T40 has no WPA support?

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mfarley · #1 Post by **mfarley** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 12:55 am

I'm at my ropes end--I simply cannot find where the option to NOT use WEP encryption but WPA (either TKIP or AES) anywhere within the AccessIBM Connection Manager setup.

I cannot see it anywhere.

I would like to use my Thinkpad and home but I refuse to use WEP as it's insecure. If you could advise me as to how I can get this working with WPA I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks,
Mike

leegaard · #2 Post by **leegaard** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:11 am

Sure you have the latest drivers and XP SP2?

christopher_wolf · #3 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:48 am

You should have WPA support.

#4 Post by **K. Eng** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 10:53 am

Make sure that you have the latest wireless drivers and Access Connections software!

Try the ThinkPad driver matrix for the T40/41 series:

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... MIGR-46258

mfarley · #5 Post by **mfarley** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:17 pm

I'm completely up to date on the XP side of things, but I have not run any upgrade script or downloaded updates for the accessibm software as quite frankly the matrix page looks quite overboard.

Do I download the Intel Pro Adapter, the Cisco adapter, the mini pci adapter, the dual band adapter, the Intel Pro LAN mini pci adapter? It all seems pretty rediculous to have that many options for one laptop.

I am using a T40 model 2373. If you could point me to the correct software updates I'd appreciate it.

mattfromomaha · #6 Post by **mattfromomaha** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 1:53 pm

mfarley wrote:quite frankly the matrix page looks quite overboard.

Are you serious? The IBM software matrix page is the best-organized of ANY computer manufacturer I've worked with, bar none!

Try the Software Installer - it works great at updating software and drivers.

christopher_wolf · #7 Post by **christopher_wolf** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 2:50 pm

Spot on, of all of the Driver update pages I have seen, IBM has the best and it is actually *useful*; compare this to the time I wanted to upgrade some video card drivers on my former HP Laptop, I couldn't find them and had to have them *emailed* to me by calling myself an IT Admin on their "signup" list for email updates. Then, they didn't work. I would rather see everything I need or could want up fromt, and then have a program, much like the Software Installer, that automatically downloads the recommended updates.

mfarley · #8 Post by **mfarley** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 9:22 pm

I used the software installer when I first got it and no option for WPA in sight before or afterwards.

I'm not saying it's a bad side, I'm saying for a laptop there seems to be way too many options for wireless networking hardware--I was shocked to see it all. How is one to know what they need unless they have a list of every component on their particular laptop. I'm not trying to say it's bad, just seems a bit overboard.

Either way, I still have no WPA encryption options.

#9 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 9:22 pm

mfarley wrote:Do I download the Intel Pro Adapter, the Cisco adapter, the mini pci adapter, the dual band adapter, the Intel Pro LAN mini pci adapter?

I am using a T40 model 2373. If you could point me to the correct software updates I'd appreciate it.

From the following page, you can find out what is installed in your ThinkPad. From there you can choose the appropriate drivers. Link: Parts lookup

#10 Post by **GomJabbar** » Sat Dec 10, 2005 9:33 pm

To get WPA in the latest version of Access Connections, open Access Connections. Choose: Locations > Manage Profiles... > highlight your wireless adapter profile > click on Profile Action (on menu bar at top of page) > Edit... > Wireless Settings. Under item 4. Wireless security type, you will see the Security settings that includes WPA.

If you don't see WPA there, then your wireless adapter's technology is too old to support it, and you will have to replace it by replacing the mini PCI card. Alternatively you could get a PCMCIA wireless adapter card that supports WPA.

aabram · #11 Post by **aabram** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 6:17 am

I had similar problem with my old X30, which didn't seem to support WPA either even with latest drivers installed. I could connect but authentication seemed to fail all the time. The trick was not to let Access Connections manage that particular profile which used WPA but to let Windows manage the wireless authentication part. Windows would authenticate using WPA-TKIP just fine and connection would work.

mfarley · #12 Post by **mfarley** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 8:43 am

OK, I appear to have upgraded all access ibm software to their latest version and am now looking at a different configuration page called ThinkVantage.

Looks good, gives me WPA-PSK AES encryption option so sweet. Setup a profile, using the encryption and my psk and could not connect.

I then tried TKIP, and it could not connect. I finally tried disabling all security and having it completely open just to test and it still could not connect. Before I was getting an error 195 but when I disabled all encryption I get an error 289 (radio is off) with a repair button. I clicked repair, it said nothing but went back to the error before: 195.

I've disabled all encryption and ran through 3 or 4 different radio channels on my router and still cannot get this thing to connect.

#13 Post by **jdhurst** » Sun Dec 11, 2005 9:13 am

Please tell us the precise model of your ThinkPad and the make/model of your Wireless NIC (Device Manager). A T40 2373 with an IBM 11 a/b/g wireless NIC or an Intel 2200 bg (or better) wireless NIC will all support WPA-PSK. The Intel 2100 needs very new drivers if it will work at all.

So:
1. Uninstall Access Connections and all profiles.
2. Restart.
3. Download the newest driver for your specific wireless NIC
4. Uninstall wireless NIC.
5. Don't restart.
6. Install the newest wireless NIC driver you just downloaded.
7. Restart.
8. Install Access Connections.
9. Restart.
10. Check your wireless router to ensure it has correct and matching settings (I have seen more than one instance where the PC was fine and the access point was not).

This sequence of steps usually works for me. ... JD Hurst

mfarley · #14 Post by **mfarley** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 12:35 pm

I thought I had mentioned this but I don't see it--sorry.
It's a 2737 with an Intel Wireless LAN 2100.

I can't even get this thing connected wirelessly without ANY encryption let alone WPA.

On another side note--I don't see any modules in Add or Remove Programs for uninstalling access connections. All I see is Access IBM and the Message center crap.

How would I go about upgrading this card?

#15 Post by **jdhurst** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 1:24 pm

The Intel 2100 card that came with my T41 went in the garbage. I know there are now newer drivers for it (look up your model at:
http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... country=us ).

You can uninstall Access Connections with Software Installer.

... JD Hurst

mfarley · #16 Post by **mfarley** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 4:20 pm

I have now gotten it connected via no encryption and no access connections.thinkvantage, it seems the WPA is the problem.

Where can I pick up a new mini pci card wireless g for my thinkpad t40 2373?

paulct · #17 Post by **paulct** » Tue Dec 13, 2005 4:31 pm

I just installed the latest release of access connections (4.0). Checked all the driver requirements and have the latest for the Cisco Mini-PCI wireless card. This card works fine connecting to my home network with WPA before I installed ACCON. It is a T40, running SP2.

I do not see a choice in the drop down menu for WPA when configuring the wireless security, only WEP.

I still see the choice if I open network connections in Windows and select a wireless profile there.

What else could I be missing?

Paul

#18 Post by **GomJabbar** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 1:37 am

Just an idea. Right-click on your wireless connection in Network Connections. Choose Properties > Wireless Networks tab > uncheck box for: Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings. You may have to reboot. Now see if WPA is available in Access Connections.

paulct · #19 Post by **paulct** » Wed Dec 14, 2005 8:50 am

Thanks for the tip. Just tried it, rebooted, still does not show WPA.

Paul

#20 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:07 am

paulct wrote:Thanks for the tip. Just tried it, rebooted, still does not show WPA.

Paul

Probably your Cisco card doesn't support WPA. Find out the part number for the card from the following link. I assume it is the original card.

http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... sLookup.vm

Then Google the part number with the word 'specifications', and maybe you can find out for sure if it supports WPA.

paulct · #21 Post by **paulct** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 8:18 am

WPA works fine without access connections. I use at home all the time! but thanks

#22 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 12:35 pm

I have a T42 with the Intel 2200BG wireless adapter. I connect at home using Access Connections and WPA-PSK TKIP without any problem to my SMC wireless router/AP. Looking just now, I see that there is a setting in Access Connections to: "Use Windows to Configure Your Wireless Network". This choice is in the drop-down menu for "Wireless security type:".

I don't know why this isn't working for some people. Is it just a driver installation error/problem, or is certain hardware not fully compatible with Access Connections?

paulct · #23 Post by **paulct** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 1:00 pm

"I don't know why this isn't working for some people. Is it just a driver installation error/problem, or is certain hardware not fully compatible with Access Connections?"

I am guessing that is probably it. I'll try it some more at home. But I was trying to get ACONN to do it all, but that may be a pipe dream. I'm sure I can get it to work, but I need it to be easy enough to explain and configure for hundreds of sales force users, many of whom are not at all technically savvy.

Paul

paulct · #24 Post by **paulct** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 5:50 pm

Well letting "windows manage wireless" worked! Now Access Connections lets me pick my home network and connect. This is odd. I am connected with WPA, but it seems like access connections does not support it on this machine, even though the readme seems to indicate it should support this card.

Thanks to all who helped.

paulct · #25 Post by **paulct** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:37 pm

And the final answer was on Lenovo's page all the time! Just had to read the little "note 1". WPA not supported on Cisco card unless using Windows to manage wireless configuration.

link: http://www-307.ibm.com/pc/support/site. ... IGR-4ZLNJB

#26 Post by **GomJabbar** » Thu Dec 15, 2005 9:44 pm

I guess we all missed note 1.

Doggone fine print!

T40 has no WPA support?

T40 has no WPA support?

WPA on T40

No WPA here in Access connections, but works without it

Solved!

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