I was troubleshooting a Windows 8 laptop that wouldn’t connect to a customer’s wireless network recently. The wireless network was configured using the WEP – Shared Key Authentication method which is horribly insecure and should never be used. After doing some diagnosing and researching I discovered that Windows 8 has dropped support for WEP – Shared Key Authentication. My solution to the problem was to inform the client that he needs to switch to a newer and more secure method of encryption.
[note]WEP – Shared Key Authentication has been deprecated and is no longer supported in Windows 8.[/note]
This assumes that there is NOT a reason WEP was used… Its VERY irritating that MS has decided NOT to implement a defined standard that, while far from ideal, is used in many places.
Microsoft has decided that instead of supporting the most common form of security for wireless networks that the highest common form wireless protection for your network should be WIDE OPEN.
Unfortunately, as in my case, the corporation that I work for is not going to swap their routers to accomodate a couple of people.
So is there no way to enable the “shared” option under the Security Types-section?
@Neal
Not that I know of. You “might” be able to use third party wireless software say from your wireless card vendor. No guarantee though. Your best bet is to change your wireless security encryption method.
Hope this helps.
This is absolutely disgraceful that Microsoft would do this, and not have a word about it (at least easily seen) in the help (online or offline) nor does the “troubleshooter” suggest it might be the problem. This must be affecting thousands of people, they should be sued for willful and wanton infliction of distress! Really…
This is BS, some devices require WEP, like the NintendoDS, so now I have to choose which is more useless, my portable gaming console or m$’s new I tell you what you can and can’t do OS. If I wanted someone to tell me what do with something I spent a lot of money on I’d have bought a mac! Stop treating everyone like they don’t know what they’re doing and keep advance options.
Further justification that Windows 8 is terribly dysfunctional on top of being miserably designed (OMG LETS MAKE BIG TILES SO PEOPLE THINK ITS AN IPAD AND REMOVE THE START BUTTON CAUSE EVERYONE WANTS TOUCHSCREENZ AMGZ!!).
Thoroughly laughable that the only solution Microsoft reps can conjure to “solve” the fact that their beat ass new Windows 8 OS no longer supports WEP-Shared networks is quote:
” We don’t recommend using Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) as your wireless security method. Wi‑Fi Protected Access (WPA or WPA2) is more secure. If you try WPA or WPA2 and they don’t work, we recommend that you upgrade your network adapter to one that works with WPA or WPA2. All of your network devices, computers, routers, and access points must also support WPA or WPA2.”
Great. We get it, WEP-Shared is not the most secure. Explain to me why the ***** you care? For many people it is out of their control as to how the network security is configured (clients, schools, networks configured 5+ years ago, etc.) So make a machine, that has already made the drastic mistake of running Windows 8 OS unable to connect to the internet because Microsoft deems to insecure? What the ***** is that?
Moral of the story is Microsoft probably rushed 8 (which is evident through and through given its **** performance) and forgot to include the WEP-Shared security preference which thousands still use.
Its time for a new major software company to get in the marketplace, Microsoft is batting for Apple these days.
Windows 8 does support WEP Open. There is still a password and the difference is the lack of a text challenge.
No, WEP does work. Win8 just won’t configure automatically for it.
Go into network settings, click on Connect to a Network, click on Configure manually. Then type in the SSID, set the type to WEP, type in the password and connect.
How do I connect windows 8 to the internet I am sharing from my macbook? Windows 7 connects using shared option, but 8 doesnt have that option…helpless