Line of sight is always a straight line. If you don't have a straight line, you don't have line of sight.
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data sheet claims WPA support.
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data sheet does NOT claim WPA support and only lists WEP. WPA is buit into XP SP2 only using Wireless Zero Config. For W2K, use Funk Software's WPA client: |
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is not available for W98 and WinME.
There are two types of WPA. One requires a RADIUS server for authorization and authentication. The other uses a pre-shared key, no RADIUS server, and it commonly called WPA-PSK. Use WPA-PSK.
I would go with the WUSB54G. The WMP54G usually requires an additional external antenna to get decent performance in non line of sight situations. Having the antenna buried behind the PC, between the wall and the metal case, in the middle of a bunch of wires, and low on the floor, is about the worst possible antenna location. Most coax cables are limited to about 1 meter. The WUSB54G offers much better antenna positioning and 16ft maximum USB cable. Make sure your machine has USB2 support.
I'm needing some help to choose the right wireless adapter to my WRT54G router.
Distance to the comp. is app. 20 m, 5 walls of 90 cm together. Line of sight is perpendicular to these walls.
PCI: WMP54G, the comp. have an onboard LAN (SIS).
USB: WUSB54G might give some more freedom to direct the antenna.
Is it possible to use WPA with both these adapters? The User Guide from Linksys.com indicates that this is only possible together with a RADIUS-server.
Are you sure? I'm assuming you are referring to the wusb54g. The datasheet makes no mention, but the (online) instruction manual does of WPA:
"5. Select the method of security you want to use: WEP, PSK, PSK + RADIUS, or RADIUS. WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy, and PSK stands for Pre-Shared Key. RADIUS stands for Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service. NOTE: If your network is using WPA-Personal or WPA-PSK security, then select PSK. If your network is using WPA-Enterprise or WPA-RADIUS security, then select PSK + RADIUS."
(and more later)
Or are you saying the support is by XP not the wireless unit?
I'm confused.... and having just ordered one of these would like to know what the situation is please!
No, I'm not 100% sure. I just did some digging in the Linksys Knowledge pile and found that item on the WUSB54G and WPA. Digging a bit further, I find:
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shows which product support WPA. The reason I didn't find it before was that the WUSB54G is missing from the "products" section on the left of the page. Unfortunately, it doesn't specify which operating systems are supported.
A bit of history first. WPA was suppose to be a fix for the failings of WEP encryption. It's primary goal was to supply a software fix that did not require new hardware. In other words, it could be implemented on WEP enabled hardware without requiring new hardware.
In the case of USB wireless devices, almost everything is done in the driver software. If there's WPA support, it's usually in the driver. However, Windoze XP offers Wireless Zero Config (WZC) which replaces large parts of the driver pretzel. Instead of having the Linksys driver do the WPA, Windoze XP WZC does it for you. For details, see:
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However, that doesn't apply to other Windoze versions. This seems to suggest that W2K requires Funk Software's client to get WPA support.
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Well, the document at:
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reads like WPA is an XP WZC feature.
If the WPA support is NOT in the Linksys driver, it will be in the XP WZC driver config. What I'm not sure is if Linksys worked WPA into their driver. It's an either/or situation. You can use the Linksys driver, or you can use XP WZC, one at a time. There's a check box in the WZC setup for "Let Windoze manage the wireless connection" which if unchecked, reverts control to the Linksys driver. If checked, the WUSB54G is run by the Linksys driver.
However, all this assumes you have XP. If not, methinks there may be problems if WPA is not supported in the Linksys driver.
Well, I can pull one off the shelf and try it to see if WPA is supported. However, I probably won't have time to do that. Best to ask someone that owns a working WUSB54G. Sorry that I can't be more certain.
is a *possibly* free WPA client that works with W98SE, WinME, W2K, and XP. I can't figure out if the WPA part of the software is free or if you have to pay $5/month. Whatever "free functionality" means is a bit cryptic. I guess(tm) it's free, but it's certainly not clear.
My rule of thumb is about 10-15% overhead for WEP or WPA as compared to unencrypted. Some vendors claim 5% overhead. However, that's for thruput, not for CPU overhead. I don't have a good number because CPU overhead varies depending on CPU speed, memory speed, what else the CPU is doing, etc. Different drivers vary radically in coding efficiency. I could measure a few and see if there's any difference between WEP and WPA, but unless the driver writers goofed, I don't expect to see any difference.
WEP and WPA differ only in the way the encryption key tokens are exchanged. The actual encrypted packets are both RC4 encryption, which is fairly efficient. You shouldn't notice any difference between WEP and WPA overhead. There's a remote chance that some vendor has WEP in the client firmware, but implemented WPA in the driver software. I haven't seen any like that, but if they exist, you might notice more overhead for WPA. Since the USB adapters tend to do everything in the driver, you should not notice any difference between WEP and WPA overhead.
I won't say anything about running XP on an "old and slow" machine.
I installed "WSC Guard" software on a WinMe machine. In the setup I chose to not register and use just the FREE functions. I am currently not using any encryption on my network. (yes, shame on me) But apparently I could have used WSC to setup WPA and I will give that a try later. But it is FREE and it does work with my WRT54GS router and a WMP54GS wireless PCI card. I set it up entirely from the wireless computer and NOT with a direct CAT5 cable as the instructions seemed to indicate. So far I like it better than the Linksys config utility. It is less resource hungry and ends gracefully. In my case... after connecting I can right click on the notification icon and choose quit. The 2 tray icons disappear and the program items are gone from the Cnt Alt Del menu and 7% of the system resources are immediately freed up. That's important to me. I remain connected to my network and the Internet. The Linksys config utility could also be ended after connecting but I had to do it with the Cnt Alt Del menu (end task) and about 1/3 of the time would get the "blue screen of death". "Any Key" would take me back to Windows and all was apparently OK. So... it is FREE and it does work but I haven't tried to configure WPA yet... and that is really the point of the post. I have 3 other XP computers on the network and will attempt to set up WPA for the network. One of the XP machines is old and slow and I wonder what overhead WPA will have on it. (Jeff?)
Well it turns out that the "old and slow" machine is using a Linksys WMP11 wireless B PCI adaptor. And per Linksys there is no WPA support for that card. I do appreciate the link to "WSC Guard" site and will continue to use that app as my means to "connect" on the WinMe machine. I could go for WEP but apparently it's not difficult to break.
At first I tried with the Linksys software. It works OK together with my Win XP PRO SP2++, but req. a Repair-option after a re-boot with the USB-device connected at start-up or a removal (a proper one: Remove Hardware in the Systray) + disconnect of the USB-dev. before it works again - an unusable option!
The Linksys software was then uninstalled and the WUSB54G re-connected and the Win. Built-In driver used instead.
There have been no problems sofar!
I would now try a couple of days on this machine before I move it to the target machine, a Win. XP Home SP2++.
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