Why does the Netgear WG311v1 support WPA on W2K but the WG311v2 does not?

I found this article (after I wrote this post) which addresses WPA and
wireless vendors very enlightening reading so put it at the front of
my post: http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sectio...le50-page5.php


Damn, they make me SOOOOOOOOOOOOO mad!

They finally send a driver that makes WPA work on the WG511v2 in my
laptop (it has TI PCI-1410 CardBus Controller). While waiting for
this, I replaced my WG311v1 with a WG311v2. So I excitedly (maybe I
am over dramatizing my feelings) turn on WPA on my AP and my WG511s
and then go to my server and find out that the WG311v2 does NOT
support WPA on W2K!

WTF? The WG311v1 does! So I send a request to Netgear asking them to
add WPA support and their reply is "you need to use an additional
supplicant". Great! I need to purchase additional software to use
their card. Just what I wanted! >:-(

So, my choices are:
1) Return the WG311v2 and get a WG311v1 or other PCI card that
supports WPA
2) Purchase a PCI to PCMCIA adapter that works with the WG311v2
3) Purchase software that will do WPA
4) Upgrade my server to Windows XP
Anyone already do this? What was your experience?

I quickly tried Funk Odyssey and it worked but I could no longer
connect to my server. Maybe it is a configuration issue?

Thanks for listening and any feedback appreciated!

On 18 Sep 2004 07:56:37 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) (Franklin
Bowen) wrote:

>I found this article (after I wrote this post) which addresses WPA and
>wireless vendors very enlightening reading so put it at the front of
>my post: http://www.tomsnetworking.com/Sectio...le50-page5.php
>
>
>Damn, they make me SOOOOOOOOOOOOO mad!
>
>They finally send a driver that makes WPA work on the WG511v2 in my
>laptop (it has TI PCI-1410 CardBus Controller).

You what? The Netgear website makes no mention whatsoever of there
being two versions of this device. WPA has been included in the
native GUI for the WG511 for several months.

>While waiting for
>this, I replaced my WG311v1 with a WG311v2. So I excitedly (maybe I
>am over dramatizing my feelings) turn on WPA on my AP and my WG511s
>and then go to my server and find out that the WG311v2 does NOT
>support WPA on W2K!

WG311v1 uses an Atheros chipset, the v2 uses a TI chipset. I believe
the v2 (I may be wrong) was to solve some compatibility issues with
Athlon processors.

Unfortunately, as you are discovering, the v2 seems to be a very
under-supported product. Whereas the GUI for the v1 supports WPA and
works smoothly with XP/2k limited user accounts the v2 does neither.
You can get around this in XP by using the artist formally known as
WZC but in older O/S you need a third party supplicant. Very
irritating.

>WTF? The WG311v1 does! So I send a request to Netgear asking them to
>add WPA support and their reply is "you need to use an additional
>supplicant". Great! I need to purchase additional software to use
>their card. Just what I wanted! >:-(

The downloadable drivers include a fat program called Boingo. Anyone
know what this is?

>So, my choices are:
>1) Return the WG311v2 and get a WG311v1 or other PCI card that
>supports WPA

I bought a WG311T for my server. It works perfectly, although since
then I have decided just to stick with WEP for now anyway since my
reception barely reaches beyond my front door - someone would need to
be parked on my garden path for hours, if not days, to crack it and I
think I'd notice.

Oddly, I expected to get superior reception with the newer device but
in fact they give about the same.

The WG311v2 has been relegated to a much less important machine but
since this machine is Win98SE I have to keep the network using WEP
anyway.

>I quickly tried Funk Odyssey and it worked but I could no longer
>connect to my server. Maybe it is a configuration issue?

Haven't tried it as I am sticking to WEP for now. If it works I might
be interested in going back to WPA as the Win98SE machine will be able
to use it.

>Thanks for listening and any feedback appreciated!

When I spoke to 2nd level support from Netgear the guy said he
believed that WPA was being added to the native GUI of the WG311v2 but
he did not know when this would be achieved. As it stands the
WG311v1, WG311T, WG511 and WG511T all support WPA in the native GUI
and all support limited accounts in XP/2k and have done for months.
The WG311v2 seems to be the forgotten device.

Simon Pleasants <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<(E-Mail Removed)>. ..
> On 18 Sep 2004 07:56:37 -0700, (E-Mail Removed) (Franklin
> Bowen) wrote:
>
> >Damn, they make me SOOOOOOOOOOOOO mad!
> >
> >They finally send a driver that makes WPA work on the WG511v2 in my
> >laptop (it has TI PCI-1410 CardBus Controller).
>
> You what? The Netgear website makes no mention whatsoever of there
> being two versions of this device. WPA has been included in the
> native GUI for the WG511 for several months.

Well, there are two versions. Mine has a tiny v2.0 on the back of it.
Sorry for the confustion, the issue is that the the 2700 drivers
(where WPA was added) do NOT work with my v2 card AND the TI PCI-1410
CardBus Controller in my laptop while my v1 card works fine. My v2
card plays completely dead. I talked to Netgear support and they were
no help, but a few days later they sent a beta 2900 version driver and
my v2 card now works just fine.

> >While waiting for
> >this, I replaced my WG311v1 with a WG311v2. So I excitedly (maybe I
> >am over dramatizing my feelings) turn on WPA on my AP and my WG511s
> >and then go to my server and find out that the WG311v2 does NOT
> >support WPA on W2K!
>
> WG311v1 uses an Atheros chipset, the v2 uses a TI chipset. I believe
> the v2 (I may be wrong) was to solve some compatibility issues with
> Athlon processors.

Thanks for the information.

> Unfortunately, as you are discovering, the v2 seems to be a very
> under-supported product. Whereas the GUI for the v1 supports WPA and
> works smoothly with XP/2k limited user accounts the v2 does neither.
> You can get around this in XP by using the artist formally known as
> WZC but in older O/S you need a third party supplicant. Very
> irritating.
>
> >WTF? The WG311v1 does! So I send a request to Netgear asking them to
> >add WPA support and their reply is "you need to use an additional
> >supplicant". Great! I need to purchase additional software to use
> >their card. Just what I wanted! >:-(
>
> The downloadable drivers include a fat program called Boingo. Anyone
> know what this is?
>
> >So, my choices are:
> >1) Return the WG311v2 and get a WG311v1 or other PCI card that
> >supports WPA
>
> I bought a WG311T for my server. It works perfectly, although since
> then I have decided just to stick with WEP for now anyway since my
> reception barely reaches beyond my front door - someone would need to
> be parked on my garden path for hours, if not days, to crack it and I
> think I'd notice.
>
> Oddly, I expected to get superior reception with the newer device but
> in fact they give about the same.
>
> The WG311v2 has been relegated to a much less important machine but
> since this machine is Win98SE I have to keep the network using WEP
> anyway.
>
> >I quickly tried Funk Odyssey and it worked but I could no longer
> >connect to my server. Maybe it is a configuration issue?
>
> Haven't tried it as I am sticking to WEP for now. If it works I might
> be interested in going back to WPA as the Win98SE machine will be able
> to use it.

I'm not sure if I'll have time to troubleshoot it during the trial
period. For now I am forced to stick to WEP! :-(

> >Thanks for listening and any feedback appreciated!
>
> When I spoke to 2nd level support from Netgear the guy said he
> believed that WPA was being added to the native GUI of the WG311v2 but
> he did not know when this would be achieved. As it stands the
> WG311v1, WG311T, WG511 and WG511T all support WPA in the native GUI
> and all support limited accounts in XP/2k and have done for months.
> The WG311v2 seems to be the forgotten device.

Again, thanks for the information.