We've deployed a couple AirPort Extreme WAPs and we're considering
adding some other (non-Apple) models.  Our usrs may use Macs, PCs, whatever.
Is there any way to define an ASCII WEP key that can be specified across all
platforms?  Right now, we use the (ASCII) password defined on the AirPorts
when everything's Apple and the hex equivalent provided by the AirPort Admin
Utility when we're connecting with/to anything else.  It would be much easier
on our users if we could just distribute a single ASCII WEP key, rather than
requiring them to know which WAP they might be using at any given time.  For
example, if we were to define a 13-character ASCII key (which I understand
implies 128-bit encryption), could we use that ASCII WEP key everywhere,
regardless of user computer platform and/or WAP model?

Thanks,
Mike
--
             Michael T. Davis            |    Systems Specialist: ChE,MSE
    E-mail: davism@ecr6.ohio-state.edu   | Departmental Networking/Computing
           -or- DAVISM+@osu.edu          |     The Ohio State University
 http://www.ecr6.ohio-state.edu/~davism/ |     197 Watts, (614) 292-6928

Michael T. Davis wrote:
> 	We've deployed a couple AirPort Extreme WAPs and we're considering
> adding some other (non-Apple) models.  Our usrs may use Macs, PCs, whatever.
> Is there any way to define an ASCII WEP key that can be specified across all
> platforms?  Right now, we use the (ASCII) password defined on the AirPorts
> when everything's Apple and the hex equivalent provided by the AirPort Admin
> Utility when we're connecting with/to anything else.  It would be much easier
> on our users if we could just distribute a single ASCII WEP key, rather than
> requiring them to know which WAP they might be using at any given time.  For
> example, if we were to define a 13-character ASCII key (which I understand
> implies 128-bit encryption), could we use that ASCII WEP key everywhere,
> regardless of user computer platform and/or WAP model?
> 

 From my experience, you can't do that with WEP because of the poor WEP 
support in Windows XP. It just can't compute a hex key from a 
passphrase, you have to enter the hex key itself, twice (confirmation).

On the other hand, WPA passphrases work like a charm, both on Windows XP 
and Mac OS X Panther. But then again some wireless cards drivers don't 
support WPA...

In article <40f642d1$0$30907$626a14ce@news.free.fr>, Chong Woo Paig
<cwAT@paigDOT.net> writes:

>Michael T. Davis wrote:
>> 	We've deployed a couple AirPort Extreme WAPs and we're considering
>> adding some other (non-Apple) models.  Our usrs may use Macs, PCs, whatever.
>> Is there any way to define an ASCII WEP key that can be specified across all
>> platforms?  Right now, we use the (ASCII) password defined on the AirPorts
>> when everything's Apple and the hex equivalent provided by the AirPort Admin
>> Utility when we're connecting with/to anything else.  It would be much
> easier
>> on our users if we could just distribute a single ASCII WEP key, rather than
>> requiring them to know which WAP they might be using at any given time.  For
>> example, if we were to define a 13-character ASCII key (which I understand
>> implies 128-bit encryption), could we use that ASCII WEP key everywhere,
>> regardless of user computer platform and/or WAP model?
>>
>
> From my experience, you can't do that with WEP because of the poor WEP
>support in Windows XP. It just can't compute a hex key from a
>passphrase, you have to enter the hex key itself, twice (confirmation).
>
>On the other hand, WPA passphrases work like a charm, both on Windows XP
>and Mac OS X Panther. But then again some wireless cards drivers don't
>support WPA...

	It would seem the best all-around solution for using WEP would be
to just standardize on the use of a hex-based key, right?  From what I've
read on the 'net, a hex key can be specified in all instances.  Just out of
curiosity, is there a published algorithm (perhaps made available through a
Web form) that can translate an AirPort style password into its hex equivalent,
or are we stuck using the AirPort Admin Utility for this functionality?  We
do have some users who won't be able to use WPA anytime soon, so while we
know the inherent problems with WEP, it's certainly better than nothing.

Regards,
Mike
--
             Michael T. Davis            |    Systems Specialist: ChE,MSE
    E-mail: davism@ecr6.ohio-state.edu   | Departmental Networking/Computing
           -or- DAVISM+@osu.edu          |     The Ohio State University
 http://www.ecr6.ohio-state.edu/~davism/ |     197 Watts, (614) 292-6928

Michael T. Davis wrote:

> 
> 	It would seem the best all-around solution for using WEP would be
> to just standardize on the use of a hex-based key, right?  From what I've
> read on the 'net, a hex key can be specified in all instances.  Just out of
> curiosity, is there a published algorithm (perhaps made available through a
> Web form) that can translate an AirPort style password into its hex equivalent,
> or are we stuck using the AirPort Admin Utility for this functionality?  We
> do have some users who won't be able to use WPA anytime soon, so while we
> know the inherent problems with WEP, it's certainly better than nothing.

Yes, the hex key will work everywhere, although it's a pain to enter 
(make a file with the key from which you can copy/paste).

For the passphrase/hex key generation, I have no idea if Apple made its 
key generation algorythm public.

In article <cd4phi$1b4$1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>,
 DAVISM@er6.eng.ohio-state.edu (Michael T. Davis) wrote:

> 	We've deployed a couple AirPort Extreme WAPs and we're considering
> adding some other (non-Apple) models.  Our usrs may use Macs, PCs, whatever.
> Is there any way to define an ASCII WEP key that can be specified across all
> platforms?  Right now, we use the (ASCII) password defined on the AirPorts
> when everything's Apple and the hex equivalent provided by the AirPort Admin
> Utility when we're connecting with/to anything else.  It would be much easier
> on our users if we could just distribute a single ASCII WEP key, rather than
> requiring them to know which WAP they might be using at any given time.  For
> example, if we were to define a 13-character ASCII key (which I understand
> implies 128-bit encryption), could we use that ASCII WEP key everywhere,
> regardless of user computer platform and/or WAP model?
> 
> Thanks,
> Mike
> --
>              Michael T. Davis            |    Systems Specialist: ChE,MSE
>     E-mail: davism@ecr6.ohio-state.edu   | Departmental Networking/Computing
>            -or- DAVISM+@osu.edu          |     The Ohio State University
>  http://www.ecr6.ohio-state.edu/~davism/ |     197 Watts, (614) 292-6928

Sorry to spoil the party but: Why use passwords with WEP? They can be 
cracked anyway by rather simple means in short time (hours at most).

Marc

PS: Keyspace is also limited when using 13 ASCII characters: this gives 
maximum 13*7 bits, ie 91 bits.

-- 
Marc Heusser
(remove the obvious: CHEERS and MERICAL...until end to reply via email)

In article <marc.heusser-97B9D2.16551715072004@individual.net>,
 Marc Heusser <marc.heusser@CHEERSheusser.comMERCIALSPAMMERS.invalid> 
 wrote:

> In article <cd4phi$1b4$1@charm.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu>,
>  DAVISM@er6.eng.ohio-state.edu (Michael T. Davis) wrote:
....
> 
> Sorry to spoil the party but: Why use passwords with WEP? They can be 
> cracked anyway by rather simple means in short time (hours at most).
> 
> Marc

Sorry, forgot to propose a better solution: Use WPA.
Or even better: Do as Swiss universities do - WLAN is open (no 
password), but you can only access the VPN servers, nothing else.
Once you've been authenticated by the VPN servers, you get a VPN 
connection granting you all access via your home university. Works from 
around the world (via any Internet connection), and gives universal 
access at any university to any user wirelessly.

HTH

Marc

-- 
Marc Heusser
(remove the obvious: CHEERS and MERICAL...until end to reply via email)

DAVISM@er6.eng.ohio-state.edu (Michael T. Davis) writes:
>
> 	We've deployed a couple AirPort Extreme WAPs and we're
> considering adding some other (non-Apple) models.  Our usrs may use
> Macs, PCs, whatever.  Is there any way to define an ASCII WEP key
> that can be specified across all platforms?  Right now, we use the
> (ASCII) password defined on the AirPorts when everything's Apple and
> the hex equivalent provided by the AirPort Admin Utility when we're
> connecting with/to anything else.  It would be much easier on our
> users if we could just distribute a single ASCII WEP key, rather
> than requiring them to know which WAP they might be using at any
> given time.  For example, if we were to define a 13-character ASCII
> key (which I understand implies 128-bit encryption), could we use
> that ASCII WEP key everywhere, regardless of user computer platform
> and/or WAP model?

Unfortunately, what you're doing now is what you have to do.

The algorithm used for converting an ASCII string into the hex key is
not defined by any standard.  Each vendor tends to use a unique
algorithm.  So a string used on an Apple product won't work with a
Linksys product.  Ditto for Netgear, SMC, D-link and all the others.
They all use proprietary algorithms for making keys from strings.

I suppose one portable way might be to write your own key-generation
program and port it to each platform.  But that's not going to be a
simple job.  (Hey, any enterprising shareware authors looking for a
project?)

-- David

Chong Woo Paig <cwAT@paigDOT.net> wrote:

>  From my experience, you can't do that with WEP because of the poor WEP
> support in Windows XP. It just can't compute a hex key from a 
> passphrase, you have to enter the hex key itself, twice (confirmation).

you can type or generate it in some other app and then simply do a paste
twice (so much for the confirmation stuff...) 

-- 
Georg Schwarz    http://home.pages.de/~schwarz/
 geos@epost.de     +49 177 8811442

In article <marc.heusser-97B9D2.16551715072004@individual.net>, Marc
Heusser <marc.heusser@CHEERSheusser.comMERCIALSPAMMERS.invalid> wrote:

> Sorry to spoil the party but: Why use passwords with WEP? They can be 
> cracked anyway by rather simple means in short time (hours at most).

Any security is better than no security at all.

-- 
"No urban night is like the night [in NYC]...here is our poetry, for we have
pulled down the stars to our will."
- Ezra Pound, poet and critic, 9/18/1912, reflecting on New York City

Marc Heusser <marc.heusser@CHEERSheusser.comMERCIALSPAMMERS.invalid> writes:
> 
> Sorry to spoil the party but: Why use passwords with WEP? They can
> be cracked anyway by rather simple means in short time (hours at
> most).

If you've got a WEP password (and you're not broadcasting your SSID),
it will be more secure than using nothing.

A few hours to crack your password is better than no time at all.
Especially if the cracker is some guy with his pants down in a parked
car across the street.

-- David