Configuring WinXP built-in wireless client for PEAP+MSCHAPv2 (v3.0, 27th Feb 2014)
Described here are the steps involved in configuring the built-in wireless client under Windows XP to use eduroam, authenticating via PEAP+MSCHAPv2. Your home site will be able to tell you whether PEAP+MSCHAPv2 is the appropriate authenticiation method that you should use.
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Information you will need
To complete these instructions you'll need some information specific to your home site/organisation, plus your own credentials, as listed below. If any of the details in your wifi profile are incorrect then your authentication will fail and you will not gain wifi access via eduroam. The IT department of your home site will be able to provide you with these details:
| Information required | Sample string in the instructions below |
|---|
| Your home site's domain name as would appear in, for example, your e-mail address e.g. ucd.ie | mysite.ie |
| [OPTIONAL] The name of the CA certificate used by your home site for eduroam. You will not require this if your site is using a public CA which is already defined within your wireless client. | GTE CyberTrust Global Root |
| [OPTIONAL] A file containing the actual CA certificate used by your site for eduroam. You will not require this if your site is using a public CA which is already defined within your wireless client. | cacert.crt |
| The name on the SSL certificate presented by the authentication server at your home site e.g. tweedledum.ucd.ie | certname.mysite.ie |
| The username you use to authenticate against your home account. Note the inclusion of your domain name e.g. jsoap@ucd.ie | myname@mysite.ie |
| The password you use to authenticate against your home account. | mypassword |
Configuration instructions
The instructions below are broken into two sections:
Notes on the built-in wireless client under WinXP
Notes on the built-in wireless client under WinXP
- WPA2 is supported only in Windows XP SP3 (Service Pack 3) or higher. If you are not already running SP3 or higher then you will need to upgrade.
- This wireless client will automatically cache your credentials, whether you wish it to do so or not. Thus, once you have successfully authenticated for the first time your credentials will be cached and automatically re-used on subsequent occasions, even between reboots. Removing your credentials from the cache is not a simple process. Should you wish to remove your credentials from the cache (e.g. if your laptop is going to be used by someone else, or if your password has changed at your home site), one means of doing so is to delete the eduroam profile.
- The built-in wireless client provides no means of anonymising your identity to the sites that you are visiting. Thus, the username that you supply as part of your credentials is visible in the logs of the local eduroam site once you have connected to their eduroam wifi service.
Create a wifi profile
Follow these steps to create your eduroam wifi profile:
- If your home site has provided you with a file containing a CA certificate then you will need to install it here, otherwise skip to the next step.
Installing the CA certificate
Installing the CA Certificate
Download/copy the certificate file, cacert.crt, to your computer.
Double-click the file, and click Install Certificate...
Follow the Certificate Import Wizard steps - when prompted for the certificate store in which to save the certificate:
- Select Place all certificates in the following store
- Click Browse...
- Select Trusted Root Certification Authorities
You can verify that the certificate is installed by running MMC (mmc.exe), adding the "Certificates" snap-in, and browsing to the appropriate certificate store ("Trusted Root Certification Authorities"->"Certificates") to see if your site's CA certificate is listed there.
Further info on CA certificate
CA Certificate
As described in a later step, you must supply the details of the SSL certificate of your home authentication server as part of the eduroam profile. These details include the identity of the Certificate Authority (CA) that signed the server certificate. The built-in wireless client comes with a list of public CA's already installed and if your site's certificate is signed by one of those CA's then you don't need to install a CA certificate yourself. However, if you wish to explicitly identify an intermediate CA, or your server's certificate is signed by a private root CA, then you must install that intermediate/root CA's certificate before proceeding.
- Double-click on the application icon
in the tray.
Click View Wireless Networks.
- Click Change advanced settings.
- Click on the Wireless Networks tab.
- Click Add...
- Define the profile general details:
| Network name (SSID): | eduroam |
| Select Connect even if this network is not broadcasting |
| Network Authentication: | WPA2 |
| Data Encryption: | AES |
| Un-select This is a computer-to-computer (ad hoc) network; wireless access points are not used |
|
|
Click on the Authentication tab.
- Define the authentication method:
| EAP type: | Protected EAP (PEAP) |
| Un-select Authenticate as computer when computer information is available |
| Un-select Authenticate as guest when user or computer information is unavailable |
|
|
Click Properties
- Define your server security details:
| Select Validate Server Certificate |
| Select Connect to these servers: | certname.mysite.ie |
| Trusted Root Certification Authorities: | Select the appropriate CA entry for your home site from the list. |
| Select Do not prompt user to authorize new servers or trusted certification authorities. |
| Select Authentication Method: | Secured password (EAP-MSCHAP v2) |
| Select Enable Fast Reconnect |
| Un-select Enable Quarantine checks |
| Un-select Disconnect if server does not present cryptobinding TLV |
|
|
Further info on server identity
Server Identity
When your client connects to eduroam, it will try to verify the identity of your home authentication server before it passes your credentials to the server for validation. The wireless client relies upon the SSL certificate presented by your home authentication server in order to carry out this verification. Defining the SSL certificate details here allows the client to complete this verification without any intervention required by you, and provides the greatest level of protection of your credentials.
Click Configure...
- Define your EAP MSCHAPv2 properties:
| Un-select Automatically use my Windows logon name and password (and domain if any) |
|
|
Click OK
Click OK again.
- Click on the Connection tab.
- Define automatic connection mode:
| Select Connect when this network is in range |
|
|
Click OK
- You can make eduroam your preferred network by highlighting the eduroam entry and using the Move Up button to move it to the top of the list of preferred networks.
Click OK
Your wireless client is now configured to avail of eduroam and should connect automatically when at a site where the eduroam service is available.
Using eduroam for the first time
When your wireless client connects to eduroam for the first time you will be required to provide your credentials.
- Click on the prompt which appears in the task bar.
- Provide your credentials:
| User name: | myname@mysite.ie |
| Password: | mypassword |
| Logon domain: | Leave blank |
|
|
Further info on credential settings
Credential Settings
Your credentials consist of your username, in a form much like an e-mail address, and your password.
Once you have been successfully authenticated your credentials will be cached by the wireless client and you will typically not have to enter them again on future occasions where you use eduroam. See the notes at the top of this page should you wish to explicitly remove your credentials from the local cache.
Click OK
