Where is WEP/WPA/WPA2 status shown?

[Milhouse Van Houten]

In my Vista SP1, I can't seem to find where it shows how my current wireless
connection is, well, connected. I expected to see it in the status of the
connection in Details, but it wasn't there. Yes, in the network properties
of the wireless NIC I can see how it's set, but I don't think that's
necessarily how it ultimately connected. For example, if the router is on
WPA2 Mixed, it would accept either a WPA or WPA2 connection, and if for
whatever reason WPA2 couldn't be established, I think it would fall back to
WPA.

 

[Jack \(MVP-Networking\).]

Hi
Wireless encryption does not work this way.
If the Router is set to WPA2 all computers that connect Wireless would use
WPA2 there is No fall back.
From the weakest to the strongest, Wireless security capacity is.
No Security
MAC______(Band Aid if nothing else is available).
WEP64____(Easy, to "Break" by knowledgeable people).
WEP128___(A little Harder, but "Hackable" too).
WPA-PSK__(Very Hard to Break).
WPA-AES__(Not functionally Breakable)
WPA2____ (Not functionally Breakable).
Note 1: WPA-AES the the current entry level rendition of WPA2.
Note 2: If you use WinXP and did not updated it you would have to download
the WPA2 patch from Microsoft. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893357
The documentation of your Wireless devices (Wireless Router, and Wireless
Computer's Card) should state the type of security that is available with
your Wireless hardware.
All devices MUST be set to the same security level using the same pass
phrase.
Therefore the security must be set according what ever is the best possible
of one of the Wireless devices.
I.e. even if most of your system might be capable to be configured to the
max. with WPA2, but one device is only capable to be configured to max . of
WEP, to whole system must be configured to WEP.
If you need more good security and one device (like a Wireless card that can
do WEP only) is holding better security for the whole Network, replace the
device with a better one.
The Core differences between WEP, WPA, and WPA2 -
http://www.ezlan.net/wpa_wep.html
Jack (MVP-Networking).

 

[Milhouse Van Houten]

Thanks, that helped. The fallback I was speaking of was when the router is
set on WPA2 Mixed, which does support WPA or WPA2. And from what I've seen,
if the client's on WPA2, and for whatever reason that doesn't work (such as
a driver issue or buggy hardware), it will negotiate WPA.

Do you happen to know if there's anything built-in to Vista that shows your
authentication and encryption for the current Wi-Fi connection? Something
like this, from Intel. Ironically, I do have an Intel card, but Intel's
PROset software for Vista is barebones and doesn't include such niceties.
http://www.intel.com/support/wireless/wlan/sb/CS-025744.htm

I know Vista shows such detail for VPN connections, but oddly, not for
Wi-Fi.

I'd also settle for a third-party app that shows it, but if one exists I've
haven't found it yet.