WEP Key Passphrase

help....
I am using a net gear router.
On the set up web page is an option to enter a pass phrase to generate 4
keys.
great, but where do I enter that pass phrase on my pc so that the 2 things
match up?
I am very new to this so no doubt this is a dumb question, apologies in
advance.
currently I have one 10 digit key set up at netgear and on my pc which I
have to enter every time I log on to the network...surely cant be right?help
please!

--
Brett Smith

On Sun, 30 May 2004 10:47:36 +0100, Brett Smith spoketh

>help....
>I am using a net gear router.
>On the set up web page is an option to enter a pass phrase to generate 4
>keys.
>great, but where do I enter that pass phrase on my pc so that the 2 things
>match up?
>I am very new to this so no doubt this is a dumb question, apologies in
>advance.
>currently I have one 10 digit key set up at netgear and on my pc which I
>have to enter every time I log on to the network...surely cant be right?help
>please!

Most likely, you'll have to enter the key that is generated by the pass
phrase. The pass phrase is just supposed to make it easier to generate a
key....

Lars M. Hansen
http://www.hansenonline.net
(replace 'badnews' with 'news' in e-mail address)

by cutting and pasting u think?
is it common not to have to enter a password when logging onto a network?
I know the WEP acts as a "back ground" pass word but still feels very
unsecure?

--
Brett Smith
"Lars M. Hansen" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> On Sun, 30 May 2004 10:47:36 +0100, Brett Smith spoketh
>
> >help....
> >I am using a net gear router.
> >On the set up web page is an option to enter a pass phrase to generate 4
> >keys.
> >great, but where do I enter that pass phrase on my pc so that the 2
things
> >match up?
> >I am very new to this so no doubt this is a dumb question, apologies in
> >advance.
> >currently I have one 10 digit key set up at netgear and on my pc which I
> >have to enter every time I log on to the network...surely cant be
right?help
> >please!
>
> Most likely, you'll have to enter the key that is generated by the pass
> phrase. The pass phrase is just supposed to make it easier to generate a
> key....
>
> Lars M. Hansen
> http://www.hansenonline.net
> (replace 'badnews' with 'news' in e-mail address)

"Brett Smith" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
newsZiuc.52$ps4.30@newsfe3-gui...
> help....
> I am using a net gear router.
> On the set up web page is an option to enter a pass phrase to generate 4
> keys.
> great, but where do I enter that pass phrase on my pc so that the 2 things
> match up?
> I am very new to this so no doubt this is a dumb question, apologies in
> advance.
> currently I have one 10 digit key set up at netgear and on my pc which I
> have to enter every time I log on to the network...surely cant be
right?help
> please!
>
> --
> Brett Smith
>
>
What Network card and connection software are you using in your PC ?.

Have you checked for the latest firmware / software for your network card ??

Brett Smith wrote:

>> is it common not to have to enter a password when logging onto a network?
> I know the WEP acts as a "back ground" pass word but still feels very
> unsecure?

WEP does not act as any form of password at all.
WEP is _encryption_ on the radio link.
Logging on to a network is _authentication_.
Authentication and encryption are two very different things although
they are often used together (authentication traffic is usually also
encrypted.)


Sander

On Sun, 30 May 2004 12:18:14 +0100, Brett Smith spoketh

>by cutting and pasting u think?
>is it common not to have to enter a password when logging onto a network?
>I know the WEP acts as a "back ground" pass word but still feels very
>unsecure?

Only computers with the correct key can connect to your network. That'll
limit access somewhat. Unfortunately not enough, as WEP is fairly weak
and easy to break. You can add MAC address filtering to improve your
security, and check if perhaps your router/WAP supports WPA, which is a
big improvement over WEP.


Lars M. Hansen
www.hansenonline.net
Remove "bad" from my e-mail address to contact me.
"If you try to fail, and succeed, which have you done?"

Lars M. Hansen <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
news:(E-Mail Removed):

> Only computers with the correct key can connect to your network. That'll
> limit access somewhat. Unfortunately not enough, as WEP is fairly weak
> and easy to break. You can add MAC address filtering to improve your
> security, and check if perhaps your router/WAP supports WPA, which is a
> big improvement over WEP.

I understand that this weakness requires a lot of network traffic, and
therefore largely does not apply to a single home user who changes the key
on a regular basis.

--
Tom McCune
My PGP Page & FAQ: http://www.McCune.cc/PGP.htm

thanks for the feed back.
I do not log onto my network....I boot up and the wifi card detects my
network and it connects.....
I am only using one set of 10 digits in key 1 as there is only one place to
enter the key on my pc software. y o y is this so difficult!

--
Brett Smith
"Sander" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:YOjuc.744$9n5.737@amstwist00...
> Brett Smith wrote:
>
> >> is it common not to have to enter a password when logging onto a
network?
> > I know the WEP acts as a "back ground" pass word but still feels very
> > unsecure?
>
> WEP does not act as any form of password at all.
> WEP is _encryption_ on the radio link.
> Logging on to a network is _authentication_.
> Authentication and encryption are two very different things although
> they are often used together (authentication traffic is usually also
> encrypted.)
>
>
> Sander

Lars M. Hansen wrote:

> Only computers with the correct key can connect to your network. That'll
> limit access somewhat.

Yep.

> Unfortunately not enough, as WEP is fairly weak
> and easy to break.

It will keep the majority opf people off of your network.
It will not keep a determnined attacker or someone with a lot of
knowledge off though.

> You can add MAC address filtering to improve your
> security,


If someone has the possibility of cracking WEP they'll surely be able to
assign their card another MAC adress.
IMHO not any stronger than WEP.
With most access points it's easy to do and it doesn't require client
support, so it won't hurt. But don't feel safe because you've got a MAC
access control list.
If you think WEP is easy... MAC ACL is a _lot_ easier and quicker to
circumvent then WEP.

> and check if perhaps your router/WAP supports WPA, which is a
> big improvement over WEP.

Yes! If you really want to improve on WEP then WPA or an implementation
of 802.1x (like EAP-TLS, TTLS or PEAP, which combines encryption with
authentication) with automatically rotating keys is the way to go.


Sander

In article <aakuc.20215$(E-Mail Removed)>,
news@DELETE_THISmccune.cc says...
> Lars M. Hansen <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in
> news:(E-Mail Removed):
>
> > Only computers with the correct key can connect to your network. That'll
> > limit access somewhat. Unfortunately not enough, as WEP is fairly weak
> > and easy to break. You can add MAC address filtering to improve your
> > security, and check if perhaps your router/WAP supports WPA, which is a
> > big improvement over WEP.
>
> I understand that this weakness requires a lot of network traffic, and
> therefore largely does not apply to a single home user who changes the key
> on a regular basis.
>
>
That turns out to not be the case. Tools exist for breaking into a
wireless network that uses WEP without collecting network traffic.

---Matthew