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Functional Linux 802.11G Centrino Driver Released
sixstring355 writes "Intel has released the first functional version of its Centrino/IPW2200 chipset driver. for Linux (kernel 2.6.4+). Posts to the ipw2100/2200 developer mailing list report connection speeds of 450KB/s. See the feature list for more details."
Unfortunately, without WEP it won't be much good for everyday use.
WEP isn't much good for everyday use. WEP creates complexity because you need to deploy keys everywhere, reduces performance -- sometimes by as much as half -- and is very easy to break, so the security it provides is mostly illusion. I'm somewhat of a security expert (as in, it's my day job, and they haven't fired me yet), and I run my home network unencrypted, but with the wireless part firewalled off, with the AP configured to do MAC address filtering and not to broadcast the SSID. That's just about as secure as WEP, is much easier to manage and doesn't slow down my data transfers.
That said, the driver in question uses the HostAP infrastructure, which includes a WPA supplicant, so when the security is all hooked up, it should not only have WEP, but it will also support WPA and WPA2, along with either PSK or any of the zillion EAP authentication methods, for centrally-manageable, strong security.
IMO, the driver's security is perfectly acceptable for home use now, and when they get it all hooked up, it'll be just fine for enterprise use as well. Good stuff!
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They're bothering with WEP because a lot of people use it and because WEP can be quite useful in many situations, as long as you know its limitations. WEP offers an appropriate level of security for many users.
Security, even wireless security, isn't black and white. It comes in shades of gray (not to mention mauve and chartreuse), and all of them are appropriate for some situation or other.