Win98SE and WPA - again (sigh) ....

rebel · 2009-08-12T07:14:44+00:00

Our current configuration is a Billion BiPAC 5200G R4 router on an ADSLconnection, serving various points within the building with cat5/5e networkcabling, and a wireless XP/SP3 laptop. The wireless link employs WPA. Onelegacy task is supported by a Win98SE laptop which currently connects via awired NIC and there are no issues.However due to a relocation of that Win98SE task to another area where cablingis not a practical proposition, we are considering wireless and that is where Iam running into problems. If anyone reading this is of a mind to suggest"dump_98" then please don't bother - the legacy issue *cannot* be supported bylater OS/hardware.The W-NIC at hand for the 98SE box is an Enterasys CSIBD-AA, which is reputedlya reasonable device. On the Enterasys site their 7.86 driver release notesstate that this card will support WPA under 98SE (etc) with a 3rd partysupplicant (I hate that term, reminds me of suppository - maybe that's the idea,something you shove up the backend of your problem area?). The 7.86 driverswere loaded and the card fires up fine, seeing the router with good signal levelbut obviously no connectivity. Email exchanges with their support regardingpotential supplicants was a total waste of time.So the search for a 3rd party WPA supplicant ("3PS") began. Much deep Googlinguncovered numerous prospects and newsgroup/forum threads as far back as 2003.Funk Odyssey and Meetinghouse AEGIS were early (paid) candidates. The Aegisbundle was reported to have success with a wide range of cards, and was alsolocated freely downloadable from a well-known network hardware manufacturer'ssite - but this failed to install. It was looking for either (both?) of twofiles which were not present in the driver suite.Subsequently Wireless Security Corp's free WPA Assistant was tracked but thewidely reported link was dead, presumably as a result of WSC's takeover byCisco. It has been reported that the Cisco 30-day trial bundle still containsthat product, and it...

Aug 12, 2009 25 Replies

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rebel 17 years ago

I'm not sure what your point is. I did state in the original post that there are legacy reasons for keeping this particular task on a Win98 platform. Accept that. If you don't want to help, that's OK.

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rebel 17 years ago

Tried it, unsuccessfully. It says that there is no WNIC found.

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George 17 years ago

And often when you explain what you are trying to do with details someone may offer an idea that you didn't even consider.

OK, I will obey your command, but why the attitude?

If you don't want to help, that's OK.

But you know everything already...

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Peter Pan 17 years ago

formatting link

>> plugged into ac and the router downstairs, and the second anywhere elsei

point is, i have both a wired AND wireless network here, used one of the router plugs/jacks and a cable to "inject" net access to the powerline, so if i end up putting a device in that doesn't work on wireless, can alway plug the second one in and do wired, anywhere there is ac....

your one unit that has problems with no wireless/needs wpa but worked on wired, seemed like a candidate for working without wpa (by using wired instead of wireless), so i babbled..... did i misunderstand or say/suggest it wrong?

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rebel 17 years ago

It's not *attitude*. It is that I am exceedingly familiar with the legacy tasks that bind me to nothing later than 98SE. I frequently receive well-meaning advice to "move to a later O/S" and "VM". But unfortunately that isn't an option, and I did indicate that in my original post so that we wouldn't be drawn off-topic into those areas.

Far from it. I *do* know the tasks for the target client. I know enough about wired networking to keep me operating nicely. What I don't know - which was the reason for seeking advice from this group - was how to establish WPA under 98SE.

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