WEP Codes

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

mcnewsxp wrote:

> where does one find WEP codes to use with wireless routers?
>
> thanks much,
> mcnews
>
>
Just make them up. Obvously you need the same key on all the PCs too.

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

>
> > where does one find WEP codes to use with wireless routers?
> >
> > thanks much,
> > mcnews
> >
> >
> Just make them up. Obvously you need the same key on all the PCs too.

over my head.
can you give an example or explain further.

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

WEP is encryption. There is no WEP "code", but there are keys. You
arbitrarily decide what the key is. Most routers and client adapters let you
enter the key as either a string of ASCII (readable text) characters, or as
a string of hexadecimal digits. Most equipment also offers a choice of
keylengths - 64 (sometimes called 40) and 128 are most common, 152 and 256
are also available. Some vendors, like Netgear and Linksys, offer a
"passphrase key generator", which is a utility that converts a passphrase
(another arbitrarily-chosen text string) into a pseudo-random hexadecimal
key value.

You can create lists of up to 4 WEP keys on the router and the clients. but
for simplicity I recommend you use only 1 key. Use the same keylength on the
router and the clients (the longest allowed length common to all equipment).
If you don't have a passphrase key generator, you can search the web to find
one, or you can just make up keys. 64-bit keys must be exactly 5 ASCII
characters (10 hex digits), and 128-bit keys must be exactly 13 ASCII
characters (26 hex digits). Be sure to type *exactly* the same string into
the router and each client, and be sure you've chosen the same data entry
method (ASCII or hex) and the same keylength.

"mcnewsxp" <mcourter@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:Txlwc.38789$zO3.1995@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> >
> > > where does one find WEP codes to use with wireless routers?
> > >
> > > thanks much,
> > > mcnews
> > >
> > >
> > Just make them up. Obvously you need the same key on all the PCs too.
>
> over my head.
> can you give an example or explain further.
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

Take a look at this wireless key generator available from here, I've nothing
to do with this guy - but I'm sure he wont mind me saying that he's got some
other great software on his site too!


http://www.tnk-bootblock.co.uk/prods/misc/index.php

Lee


"mcnewsxp" <mcourter@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:Txlwc.38789$zO3.1995@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> >
> > > where does one find WEP codes to use with wireless routers?
> > >
> > > thanks much,
> > > mcnews
> > >
> > >
> > Just make them up. Obvously you need the same key on all the PCs too.
>
> over my head.
> can you give an example or explain further.
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

is this something *remotely* like a password?

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

No. A password is used for authentication only - it's a phrase that only you
are supposed to know, and if you provide it when challenged, it indicates
that you are who you say you are. At least, that's the theory, in practice
passwords have obvious limitations.

A WEP key is for encryption, not authentication. If you have WEP enabled,
every single 802.11 frame is transmitted with the payload encrypted.
Receivers - which must have the same key as transmitters - decrypt the
payload when the frame is received. The WEP key is merely used make the
scrambling on your network different from the scrambling on your neighbors'
nework.

If you use encryption, then you also get authentication, since no networking
is possible unless all stations use the same key. And it's better than
password authentication, since that only establishes identity in one
direction. WEP is a weak encryption system, and there are lots of tools to
crack it. But, if you use the longest possible keylength, and change keys
often, it provides greatly improved security.

"mcnewsxp" <mcourter@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:s5nwc.13558$Yd3.11893@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> is this something *remotely* like a password?
>
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

ok. i think i git it.
thanks for details.


"gary" <pleasenospam@sbcglobal.net> wrote in message
news:8jnwc.4348$Jy.1749@newssvr23.news.prodigy.com...
> No. A password is used for authentication only - it's a phrase that only
you
> are supposed to know, and if you provide it when challenged, it indicates
> that you are who you say you are. At least, that's the theory, in practice
> passwords have obvious limitations.
>
> A WEP key is for encryption, not authentication. If you have WEP enabled,
> every single 802.11 frame is transmitted with the payload encrypted.
> Receivers - which must have the same key as transmitters - decrypt the
> payload when the frame is received. The WEP key is merely used make the
> scrambling on your network different from the scrambling on your
neighbors'
> nework.
>
> If you use encryption, then you also get authentication, since no
networking
> is possible unless all stations use the same key. And it's better than
> password authentication, since that only establishes identity in one
> direction. WEP is a weak encryption system, and there are lots of tools to
> crack it. But, if you use the longest possible keylength, and change keys
> often, it provides greatly improved security.
>
> "mcnewsxp" <mcourter@mindspring.com> wrote in message
> news:s5nwc.13558$Yd3.11893@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> > is this something *remotely* like a password?
> >
> >
> >
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

"gary" mentioned...
> for simplicity I recommend you use only 1 key.

One router here for certain, I think another also do require four keys
client and ap in same order when config'd as a Shared system.

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

how do client PCs use or see the keys?

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

I suspect, from your questions, that you need to read some basic tutorials.
Try

http://www.wi-fiplanet.com/tutorials/article.php/136866...

You can click the "tutorials" tab, or search by topic, to find other
articles.

All encryption assumes that sender and receiver share a key. In assymetric
encryption (like public-key) the shared key is used only in the encrypting
phase, and the receiver has a private non-shared key to decrypt. In
symmetric encryption (like WEP) sender and receiver share the same private
key.

That means that the router and *each* client in the system must be
configured with exactly the same key. That's the only way they "see" the
key. Actually, there is a suffix to the key (the IV), generated
automatically by the sender, which is sent in the frame and retrieved from
the frame by the receiver.

The way the key is used is complex. The key, extended by the IV, is used in
an algorithm called RC4 to create a string of bytes that are exclusively
or'ed with the text.

"mcnewsxp" <mcourter@mindspring.com> wrote in message
news:6cFwc.15264$Yd3.14660@newsread3.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> how do client PCs use or see the keys?
>
>

Archived from groups: alt.internet.wireless (More info?)

"bumtracks" <user@unknown.org> wrote in message
news bBwc.7339$QI2.1303@nwrddc02.gnilink.net...
>
> "gary" mentioned...
> > for simplicity I recommend you use only 1 key.
>
> One router here for certain, I think another also do require four keys
> client and ap in same order when config'd as a Shared system.

You never need to configure more than one key, although many passphrase
generators will fill in all key slots automatically. If you use the same
generator on the router and all clients, no problem. But for a beginner,
choosing keys manually, I recommend configuring exactly one key.

It should be the first (and only) key entered into the keylists on every
station in the network.

>
>
>