Does every station use the same key in WEP(802.11b)

Or are there limited keys to be typed into the driver of the WiFi
card?
If so, when I got a key, I can try to decrypt others' with mine and
sometimes it will work. Right?

Bruce Ding <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> Or are there limited keys to be typed into the driver of the WiFi
> card?
> If so, when I got a key, I can try to decrypt others' with mine and
> sometimes it will work. Right?

Rarely.
It works out that you will need many, many years to get it working that
way, as there are simly so many possible keys.
For 64 bit WEP, it's around a million million, for 128 bit, it's around
20282409603651670423947251286016 possible.

There are other security flaws in WEP.

--
http://inquisitor.i.am/ | private.php?do=newpm&u= | Ian Stirling.
---------------------------+-------------------------+--------------------------
Prosperity and ruin issue from the power of the tongue.
Therefore, guard yourself against thoughtless speech.

Ian Stirling <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message news:<bmd85v$ldf$3$(E-Mail Removed)>...
> Bruce Ding <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
> > Or are there limited keys to be typed into the driver of the WiFi
> > card?
> > If so, when I got a key, I can try to decrypt others' with mine and
> > sometimes it will work. Right?
>
> Rarely.
> It works out that you will need many, many years to get it working that
> way, as there are simly so many possible keys.
> For 64 bit WEP, it's around a million million, for 128 bit, it's around
> 20282409603651670423947251286016 possible.

But then, how does the AP know which key to use for every station?
Or the MAC address is related to the key on the AP side?
I am a new comer here, thanks!
>
> There are other security flaws in WEP.

The standard allows for a separate 4-password keylist on each station. The
AP uses its own separate keylist. However, the AP must have a copy of the
keylist of each station that may connect with WEP. The AP transmits using
its own keylist, and selects a keylist to decrypt incoming payloads based on
source MAC address. Similarly, every station must have a copy of the keylist
used by the AP. Every encrypted payload is prefixed with an Initialization
Vector (not encrypted) which specifies 24 bits of the key to be used, and a
2-bit index value to select the specific key from the 4-entry keylist
maintained by the AP for that MAC.

Most home/SOHO implementations only support a single 4-entry keylist on the
router, but the standard allows for MAC-specific lists.

"Bruce Ding" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed) om...
> Or are there limited keys to be typed into the driver of the WiFi
> card?
> If so, when I got a key, I can try to decrypt others' with mine and
> sometimes it will work. Right?