I'm current, but I've no WPA support
that I'm aware of.
>.
>

What if the hardware in the Mn500 couldn't handle WPA?
What if the inclusion of WPA into the MN500 make the wireless segment of the
router so slow that it is effectively unusable?

There are various factors that MS has to take into consideration before they
can implement it.

Look at other manufacturers, not all there 802.11b products (especially the
ones made before WPA was finalized) could be upgraded to WPA. Some may say
that this is to force an upgrade to a new product, but it could also be
because the hardware in those older devices can't support WPA or would make
it impossible to maintain various throughput levels.


--
Jason Tsang - Microsoft MVP

Find out about the MS MVP Program -
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx

"Paulo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:1040d01c3f412$5ff9a210$(E-Mail Removed)...
> "Too bad that the OS and many 802.11b cards work with
> WPA, only the MN-500 being the weak WPA link."
>
> True. Especially since even the MS own 802.11b cards (MN-
> 520) support WPA. Just hope we get a fix before someone
> figures out how to exploit the weakness in large scale,
> such as with a virus or worm...
>
> >-----Original Message-----
> >I hope that/wonder if this is a pre-release document
> that got let out
> >of the bag a bit too early?
> >
> >More likely you're right--they're just wrong.
> >
> >Too bad that the OS and many 802.11b cards work with
> WPA, only the
> >MN-500 being the weak WPA link.
> >
> >
> >"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> message
> news:<(E-Mail Removed)>. ..
> >> does not appear to be a Microsoft authored document.
> this site has
> >> detailed spec pdf's which it looks like they put
> together themselves.
> >> and it is not a Microsoft site. (or it is just plain
> wrong)
> >>
> >> there is no WPA update for the MN-500.
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> On 14 Feb 2004 14:14:01 -0800,
> (E-Mail Removed) (Hubert
> >> Scrounger) wrote:
> >>
> >> >E.g., http://www.broadband-warehouse.ca/support/MN-
> 500-ds.pdf
> >> >
> >> >"Flexible support for 256-bit Wi-Fi Protected Access
> (WPA) and 128-bit
> >> >Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) delivers strong
> wireless security."
> >> >
> >> >How can we existing owners get this firmware update?
> My firmware
> >> >updated says I'm current, but I've no WPA support
> that I'm aware of.
> >.
> >

Jason,

I think you may be right about that, but I bet many of us, especially
those of us using the MN-500 mainly for wireless Net access over at
most a cable modem might find a WPA-induced peak performance decrease
not only bearable but _perhaps_ even unnoticeable.

Still, that may not be MS's judgment. (As you rightly and painfully
note, most manufacturers haven't bothered to upgrade their devices.)
And there's a powerful non-tech reason to skip offering an upgrade:
why upgrade the old for free when you can sell the new instead?

If MS deems the MN-500 a security orphan, I hope they offer some sort
of upgrade discount to those of us who wanted and expected a
trouble-free yet secure (i.e., true "Wired-Equivalent Privacy")
wireless computing environment.

Not counting on it, though.

"Jason Tsang" <jason-(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<OQ#(E-Mail Removed)>...
> What if the hardware in the Mn500 couldn't handle WPA?
> What if the inclusion of WPA into the MN500 make the wireless segment of the
> router so slow that it is effectively unusable?
>
> There are various factors that MS has to take into consideration before they
> can implement it.
>
> Look at other manufacturers, not all there 802.11b products (especially the
> ones made before WPA was finalized) could be upgraded to WPA. Some may say
> that this is to force an upgrade to a new product, but it could also be
> because the hardware in those older devices can't support WPA or would make
> it impossible to maintain various throughput levels.
>
>
> --
> Jason Tsang - Microsoft MVP
>
> Find out about the MS MVP Program -
> http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx
>
> "Paulo" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:1040d01c3f412$5ff9a210$(E-Mail Removed)...
> > "Too bad that the OS and many 802.11b cards work with
> > WPA, only the MN-500 being the weak WPA link."
> >
> > True. Especially since even the MS own 802.11b cards (MN-
> > 520) support WPA. Just hope we get a fix before someone
> > figures out how to exploit the weakness in large scale,
> > such as with a virus or worm...
> >
> > >-----Original Message-----
> > >I hope that/wonder if this is a pre-release document
> that got let out
> > >of the bag a bit too early?
> > >
> > >More likely you're right--they're just wrong.
> > >
> > >Too bad that the OS and many 802.11b cards work with
> WPA, only the
> > >MN-500 being the weak WPA link.
> > >
> > >
> > >"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> > message
> > news:<(E-Mail Removed)>. ..
> > >> does not appear to be a Microsoft authored document.
> this site has
> > >> detailed spec pdf's which it looks like they put
> together themselves.
> > >> and it is not a Microsoft site. (or it is just plain
> wrong)
> > >>
> > >> there is no WPA update for the MN-500.
> > >>
> > >>
> > >>
> > >> On 14 Feb 2004 14:14:01 -0800,
> (E-Mail Removed) (Hubert
> > >> Scrounger) wrote:
> > >>
> > >> >E.g., http://www.broadband-warehouse.ca/support/MN-
> 500-ds.pdf
> > >> >
> > >> >"Flexible support for 256-bit Wi-Fi Protected Access
> (WPA) and 128-bit
> > >> >Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) delivers strong
> wireless security."
> > >> >
> > >> >How can we existing owners get this firmware update?
> My firmware
> > >> >updated says I'm current, but I've no WPA support
> that I'm aware of.
> > >.
> > >

Hi,

Use this URL to upgrade to WPA :
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
us;815485

That's not going to give the router WPA support.
That only installs support for WPA on the computer.

--
Jason Tsang - Microsoft MVP

Find out about the MS MVP Program -
http://mvp.support.microsoft.com/default.aspx

<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:150d301c3f9fc$71952360$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Hi,
>
> Use this URL to upgrade to WPA :
> http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-
> us;815485