WPA Password not recognized

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hellsinki
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Hellsinki

I bought a new laptop with Vista Home Premium (first computer with Vista in
the network), and can not connect to my WPA-PSK protected WLAN. The Error I
get is that my passphrase is not correct -however I have checked it several
times and it is correct, and other computers connect with the same
passphrase. What could be wrong?
 
Hellsinki said:
I bought a new laptop with Vista Home Premium (first computer with Vista
in the network), and can not connect to my WPA-PSK protected WLAN. The
Error I get is that my passphrase is not correct -however I have checked
it several times and it is correct, and other computers connect with the
same passphrase. What could be wrong?
Click to expand...

You probably have chosen the wrong encryption. You say "WPA-PSK" but perhaps
it is really WPA2 PSK, etc. Check for the exact settings by logging into
your router's configuration utility (refer to the router manual for how to
do this).

Malke
 
I thought I should add my two cents to this string. My home network consists
of two XP machines cabled to a standard Verizon FIOS ActionTec router and my
daughter's laptop, running Vista and a wireless connection. The last couple
days I've been taking some of the recommended steps to upgrade the security
of the wireless connection. Her laptop connects to the router using WEP, but
not when I switch to WPA (with one exception, which I will get to shortly). I
have tried WPA and WPA2 personal, using both encryption types. I've checked
and rechecked the passcode. After reading several on-line discussions of this
issue I installed the registry patch suggested a year or so ago by Barbara
Bowman. For about ten minutes I thought that had done the trick. I had
reestablished the laptop's WEP connection and reconfigured the router
settings for WPA from my XP machine. When I returned to the laptop to manage
wireless networks, it "saw" two instances of our home network SSID - one with
WEP security and a second with WPA security. It hadn't connected to either,
so I removed the WEP instance, at which time the laptop successfully
connected to the router using the WPA instance. I logged off and logged back
on again and the laptop connected automatically (I successfully checked a
few web sites to ensure I really had Internet connectivity). I turned off the
laptop and asked my daughter to ensure she could connect when using her user
profile. She couldn't; nor could I when I signed back on this morning. It
appears Vista lost the working configuration settings when I powered off the
laptop. This is pretty frustrating, especially since I'm not a networking
expert, just a home user trying to follow instructions for setting up a
wireless network.
 
Thanks Malke -However I have checked this allready, the net and other
computers getting connection are running WPA (not WPA2) with TKIP. If I
change the setting to WPA 2 or encryption to AES Vista correctly regognises
that the problem is encryption type. But when I have the right encryption it
claims that I have a wrong passphrase. Any further ideas? Thanks!
 
Hellsinki said:
Thanks Malke -However I have checked this allready, the net and other
computers getting connection are running WPA (not WPA2) with TKIP. If I
change the setting to WPA 2 or encryption to AES Vista correctly
regognises that the problem is encryption type. But when I have the right
encryption it claims that I have a wrong passphrase. Any further ideas?
Thanks!
Click to expand...

The only thing I can suggest is that you are making a typo. Otherwise,
disable all encryption on the router. Connect from every machine to make
sure it works. Then apply proper encryption and connect from every machine
again. Remember that all devices on the network must support the level of
encryption you choose. You might also want to check with the router mftr.
to make sure you have the latest firmware for it.

Malke
 
Hellsinki said:
Thanks Malke -However I have checked this allready, the net and other
computers getting connection are running WPA (not WPA2) with TKIP. If I
change the setting to WPA 2 or encryption to AES Vista correctly regognises
that the problem is encryption type. But when I have the right encryption it
claims that I have a wrong passphrase. Any further ideas? Thanks!
Click to expand...

Pretty simple really. MS doesn't support passphrases.

In XP, passphrases worked hit and miss.
In Vista, they're pretty much a no-go.

What you need to do is enter the underlying *key* that is generated by the
router and/or a fully functional OS/nic/driver combination.

My experience is that in XP and earlier, with drivers that support both WPA
and WEP, I could input either the key or the passphrase.

In Vista, if you create a wireless connection manually, rather than picking
one from the detected wireless networks, you'll notice that there isn't
anywhere that you can input a pass phrase - key only.

I think the dialog prompting for either Key or Passphrase when connecting to
a detect wireless network is just verbiage that's been dragged along from XP,
even though no such passphrase functionality exists in Vista.

MS may take the position that computing the key from the passphrase is a
vulnerability - I have no idea what their excuse is.

In any event, text indicating that a pass phrase is supported is a UI bug at
least.
 
:

Pretty simple really. MS doesn't support passphrases.

In XP, passphrases worked hit and miss.
In Vista, they're pretty much a no-go.
Click to expand...

{Note: You can 'cheat' the gui in most cases by implementing a 13 character
passphrase. This is a special case where, for example, "1234567891234" will
be passed literally, and the passphrase and key will be the same.
"Blow_Me_Billy" also works... ;) }
 
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