Encryption key question

In another thread, I described a problem I was having connecting to my
router with security enabled. Thanks to comments by Rick_NJ and an MVP, I
tried entering a hex encryption key rather than a passcode and that solved
the problem.

As I understand it, if I enter a passcode, the system translates that
passcode -- which, I guess, is ASCII -- into hex and, from that, generates
encryption keys.

All I know about hex is that it's a base 16 number system that uses the
digits 0-9 and letters a-f, thus, hex counts
0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,a,b,c,d,e,f,10,11,12,13,14,15, 16,17,18,19,1a,1b . . . .
.. or something like that.

I found a website (several websites, actually) that generate random hex
codes for use in wireless security. I used one of these sites -- told it to
give me a 64-bit WEP encryption key and it gave me a key that looks like
NNNNNNNNNL ( where N is a digit between 0-9 and L is a letter between a-f).
I entered that into my router and into my laptops and everybody is happy.

So -- here are my questions:
1. I assume I would be safer by telling my router to use 128-bit WPA
encryption, right?
2. If I do that, and if I want to make up my own hex encryption key, I
assume I would make up a key that uses random digits between 0-9 and random
letters between a-f -- but -- how many characters do I need to make up a
128-bit string? The string I am using for 64-bit encryption has 10
characters -- do I need 20 for 128-bit encryption?
3. After doing this, then, I need to go to my laptops -- which are
connecting to the router's wireless access point -- and enter the same key,
plus, tell the laptops to use WPA shared key.

Finally -- another question -- When I check the LAN tab on the router admin
application, it tells me that my router will assign IP addresses between
XXX.XXX.XXX.100 and XXX.XXX.XXX.199. When I look at the admin page that
shows connected devices, it shows the following:
-- my desktop with IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.101
-- one laptop with IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.102
-- second laptop with IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.103

If I go into the admin routine and change the allowed IP address range to,
say XXX.XXX.XXX.100 to XXX.XXX.XXX.103, will this effectively block anyone
else from trying to connect to my network -- provided, of course, all three
of my devices are connected?

Thanks.

WEP is unsafe.
http://msmvps.com/blogs/wifizone/arc...ot-secure.aspx

Use WPA2 or WPA. I wrote some about this in the XP timeframe. See
the sidebar on
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/u...ssecurity.mspx
(you have WPA2 out of the box with Vista).

If you use WPA2/WPA, the chances of someone attaching to your
network by breaking your encryption are miniscule or non existent if
you use a strong random WPA key that isn't going to be easy to find
with a "dictionary attack", and restricting the IP range would not
really be needed. There probably is nothing stopping an intruder
from configuring a different IP as a static and gaining access if
they break your WEP key.

On Sat, 11 Aug 2007 14:36:24 -0400, "Joe S." <(E-Mail Removed)>
wrote:

>In another thread, I described a problem I was having connecting to my
>router with security enabled. Thanks to comments by Rick_NJ and an MVP, I
>tried entering a hex encryption key rather than a passcode and that solved
>the problem.
>
>As I understand it, if I enter a passcode, the system translates that
>passcode -- which, I guess, is ASCII -- into hex and, from that, generates
>encryption keys.
>
>All I know about hex is that it's a base 16 number system that uses the
>digits 0-9 and letters a-f, thus, hex counts
>0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,a,b,c,d,e,f,10,11,12,13,14,15 ,16,17,18,19,1a,1b . . . .
>. or something like that.
>
>I found a website (several websites, actually) that generate random hex
>codes for use in wireless security. I used one of these sites -- told it to
>give me a 64-bit WEP encryption key and it gave me a key that looks like
>NNNNNNNNNL ( where N is a digit between 0-9 and L is a letter between a-f).
>I entered that into my router and into my laptops and everybody is happy.
>
>So -- here are my questions:
>1. I assume I would be safer by telling my router to use 128-bit WPA
>encryption, right?
>2. If I do that, and if I want to make up my own hex encryption key, I
>assume I would make up a key that uses random digits between 0-9 and random
>letters between a-f -- but -- how many characters do I need to make up a
>128-bit string? The string I am using for 64-bit encryption has 10
>characters -- do I need 20 for 128-bit encryption?
>3. After doing this, then, I need to go to my laptops -- which are
>connecting to the router's wireless access point -- and enter the same key,
>plus, tell the laptops to use WPA shared key.
>
>Finally -- another question -- When I check the LAN tab on the router admin
>application, it tells me that my router will assign IP addresses between
>XXX.XXX.XXX.100 and XXX.XXX.XXX.199. When I look at the admin page that
>shows connected devices, it shows the following:
>-- my desktop with IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.101
>-- one laptop with IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.102
>-- second laptop with IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.103
>
>If I go into the admin routine and change the allowed IP address range to,
>say XXX.XXX.XXX.100 to XXX.XXX.XXX.103, will this effectively block anyone
>else from trying to connect to my network -- provided, of course, all three
>of my devices are connected?
>
>Thanks.
>
--

Barb Bowman
MS Windows-MVP
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/e...ts/bowman.mspx
http://blogs.digitalmediaphile.com/barb/

Hi
The problem of the translation form pass phrase to Hex String is a WEP
problem.
WPA and WPA2 should be OK.
Many WPA systems do not even have a menu entry for Hex string and you have
to use pass phrase.
So use WPA with a nice pass phrase and take it easy.
This page helps with pass phrases,
http://www.microsoft.com/protect/you...rd/create.mspx
If you must use WEP, generate the Hex string in the Router from a good pass
phrase and then copy the resultant Hex string to the Wireless client.
http://www.ezlan.net/faq.html#wep
Jack (MVP-Networking).

"Joe S." <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In another thread, I described a problem I was having connecting to my
> router with security enabled. Thanks to comments by Rick_NJ and an MVP, I
> tried entering a hex encryption key rather than a passcode and that solved
> the problem.
>
> As I understand it, if I enter a passcode, the system translates that
> passcode -- which, I guess, is ASCII -- into hex and, from that, generates
> encryption keys.
>
> All I know about hex is that it's a base 16 number system that uses the
> digits 0-9 and letters a-f, thus, hex counts
> 0,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,a,b,c,d,e,f,10,11,12,13,14,15, 16,17,18,19,1a,1b . . .
> . . or something like that.
>
> I found a website (several websites, actually) that generate random hex
> codes for use in wireless security. I used one of these sites -- told it
> to give me a 64-bit WEP encryption key and it gave me a key that looks
> like NNNNNNNNNL ( where N is a digit between 0-9 and L is a letter between
> a-f). I entered that into my router and into my laptops and everybody is
> happy.
>
> So -- here are my questions:
> 1. I assume I would be safer by telling my router to use 128-bit WPA
> encryption, right?
> 2. If I do that, and if I want to make up my own hex encryption key, I
> assume I would make up a key that uses random digits between 0-9 and
> random letters between a-f -- but -- how many characters do I need to
> make up a 128-bit string? The string I am using for 64-bit encryption has
> 10 characters -- do I need 20 for 128-bit encryption?
> 3. After doing this, then, I need to go to my laptops -- which are
> connecting to the router's wireless access point -- and enter the same
> key, plus, tell the laptops to use WPA shared key.
>
> Finally -- another question -- When I check the LAN tab on the router
> admin application, it tells me that my router will assign IP addresses
> between XXX.XXX.XXX.100 and XXX.XXX.XXX.199. When I look at the admin
> page that shows connected devices, it shows the following:
> -- my desktop with IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.101
> -- one laptop with IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.102
> -- second laptop with IP address XXX.XXX.XXX.103
>
> If I go into the admin routine and change the allowed IP address range to,
> say XXX.XXX.XXX.100 to XXX.XXX.XXX.103, will this effectively block anyone
> else from trying to connect to my network -- provided, of course, all
> three of my devices are connected?
>
> Thanks.
>
>