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Question

XP says WPA key is the wrong lemgth

by Mar 26, 2012 11:31PM PDT

I've set up a D-Link wireless router and applied WPA personal security using a preshared key. The key I've chosen is 9 digit alphanumeric.
Two of my computers have connected Ok.
The third, a sony vaio PCG-Z1RMP running XP professional SP3, says it can't connect as the network password needs to be 40 or 104 bits, 5 or 13 ascii characters.

Folowing a suggestion on another thread I have checked that windows zero configuration is running, and it is.

If I switch off security on the router, then the Vaio connects fine.

The Vaio is quite old, I guess around 7 years. is it just that it's too old to support WPA ?

Discussion is locked

4 Posts
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Answer
This sounds like the old wifi driver issue.
by Forum moderator Mar 27, 2012 3:50AM PDT

I wonder if this machine ever got a driver for WPA/WPA2. The message is one I've seen before and it was the driver. The bad news is that I never found the driver and had to use some other USB wifi stick.

I use this one a lot -> http://www.amazon.com/USB-Wireless-Adapter-Antenna-54Mbps/dp/B0037G2BMY/

It has XP drivers and I do connect it with WPA2 AES.

At today's price of $7.91 to my mailbox, it's hard to beat,.
Bob

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Could be it
by Hollean Mar 27, 2012 8:10AM PDT

That could be it. The wifi is an Intel pro/wireless LA2100 3B and I was surprised to see that the driver was dated 2003. I may have underestimated the age of the cptr ! I've got no idea if they had WPA in those days. I went to the intel driver update site and it said there wasn't an update available so it looks like I'd have to use an external stick if I want to get secure wifi on that computer.
Thanks for pointing me in the right direction.
Andy

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I've Fixed Some Of Those With a 13 Character Password
by Grif Thomas Forum moderator Mar 27, 2012 10:12AM PDT

Simply change the wireless access password to one with 13 characters.. It's worked for me on many such situations.

Hope this helps.

Grif

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With you on that one
by Steven Haninger Mar 27, 2012 8:18PM PDT

I've also found those key generators to sometimes work better than making up my own passphrase.

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