WPA Wireless Installation

These directions will walk you through configuring the Windows XP wireless configuration process. While many wireless cards ship with a vendor supplied configuration tool, these tools are too widely varied for us to easily ascertain which ones properly support WPA, and if so, how to configure them. Therefore, we are only able to support the Windows built in configuration process.

Requirements

NOTE - Your wireless card needs to be registered through WPI Network Registration (http://netreg.wpi.edu/) prior to working on the WPI Wireless Network.

Setup of WPI Wireless Network

  1. Make sure your computer's clock is set to the correct date and time.
  2. Find your Windows XP wireless MAC address.
  3. Make sure your computer's wireless MAC address is registered through WPI Network Registration.
  4. Wait 30 minutes for your registration to become active.

Certificate Installation for Non-ADMIN Domain Machines

There are several steps which should be completed on any machine that is not a member of the WPI's ADMIN domain. The same functionality is automatically provided on ADMIN domain machines, so these steps are not necessary in that case.

If your machine is on the ADMIN domain, skip to Wireless Configuration below.

  1. Using a Mac or PC that is already on the Internet, browse to the WPI Wireless Networking Certificate Files secure download page.
  2. Log in using your CCC account.
  3. From the Windows 7, Windows Vista, and Windows XP section, download the Certificate Installation Utility file and make a note of the Wireless User Certificate Password at the top of the page which is needed to unlock the certificate file.
  4. Copy the cert-inst.exe file that you downloaded to the PC you want to connect to the WPI Wireless network.
  5. On the PC you want to connect to the WPI Wireless network, double click the cert-inst.exe file you downloaded and copied above.
  6. When prompted, enter the Wireless User Certificate Password from the Certificate Files secure download page.
  7. Continue with Configuring WPI Wireless below.

Configuring WPI Wireless

  1. Open "Network Connections" via Start -> Control Panel -> Network Connections
  2. Right click your Wireless Network Connection and select Properties
  3. On the Wireless Networks tab, ensure that Use Windows to configure my wireless network settings is checked. If it is not, your wireless setup may not work properly due to third-party software. Please see WPI Network Operations to solve this issue.
  4. Click the Add... button
  5. On the Wireless Network Properties window, use the WPI-Wireless for the Network name parameter.

    For the Wireless network key section, choose the higher WPA2 and AES security configuration:

    • Network Authentication: WPA2
    • Data Encryption: AES

    If WPA2 does not appear as a valid option for Network Authentication, that indicates that either you are missing Service Pack 3, or your network card drivers do not support WPA2. If this is the case, you should check with the manufacturer of your laptop or network card for updated drivers.

  6. On the Authentication tab, use the following information:
    • EAP Type should be set to Smart Card or other Certificate
    • Authenticate as computer when computer information is available should be checked

  7. Click Properties
  8. On the Smart Card or other Certificate Properties window, use the following information:
    • Use a certificate on this computer should be selected
    • Use simple certificate selection (Recommended) should be checked
    • Validate server certificate should be checked
    • In the Trusted Root Certification Authorities area, all instances of WPI NetOps CA should be checked

  9. Click Ok to exit the Smart Card or other Certificate Properties window
  10. Click on the Connection tab
  11. On the Connection tab, select Connect when this network is in range and click Ok
  12. Returning to the Wireless Network Connection Properties window, the WPI-Wireless (Automatic) entry should now be present.
  13. Click Ok to close the Wireless Network Connection Properties window
Your computer should now automatically connect to the WPI-Wireless network.