Usability blunders: WinXP Wi-Fi Setup
On my new HP laptop, I was trying to configure Wi-Fi. Basically, I had to input my WEP security passphrase. Here is the screen on the built-in Wi-Fi client. Note that I am using Microsoft’s own Wi-Fi driver here, because none from the Wi-Fi adaptor vendor was bundled. And this cheap laptop came with Windows XP Home Edition, so one would expect it would be a cinch to configure.
It turns out the Microsoft expects you to magically find out the hexadecimal version of the passphrase and enter it. The text passphrase inputted to the access point won’t do. I tried the text passphrase in the field that says “Network Key” and that didn’t work. After 15 minutes of fiddling around, I realized it is likely the hexadecimal version. Luckily the AP’s config screen supplied the hex version, which I copied on a piece of paper and transferred here. I suppose Microsoft doesn’t really expect Home Edition users to use something as esoteric as Wi-Fi …