Windows XP Wireless Functionality

Windows XP has a variety of features and functionality when it comes to
supporting 802.11. For example, it supports automatic network detection
and association. This is useful for wireless NICs, since the operating system
can tell them to use a logical algorithm to detect what wireless networks are
available, and it can associate them with the most appropriate connections.
Media sense is a Windows XP function that can be used to decide
when a wireless LAN NIC can roam from one access point to another.
You can also determine whether you need to reauthenticate or alter
your specific wireless configuration.

Windows XP also supports network location functionality, which permits
applications to be notified whenever a computer is roaming through
the WLAN. This information allows programs to update their individual
network settings based automatically on a given network location.
Wireless NICs support power mode changes and are summarily notified
whenever the power is coming from a fixed A/C adapter or a battery.
This feature makes it possible to conserve energy when you need to.
The goal of adding all these features is to give Microsoft the ability to
implement a secure wireless solution and make certain that network
traffic is confidential.

There are also a number of vendors who create add-on 802.11 security
solutions that are locked into their technology or hardware infrastructure.
When solutions are proprietary, it becomes enormously difficult to
determine how capable these technologies are for protecting you from
known attack patterns. The majority of password-only solutions are
often highly vulnerable to a hacker type of “dictionary attack,” making
these types of vendor solutions highly insecure; they often cause more
havoc than they prevent.