How to Configure WPA Support in Windows XP

WPA is short for Wi-Fi Protected Access, a security standard for wireless networks. It replaced Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) and is designed to work with wireless network interface cards. WPA encrypts data with the RC4 cipher that uses a 128-bit key and a 48-bit initialization vector, making it much more difficult to defeat than WEP. The following steps will show how to configure WPA support in Windows XP.

Difficulty: Challenging

Instructions

1. Read Microsoft Knowledge Base Article (MKBA) Q815485 (Overview of the WPA Wireless Security Update in Windows XP.) The document provides basic information on the important security features of WPA and how the network adapters and access points must support them.

2. Patch the Windows XP wireless clients, if needed. They will need to run Windows XP Service Pack 1 or greater.

3. Ensure the network adapters for the client will support the Wireless Zero Configuration (WZC) service. Check the documentation or website for the adapter or call the customer service number to get this information. Upgrade the adapter's driver or configuration to support WZC, if needed.

4. Download and install the Windows XP Support Patch for Wi-Fi Protected Access by adhering to the included instructions.

5. Complete additional modifications to the wireless network adapters or access points as required by MKBA Q815485. These devices must have their firmware updated to support the security features of WPA, including the information element, two-phase authentication, Temporal Key Integrity Protocol and a message integrity code algorithm known as Michael.