APPENDIX E: PASSKEYS FOR WEP ENCRYPTION
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Appendix E
Passkeys for WEP
Encryption
WEP encryption keys are complex, and using them can be tedious and
error-prone. Each WEP key is 10 or 26 characters long, and Socket’s
WLAN Tools software only accepts them in hexadecimal format. As a
result, the passkey system was developed as a user-friendly, alternative
method of using WEP keys. Instead of requiring you to enter the 10 or 26-
character hexadecimal WEP key (this is known as the “string” method of
WEP key entry), the passkey system only requires you to enter a short word
or phrase, which the Socket software automatically translates into a proper
hexadecimal key of 10 or 26 characters. In this way, using a passkey is an
indirect method of using a WEP key.
Not all access points support the passkey system. Please check your access
point user documentation and/or consult with your network administrator to
verify what method you should use to enter WEP keys. Depending on the
manufacturer of your access point, the passkey may instead be called a
passphrase, magic word or password.
Follow these guidelines to use passkeys:
•
Make sure your access point supports passkeys.
•
While setting up the passkey on the access point, keep the passkey string
short and use only
numbers
and
letters
. Do not use spaces or other non-
alphanumeric characters.
•
After you set up the passkey on the access point, enter the same passkey
into the Socket WLAN software.
a) In the WLAN profile, tap on the
Security
tab and select
40-bit WEP
Key
or
128-bit WEP Key
, as appropriate for your network. Tap on the
Passkey
button.
b) In the screen that appears, enter the same passkey that was set up on
the access point. Tap
OK
.
Important!
Be careful to
enter the
correct passkey,
or you will not
be able to
connect to your
WLAN!
