Access Connections & Secure WiFi

[Mike-NOAA]

I really like Access Connections but am having a problem using wireless with security keys. When I use Windows to manage the connection, Windows requests the key and then connects me. When I use Access Connections, it requests details about the type of security in use, what type of key is needed, encryption type, etc., etc. Usually, I am visiting another facility and don't have a clue about all that.

If Windows can connect immediately, why does Access Connections need all this information?

Is there any way around this other than ditching Access Connections?

Mike

[Wiz]

AC is not able to detect the security type the way windows can do like detecing if it's WPA, WEP etc. So when using AC you have to know those details, but in any case you need to ask someone for the WEP/WPA key to get access and normally they can tell you what kind of security that is used as well. I been using AC for a long time because i connect to a lot of different wireless networks with different security and never found this to be a problem.
As far as i know there is no way to make AC detect those settings so if you want that feature i guess you have to use the windows native wireless support. AC support stuff like LEAP, EAP-FAST, EAP-GTC and some other stuff which Windows does not so if you need any of those then AC or some other 3part wireless client is the only option.
Why AC cannot detect the security type i don't know. I guess the developers of AC is the only one that can give you an answer why AC cannot detect those settings. Maybe the Windows API lack some functions for 3part wireless client to be able to do this since i have never seen any other client that is able to do this.

[Mike-NOAA]

AC is not able to detect the security type the way windows can do. ... So when using AC you have to know those details, but in any case you need to ask someone for the WEP/WPA key to get access and normally they can tell you what kind of security that is used as well.

Wiz,

Thanks for your reply! It was helpful.

More and more at meetings I attend, a wireless network has been set up and a key is posted on a whiteboard. The IT person who knows the needed details is not around. So now I have removed Access Connections from my system, and I am using the native Windows feature

I hope this limitation of AC will be removed in the future. It has some nice features not provided by Windows.

[Marin85]

Hey, you don´t have to uninstall AC in order to be able to use the windows native feature. Just make windows connect to the network and then if you still want to use AC you can find out the key type under network and sharing center After that to avoid any possible conflicts you can manually "sync" the TCP/IP settings of both programs (where necessairy)

Just my two cents...

Marin

[Mike-NOAA]

Hey, you don´t have to uninstall AC in order to be able to use the windows native feature. Just make windows connect to the network and ... you can find out the key type under network and sharing center

Thanks! I see you are using Vista . . . I've not noticed that information under XP, but next time I connect to such a network, I will check, and if it's there, I'll reinstall AC.

[Marin85]

Ah, sry, didn´t notice you have XP

Marin

[Mike-NOAA]

Ah, sry, didn´t notice you have XP

Marin

A little investigation shows the information is available under XP as well. That means I can use Access Connections for secure wireless sites, as long as I connect the first time using Windows, then transfer the information to Access Connections. Thanks for the tip!