MN-500 Series firmware.

Does anybody from Microsoft read these? Maybe they can
answer these.

I read that there will be a new software release when SP2
hits RTM. Can we expect any more firmware upgrades for the
MN-500 series?

I would love to see some new features for the MN-
500/510/520. At the very least I think that you should
consider a 256-bit WEP, (maybe even WPA). Some other
things, although less important than a stronger
encryption, could include some sort of authentication,
maybe a DDoS blocking firewall, or possibly a setting to
decrease the signal strength.

Also see the post I made right below this one for a bug
you can fix in the MN-510 drivers.
Also the greyed out Management Tool in the BNU is pretty
annoying.

I feel like your company should have put a little more
effort into your networking products before ditching your
user base. There are still some months left before the 2-
year support is up, and I think a couple new features
could help solidify Microsoft's future hardware products
in the minds of people who went out on a limb and
purchased this hardware.

-Concerned

PS. If anybody knows who I can email this to (maybe Bill
Gates or even somebody that works on the drivers and
support team) give me an address. (Because I am not sure
if MS reads these)

Also, I know that some of the MN-500 have boot code 1.06
on them. If anybody has this file that we could flash post
a message here.

MS reads this newsgroup.

You probably won't see any more NEW features for the 5xx series of
products and it is unlikely you would see them for the newer 7xx
series. You WILL see a software fix for compatibility of the software
BNU utility.

If you download the updates for the 7xx you will end up with WPA for
the 520 and 510, but not the 500. The 500 just won't support WPA. Like
other first/second generation 802.11b routers that can't be updated,
this is probably a hardware limitation of the CPU in the device
itself.


On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 22:56:48 -0700, "Concerned"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Does anybody from Microsoft read these? Maybe they can
>answer these.
>
>I read that there will be a new software release when SP2
>hits RTM. Can we expect any more firmware upgrades for the
>MN-500 series?
>
>I would love to see some new features for the MN-
>500/510/520. At the very least I think that you should
>consider a 256-bit WEP, (maybe even WPA). Some other
>things, although less important than a stronger
>encryption, could include some sort of authentication,
>maybe a DDoS blocking firewall, or possibly a setting to
>decrease the signal strength.
>
>Also see the post I made right below this one for a bug
>you can fix in the MN-510 drivers.
>Also the greyed out Management Tool in the BNU is pretty
>annoying.
>
>I feel like your company should have put a little more
>effort into your networking products before ditching your
>user base. There are still some months left before the 2-
>year support is up, and I think a couple new features
>could help solidify Microsoft's future hardware products
>in the minds of people who went out on a limb and
>purchased this hardware.
>
>-Concerned
>
>PS. If anybody knows who I can email this to (maybe Bill
>Gates or even somebody that works on the drivers and
>support team) give me an address. (Because I am not sure
>if MS reads these)
>
>Also, I know that some of the MN-500 have boot code 1.06
>on them. If anybody has this file that we could flash post
>a message here.

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

Do you think 256-bit WEP is in the hardware? I think that
would help A LOT on these "old" routers security. I
say "old" because many retail chains still sell it. I
understand that WPA is hoping for too much, but I do not
think 256-bit or 152-bit WEP is too much to ask from MS,
after all we did expect a little more dedication to their
networking line when we purchased these.

I know that there is a WPA driver update (for Win XP) for
the mn510, although that driver has a glitch where it
won't connect to a network with SSID disabled.

-concerned
>-----Original Message-----
>MS reads this newsgroup.
>
>You probably won't see any more NEW features for the 5xx
series of
>products and it is unlikely you would see them for the
newer 7xx
>series. You WILL see a software fix for compatibility of
the software
>BNU utility.
>
>If you download the updates for the 7xx you will end up
with WPA for
>the 520 and 510, but not the 500. The 500 just won't
support WPA. Like
>other first/second generation 802.11b routers that can't
be updated,
>this is probably a hardware limitation of the CPU in the
device
>itself.
>
>
>On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 22:56:48 -0700, "Concerned"
><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Does anybody from Microsoft read these? Maybe they can
>>answer these.
>>
>>I read that there will be a new software release when
SP2
>>hits RTM. Can we expect any more firmware upgrades for
the
>>MN-500 series?
>>
>>I would love to see some new features for the MN-
>>500/510/520. At the very least I think that you should
>>consider a 256-bit WEP, (maybe even WPA). Some other
>>things, although less important than a stronger
>>encryption, could include some sort of authentication,
>>maybe a DDoS blocking firewall, or possibly a setting to
>>decrease the signal strength.
>>
>>Also see the post I made right below this one for a bug
>>you can fix in the MN-510 drivers.
>>Also the greyed out Management Tool in the BNU is pretty
>>annoying.
>>
>>I feel like your company should have put a little more
>>effort into your networking products before ditching
your
>>user base. There are still some months left before the 2-
>>year support is up, and I think a couple new features
>>could help solidify Microsoft's future hardware products
>>in the minds of people who went out on a limb and
>>purchased this hardware.
>>
>>-Concerned
>>
>>PS. If anybody knows who I can email this to (maybe Bill
>>Gates or even somebody that works on the drivers and
>>support team) give me an address. (Because I am not sure
>>if MS reads these)
>>
>>Also, I know that some of the MN-500 have boot code 1.06
>>on them. If anybody has this file that we could flash
post
>>a message here.
>
>--
>Barb Bowman
>Expert Zone Columnist
>http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>MS-MVP (Windows)
>.
>

256 bit WEP is not standard (nor is 152 bit).
As such, it's likely you'll ever see it in an MSFT product.

--
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:1eb6a01c456ef$65d4bdb0$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Do you think 256-bit WEP is in the hardware? I think that
> would help A LOT on these "old" routers security. I
> say "old" because many retail chains still sell it. I
> understand that WPA is hoping for too much, but I do not
> think 256-bit or 152-bit WEP is too much to ask from MS,
> after all we did expect a little more dedication to their
> networking line when we purchased these.
>
> I know that there is a WPA driver update (for Win XP) for
> the mn510, although that driver has a glitch where it
> won't connect to a network with SSID disabled.
>
> -concerned
> >-----Original Message-----
> >MS reads this newsgroup.
> >
> >You probably won't see any more NEW features for the 5xx
> series of
> >products and it is unlikely you would see them for the
> newer 7xx
> >series. You WILL see a software fix for compatibility of
> the software
> >BNU utility.
> >
> >If you download the updates for the 7xx you will end up
> with WPA for
> >the 520 and 510, but not the 500. The 500 just won't
> support WPA. Like
> >other first/second generation 802.11b routers that can't
> be updated,
> >this is probably a hardware limitation of the CPU in the
> device
> >itself.
> >
> >
> >On Sat, 19 Jun 2004 22:56:48 -0700, "Concerned"
> ><(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> >
> >>Does anybody from Microsoft read these? Maybe they can
> >>answer these.
> >>
> >>I read that there will be a new software release when
> SP2
> >>hits RTM. Can we expect any more firmware upgrades for
> the
> >>MN-500 series?
> >>
> >>I would love to see some new features for the MN-
> >>500/510/520. At the very least I think that you should
> >>consider a 256-bit WEP, (maybe even WPA). Some other
> >>things, although less important than a stronger
> >>encryption, could include some sort of authentication,
> >>maybe a DDoS blocking firewall, or possibly a setting to
> >>decrease the signal strength.
> >>
> >>Also see the post I made right below this one for a bug
> >>you can fix in the MN-510 drivers.
> >>Also the greyed out Management Tool in the BNU is pretty
> >>annoying.
> >>
> >>I feel like your company should have put a little more
> >>effort into your networking products before ditching
> your
> >>user base. There are still some months left before the 2-
> >>year support is up, and I think a couple new features
> >>could help solidify Microsoft's future hardware products
> >>in the minds of people who went out on a limb and
> >>purchased this hardware.
> >>
> >>-Concerned
> >>
> >>PS. If anybody knows who I can email this to (maybe Bill
> >>Gates or even somebody that works on the drivers and
> >>support team) give me an address. (Because I am not sure
> >>if MS reads these)
> >>
> >>Also, I know that some of the MN-500 have boot code 1.06
> >>on them. If anybody has this file that we could flash
> post
> >>a message here.
> >
> >--
> >Barb Bowman
> >Expert Zone Columnist
> >http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> >MS-MVP (Windows)
> >.
> >

If MS is a security oriented company they would issue a
fix for the MN-500 -- after all, having an wireless
network that can be compromised represent a wide avenue
for virus and other forms of malware to get into our
networks.

If MS doesn't even care to address a major and known
security issue, who can trust the security in other MS
products including in the forthcoming Windows security
upgrades?

>-----Original Message-----
>Does anybody from Microsoft read these? Maybe they can
>answer these.
>
>I read that there will be a new software release when
SP2
>hits RTM. Can we expect any more firmware upgrades for
the
>MN-500 series?
>
>I would love to see some new features for the MN-
>500/510/520. At the very least I think that you should
>consider a 256-bit WEP, (maybe even WPA). Some other
>things, although less important than a stronger
>encryption, could include some sort of authentication,
>maybe a DDoS blocking firewall, or possibly a setting to
>decrease the signal strength.
>
>Also see the post I made right below this one for a bug
>you can fix in the MN-510 drivers.
>Also the greyed out Management Tool in the BNU is pretty
>annoying.
>
>I feel like your company should have put a little more
>effort into your networking products before ditching
your
>user base. There are still some months left before the 2-
>year support is up, and I think a couple new features
>could help solidify Microsoft's future hardware products
>in the minds of people who went out on a limb and
>purchased this hardware.
>
>-Concerned
>
>PS. If anybody knows who I can email this to (maybe Bill
>Gates or even somebody that works on the drivers and
>support team) give me an address. (Because I am not sure
>if MS reads these)
>
>Also, I know that some of the MN-500 have boot code 1.06
>on them. If anybody has this file that we could flash
post
>a message here.
>.
>