XP WEP problems

I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can connect with
no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure the
wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility), however,
I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level. Windows is
offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting instead of 64
bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:

The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your network
configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of 10 or 26
hexadeciamal characters.

I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k. How do
I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my wireless
NIC offers?

Thank you in advance

40 is the same as 64
104 is the same as 128

(add 24 to 40 or 104)

1 ASCII Character=8 Bits

1 HEX Character=4 Bits


40 or 64 bit ASCII WEP code has 5 characters

40 or 64 bit HEX WEP code has 10 characters


104 or 128 bit ASCII WEP code has 13 characters

104 or 128 bit HEX WEP code has 26 characters


On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:21:01 -0700, "scott b"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can connect with
>no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure the
>wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility), however,
>I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level. Windows is
>offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting instead of 64
>bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:
>
>The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your network
>configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of 10 or 26
>hexadeciamal characters.
>
>I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k. How do
>I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my wireless
>NIC offers?
>
>Thank you in advance

--
Barb Bowman
Expert Zone Columnist
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
MS-MVP (Windows)

Barb,

I've seeen this data posted by your good self on various replies. Can you
explain why whatever one enters in the key field with WinXP SP1 or SP2,
whether 5, 10,13 or 26 characters, when you go back and check it afterwards
WIndows just shows 8 'blobs'. So.,.....is it actually taking notice of
what you're entering, is it corrupting it or.....?

I ask because I am using a Netgear WG121 USB adapter on my XP SP2 PC,
talking to a Draytek Vigor 2600G ADSL router. I use WEP 128 bit encryption.
When I use the Netgear smart Wizard utility, everything works fine. (and
it's quite obvious what format to enter the key in with the Netgear
utility). However, when I prevent the Netgear utility from starting up (by
removing it from my startup group), and I configure the 128 bit WEP key
using WZC instead, it never connects to the router. In fact, WIndows tells
me it doesnt even SEE the network. I've tried entering my 26 hex digits
many times - every time it doesn't connect, and I can only see 8 blobs when
I look at the properties for the connection. Start up the Netgear utility
again and all connects fine.

My conclusion - the WIndows support is not driving the network adapter
properly and/or not using the key I'm entering.

Why is the WIndows key support so awkward? Are there any known bugs in the
WEP key support - even with SP2 applied? I had hoped that with the changes
to wireless support in SP2 that I'd be able to use WZC instead of the
Netgear utility, but no....BTW, I;m using the very latest Netgear WG121
drivers and utility (V2.0 from their web site).

Rgds,
Mike

"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> 40 is the same as 64
> 104 is the same as 128
>
> (add 24 to 40 or 104)
>
> 1 ASCII Character=8 Bits
>
> 1 HEX Character=4 Bits
>
>
> 40 or 64 bit ASCII WEP code has 5 characters
>
> 40 or 64 bit HEX WEP code has 10 characters
>
>
> 104 or 128 bit ASCII WEP code has 13 characters
>
> 104 or 128 bit HEX WEP code has 26 characters
>
>
> On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:21:01 -0700, "scott b"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can connect
>>with
>>no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure the
>>wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility),
>>however,
>>I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level. Windows is
>>offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting instead of
>>64
>>bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:
>>
>>The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your
>>network
>>configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of 10 or
>>26
>>hexadeciamal characters.
>>
>>I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k. How
>>do
>>I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my wireless
>>NIC offers?
>>
>>Thank you in advance
>
> --
> Barb Bowman
> Expert Zone Columnist
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> MS-MVP (Windows)

As far as I know, the amount of "blobs" is not indicative of the WEP key
length and is used to hide the true length.

I have not used WEP for a while and not under SP2. Under SP1, there was
this problem with pasting WEP keys using formatted text (e.g. text copied
out of programs like Word) while unformatted text (e.g. text copied out of
Notepad) would work fine. Thus, the solution was to either type in the key
by hand or to copy and paste the key from Notepad. Keep in mind that when
entering non-hex keys, case does matter. Also, some routers use passphrases
to generate a WEP key. Unlike WPA-PSK, there is no standard for generating
a WEP key from a passphrase and this approach does not work with WZC. If
you use WEP, you need to enter the final key into WZC.

Finally, WZC usually does not work if you are both using encryption and are
not broadcasting the access point's SSID.

-Yves

"Mike Ball" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:4130f40d$0$20246$(E-Mail Removed)...
> Barb,
>
> I've seeen this data posted by your good self on various replies. Can
> you explain why whatever one enters in the key field with WinXP SP1 or
> SP2, whether 5, 10,13 or 26 characters, when you go back and check it
> afterwards WIndows just shows 8 'blobs'. So.,.....is it actually taking
> notice of what you're entering, is it corrupting it or.....?
>
> I ask because I am using a Netgear WG121 USB adapter on my XP SP2 PC,
> talking to a Draytek Vigor 2600G ADSL router. I use WEP 128 bit
> encryption. When I use the Netgear smart Wizard utility, everything works
> fine. (and it's quite obvious what format to enter the key in with the
> Netgear utility). However, when I prevent the Netgear utility from
> starting up (by removing it from my startup group), and I configure the
> 128 bit WEP key using WZC instead, it never connects to the router. In
> fact, WIndows tells me it doesnt even SEE the network. I've tried
> entering my 26 hex digits many times - every time it doesn't connect, and
> I can only see 8 blobs when I look at the properties for the connection.
> Start up the Netgear utility again and all connects fine.
>
> My conclusion - the WIndows support is not driving the network adapter
> properly and/or not using the key I'm entering.
>
> Why is the WIndows key support so awkward? Are there any known bugs in
> the WEP key support - even with SP2 applied? I had hoped that with the
> changes to wireless support in SP2 that I'd be able to use WZC instead of
> the Netgear utility, but no....BTW, I;m using the very latest Netgear
> WG121 drivers and utility (V2.0 from their web site).
>
> Rgds,
> Mike
>
> "Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> 40 is the same as 64
>> 104 is the same as 128
>>
>> (add 24 to 40 or 104)
>>
>> 1 ASCII Character=8 Bits
>>
>> 1 HEX Character=4 Bits
>>
>>
>> 40 or 64 bit ASCII WEP code has 5 characters
>>
>> 40 or 64 bit HEX WEP code has 10 characters
>>
>>
>> 104 or 128 bit ASCII WEP code has 13 characters
>>
>> 104 or 128 bit HEX WEP code has 26 characters
>>
>>
>> On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:21:01 -0700, "scott b"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can connect
>>>with
>>>no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure the
>>>wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility),
>>>however,
>>>I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level. Windows
>>>is
>>>offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting instead of
>>>64
>>>bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:
>>>
>>>The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your
>>>network
>>>configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of 10 or
>>>26
>>>hexadeciamal characters.
>>>
>>>I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k. How
>>>do
>>>I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my
>>>wireless
>>>NIC offers?
>>>
>>>Thank you in advance
>>
>> --
>> Barb Bowman
>> Expert Zone Columnist
>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>
>

Well hiding the true length of the key from the person who has just entered
it seems pretty pointless to me and just makes problem determination more
uncertain - which given the variable nature of wireless connections is the
last thing one wants. None of the APs, routers or adapter utilities I've
used so far hide the length of the key - only the digits themselves. Then at
least you're pretty sure it's using what you've just typed in. And I've
seen nothing in the help, nor found any article on the Windows support site
so far which states that this is what it does, which just causes
uncertainty.

Take all your points about entering the key, and they've been well
communicated in the past - I only ever type my key in (26 hex digits) or
copy and paste from Notepad. Windows is not helping diagnose the problem by
'hiding' things from me.

The AP is broadcasting the SSID.

I'm beginning to suspect that maybe the Netgear WG121 driver may not be
fully compatible with WZC (whatever SP). After all, it's one of many
drivers for which at installation you get a message saying that it hasn't
gone through the Windows Logo scheme but continue anyway. Does make you
wonder how extensively its been tested with the several patches that have
been produced for XP Wireless over the last year or so.

Mike


"Yves Konigshofer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> As far as I know, the amount of "blobs" is not indicative of the WEP key
> length and is used to hide the true length.
>
> I have not used WEP for a while and not under SP2. Under SP1, there was
> this problem with pasting WEP keys using formatted text (e.g. text copied
> out of programs like Word) while unformatted text (e.g. text copied out of
> Notepad) would work fine. Thus, the solution was to either type in the
> key by hand or to copy and paste the key from Notepad. Keep in mind that
> when entering non-hex keys, case does matter. Also, some routers use
> passphrases to generate a WEP key. Unlike WPA-PSK, there is no standard
> for generating a WEP key from a passphrase and this approach does not work
> with WZC. If you use WEP, you need to enter the final key into WZC.
>
> Finally, WZC usually does not work if you are both using encryption and
> are not broadcasting the access point's SSID.
>
> -Yves
>
> "Mike Ball" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
> news:4130f40d$0$20246$(E-Mail Removed)...
>> Barb,
>>
>> I've seeen this data posted by your good self on various replies. Can
>> you explain why whatever one enters in the key field with WinXP SP1 or
>> SP2, whether 5, 10,13 or 26 characters, when you go back and check it
>> afterwards WIndows just shows 8 'blobs'. So.,.....is it actually taking
>> notice of what you're entering, is it corrupting it or.....?
>>
>> I ask because I am using a Netgear WG121 USB adapter on my XP SP2 PC,
>> talking to a Draytek Vigor 2600G ADSL router. I use WEP 128 bit
>> encryption. When I use the Netgear smart Wizard utility, everything works
>> fine. (and it's quite obvious what format to enter the key in with the
>> Netgear utility). However, when I prevent the Netgear utility from
>> starting up (by removing it from my startup group), and I configure the
>> 128 bit WEP key using WZC instead, it never connects to the router. In
>> fact, WIndows tells me it doesnt even SEE the network. I've tried
>> entering my 26 hex digits many times - every time it doesn't connect, and
>> I can only see 8 blobs when I look at the properties for the connection.
>> Start up the Netgear utility again and all connects fine.
>>
>> My conclusion - the WIndows support is not driving the network adapter
>> properly and/or not using the key I'm entering.
>>
>> Why is the WIndows key support so awkward? Are there any known bugs in
>> the WEP key support - even with SP2 applied? I had hoped that with the
>> changes to wireless support in SP2 that I'd be able to use WZC instead of
>> the Netgear utility, but no....BTW, I;m using the very latest Netgear
>> WG121 drivers and utility (V2.0 from their web site).
>>
>> Rgds,
>> Mike
>>
>> "Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> 40 is the same as 64
>>> 104 is the same as 128
>>>
>>> (add 24 to 40 or 104)
>>>
>>> 1 ASCII Character=8 Bits
>>>
>>> 1 HEX Character=4 Bits
>>>
>>>
>>> 40 or 64 bit ASCII WEP code has 5 characters
>>>
>>> 40 or 64 bit HEX WEP code has 10 characters
>>>
>>>
>>> 104 or 128 bit ASCII WEP code has 13 characters
>>>
>>> 104 or 128 bit HEX WEP code has 26 characters
>>>
>>>
>>> On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:21:01 -0700, "scott b"
>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>
>>>>I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can connect
>>>>with
>>>>no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure the
>>>>wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility),
>>>>however,
>>>>I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level. Windows
>>>>is
>>>>offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting instead
>>>>of 64
>>>>bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:
>>>>
>>>>The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your
>>>>network
>>>>configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of 10
>>>>or 26
>>>>hexadeciamal characters.
>>>>
>>>>I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k. How
>>>>do
>>>>I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my
>>>>wireless
>>>>NIC offers?
>>>>
>>>>Thank you in advance
>>>
>>> --
>>> Barb Bowman
>>> Expert Zone Columnist
>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>>
>>
>
>

In addition to the other replies, you might want to check out the new
wireless network wizard in XP SP2 and see the differences in entering
a WEP key or WPA passphrase. As for Netgear and signed drivers, you
should speak with Netgear's tech support.

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 10:03:43 +0100, "Mike Ball"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Well hiding the true length of the key from the person who has just entered
>it seems pretty pointless to me and just makes problem determination more
>uncertain - which given the variable nature of wireless connections is the
>last thing one wants. None of the APs, routers or adapter utilities I've
>used so far hide the length of the key - only the digits themselves. Then at
>least you're pretty sure it's using what you've just typed in. And I've
>seen nothing in the help, nor found any article on the Windows support site
>so far which states that this is what it does, which just causes
>uncertainty.
>
>Take all your points about entering the key, and they've been well
>communicated in the past - I only ever type my key in (26 hex digits) or
>copy and paste from Notepad. Windows is not helping diagnose the problem by
>'hiding' things from me.
>
>The AP is broadcasting the SSID.
>
>I'm beginning to suspect that maybe the Netgear WG121 driver may not be
>fully compatible with WZC (whatever SP). After all, it's one of many
>drivers for which at installation you get a message saying that it hasn't
>gone through the Windows Logo scheme but continue anyway. Does make you
>wonder how extensively its been tested with the several patches that have
>been produced for XP Wireless over the last year or so.
>
>Mike
>
>
>"Yves Konigshofer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>> As far as I know, the amount of "blobs" is not indicative of the WEP key
>> length and is used to hide the true length.
>>
>> I have not used WEP for a while and not under SP2. Under SP1, there was
>> this problem with pasting WEP keys using formatted text (e.g. text copied
>> out of programs like Word) while unformatted text (e.g. text copied out of
>> Notepad) would work fine. Thus, the solution was to either type in the
>> key by hand or to copy and paste the key from Notepad. Keep in mind that
>> when entering non-hex keys, case does matter. Also, some routers use
>> passphrases to generate a WEP key. Unlike WPA-PSK, there is no standard
>> for generating a WEP key from a passphrase and this approach does not work
>> with WZC. If you use WEP, you need to enter the final key into WZC.
>>
>> Finally, WZC usually does not work if you are both using encryption and
>> are not broadcasting the access point's SSID.
>>
>> -Yves
>>
>> "Mike Ball" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>> news:4130f40d$0$20246$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> Barb,
>>>
>>> I've seeen this data posted by your good self on various replies. Can
>>> you explain why whatever one enters in the key field with WinXP SP1 or
>>> SP2, whether 5, 10,13 or 26 characters, when you go back and check it
>>> afterwards WIndows just shows 8 'blobs'. So.,.....is it actually taking
>>> notice of what you're entering, is it corrupting it or.....?
>>>
>>> I ask because I am using a Netgear WG121 USB adapter on my XP SP2 PC,
>>> talking to a Draytek Vigor 2600G ADSL router. I use WEP 128 bit
>>> encryption. When I use the Netgear smart Wizard utility, everything works
>>> fine. (and it's quite obvious what format to enter the key in with the
>>> Netgear utility). However, when I prevent the Netgear utility from
>>> starting up (by removing it from my startup group), and I configure the
>>> 128 bit WEP key using WZC instead, it never connects to the router. In
>>> fact, WIndows tells me it doesnt even SEE the network. I've tried
>>> entering my 26 hex digits many times - every time it doesn't connect, and
>>> I can only see 8 blobs when I look at the properties for the connection.
>>> Start up the Netgear utility again and all connects fine.
>>>
>>> My conclusion - the WIndows support is not driving the network adapter
>>> properly and/or not using the key I'm entering.
>>>
>>> Why is the WIndows key support so awkward? Are there any known bugs in
>>> the WEP key support - even with SP2 applied? I had hoped that with the
>>> changes to wireless support in SP2 that I'd be able to use WZC instead of
>>> the Netgear utility, but no....BTW, I;m using the very latest Netgear
>>> WG121 drivers and utility (V2.0 from their web site).
>>>
>>> Rgds,
>>> Mike
>>>
>>> "Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> 40 is the same as 64
>>>> 104 is the same as 128
>>>>
>>>> (add 24 to 40 or 104)
>>>>
>>>> 1 ASCII Character=8 Bits
>>>>
>>>> 1 HEX Character=4 Bits
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 40 or 64 bit ASCII WEP code has 5 characters
>>>>
>>>> 40 or 64 bit HEX WEP code has 10 characters
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> 104 or 128 bit ASCII WEP code has 13 characters
>>>>
>>>> 104 or 128 bit HEX WEP code has 26 characters
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:21:01 -0700, "scott b"
>>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can connect
>>>>>with
>>>>>no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure the
>>>>>wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility),
>>>>>however,
>>>>>I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level. Windows
>>>>>is
>>>>>offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting instead
>>>>>of 64
>>>>>bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:
>>>>>
>>>>>The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your
>>>>>network
>>>>>configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of 10
>>>>>or 26
>>>>>hexadeciamal characters.
>>>>>
>>>>>I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k. How
>>>>>do
>>>>>I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my
>>>>>wireless
>>>>>NIC offers?
>>>>>
>>>>>Thank you in advance
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Barb Bowman
>>>> Expert Zone Columnist
>>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>

--
Barb Bowman
Expert Zone Columnist
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
MS-MVP (Windows)

Barb,

I did try the new networking wizard already, tried entering the key using
it - same thing, no connection.

I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than contact Netgear tech support :-)

Mike

"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> In addition to the other replies, you might want to check out the new
> wireless network wizard in XP SP2 and see the differences in entering
> a WEP key or WPA passphrase. As for Netgear and signed drivers, you
> should speak with Netgear's tech support.
>
> On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 10:03:43 +0100, "Mike Ball"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Well hiding the true length of the key from the person who has just
>>entered
>>it seems pretty pointless to me and just makes problem determination more
>>uncertain - which given the variable nature of wireless connections is the
>>last thing one wants. None of the APs, routers or adapter utilities I've
>>used so far hide the length of the key - only the digits themselves. Then
>>at
>>least you're pretty sure it's using what you've just typed in. And I've
>>seen nothing in the help, nor found any article on the Windows support
>>site
>>so far which states that this is what it does, which just causes
>>uncertainty.
>>
>>Take all your points about entering the key, and they've been well
>>communicated in the past - I only ever type my key in (26 hex digits) or
>>copy and paste from Notepad. Windows is not helping diagnose the problem
>>by
>>'hiding' things from me.
>>
>>The AP is broadcasting the SSID.
>>
>>I'm beginning to suspect that maybe the Netgear WG121 driver may not be
>>fully compatible with WZC (whatever SP). After all, it's one of many
>>drivers for which at installation you get a message saying that it hasn't
>>gone through the Windows Logo scheme but continue anyway. Does make you
>>wonder how extensively its been tested with the several patches that have
>>been produced for XP Wireless over the last year or so.
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>
>>"Yves Konigshofer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>> As far as I know, the amount of "blobs" is not indicative of the WEP key
>>> length and is used to hide the true length.
>>>
>>> I have not used WEP for a while and not under SP2. Under SP1, there was
>>> this problem with pasting WEP keys using formatted text (e.g. text
>>> copied
>>> out of programs like Word) while unformatted text (e.g. text copied out
>>> of
>>> Notepad) would work fine. Thus, the solution was to either type in the
>>> key by hand or to copy and paste the key from Notepad. Keep in mind
>>> that
>>> when entering non-hex keys, case does matter. Also, some routers use
>>> passphrases to generate a WEP key. Unlike WPA-PSK, there is no standard
>>> for generating a WEP key from a passphrase and this approach does not
>>> work
>>> with WZC. If you use WEP, you need to enter the final key into WZC.
>>>
>>> Finally, WZC usually does not work if you are both using encryption and
>>> are not broadcasting the access point's SSID.
>>>
>>> -Yves
>>>
>>> "Mike Ball" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>> news:4130f40d$0$20246$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> Barb,
>>>>
>>>> I've seeen this data posted by your good self on various replies. Can
>>>> you explain why whatever one enters in the key field with WinXP SP1 or
>>>> SP2, whether 5, 10,13 or 26 characters, when you go back and check it
>>>> afterwards WIndows just shows 8 'blobs'. So.,.....is it actually
>>>> taking
>>>> notice of what you're entering, is it corrupting it or.....?
>>>>
>>>> I ask because I am using a Netgear WG121 USB adapter on my XP SP2 PC,
>>>> talking to a Draytek Vigor 2600G ADSL router. I use WEP 128 bit
>>>> encryption. When I use the Netgear smart Wizard utility, everything
>>>> works
>>>> fine. (and it's quite obvious what format to enter the key in with the
>>>> Netgear utility). However, when I prevent the Netgear utility from
>>>> starting up (by removing it from my startup group), and I configure the
>>>> 128 bit WEP key using WZC instead, it never connects to the router. In
>>>> fact, WIndows tells me it doesnt even SEE the network. I've tried
>>>> entering my 26 hex digits many times - every time it doesn't connect,
>>>> and
>>>> I can only see 8 blobs when I look at the properties for the
>>>> connection.
>>>> Start up the Netgear utility again and all connects fine.
>>>>
>>>> My conclusion - the WIndows support is not driving the network adapter
>>>> properly and/or not using the key I'm entering.
>>>>
>>>> Why is the WIndows key support so awkward? Are there any known bugs in
>>>> the WEP key support - even with SP2 applied? I had hoped that with the
>>>> changes to wireless support in SP2 that I'd be able to use WZC instead
>>>> of
>>>> the Netgear utility, but no....BTW, I;m using the very latest Netgear
>>>> WG121 drivers and utility (V2.0 from their web site).
>>>>
>>>> Rgds,
>>>> Mike
>>>>
>>>> "Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> 40 is the same as 64
>>>>> 104 is the same as 128
>>>>>
>>>>> (add 24 to 40 or 104)
>>>>>
>>>>> 1 ASCII Character=8 Bits
>>>>>
>>>>> 1 HEX Character=4 Bits
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 40 or 64 bit ASCII WEP code has 5 characters
>>>>>
>>>>> 40 or 64 bit HEX WEP code has 10 characters
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> 104 or 128 bit ASCII WEP code has 13 characters
>>>>>
>>>>> 104 or 128 bit HEX WEP code has 26 characters
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:21:01 -0700, "scott b"
>>>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>>I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can connect
>>>>>>with
>>>>>>no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure
>>>>>>the
>>>>>>wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility),
>>>>>>however,
>>>>>>I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level.
>>>>>>Windows
>>>>>>is
>>>>>>offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting instead
>>>>>>of 64
>>>>>>bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your
>>>>>>network
>>>>>>configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of 10
>>>>>>or 26
>>>>>>hexadeciamal characters.
>>>>>>
>>>>>>I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k.
>>>>>>How
>>>>>>do
>>>>>>I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my
>>>>>>wireless
>>>>>>NIC offers?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>Thank you in advance
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Barb Bowman
>>>>> Expert Zone Columnist
>>>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>>>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>
> --
> Barb Bowman
> Expert Zone Columnist
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> MS-MVP (Windows)

Have you unchecked 802.1x authentication?

On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 15:10:29 +0100, "Mike Ball"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Barb,
>
>I did try the new networking wizard already, tried entering the key using
>it - same thing, no connection.
>
>I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than contact Netgear tech support :-)
>
>Mike
>
>"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>> In addition to the other replies, you might want to check out the new
>> wireless network wizard in XP SP2 and see the differences in entering
>> a WEP key or WPA passphrase. As for Netgear and signed drivers, you
>> should speak with Netgear's tech support.
>>
>> On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 10:03:43 +0100, "Mike Ball"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>Well hiding the true length of the key from the person who has just
>>>entered
>>>it seems pretty pointless to me and just makes problem determination more
>>>uncertain - which given the variable nature of wireless connections is the
>>>last thing one wants. None of the APs, routers or adapter utilities I've
>>>used so far hide the length of the key - only the digits themselves. Then
>>>at
>>>least you're pretty sure it's using what you've just typed in. And I've
>>>seen nothing in the help, nor found any article on the Windows support
>>>site
>>>so far which states that this is what it does, which just causes
>>>uncertainty.
>>>
>>>Take all your points about entering the key, and they've been well
>>>communicated in the past - I only ever type my key in (26 hex digits) or
>>>copy and paste from Notepad. Windows is not helping diagnose the problem
>>>by
>>>'hiding' things from me.
>>>
>>>The AP is broadcasting the SSID.
>>>
>>>I'm beginning to suspect that maybe the Netgear WG121 driver may not be
>>>fully compatible with WZC (whatever SP). After all, it's one of many
>>>drivers for which at installation you get a message saying that it hasn't
>>>gone through the Windows Logo scheme but continue anyway. Does make you
>>>wonder how extensively its been tested with the several patches that have
>>>been produced for XP Wireless over the last year or so.
>>>
>>>Mike
>>>
>>>
>>>"Yves Konigshofer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>> As far as I know, the amount of "blobs" is not indicative of the WEP key
>>>> length and is used to hide the true length.
>>>>
>>>> I have not used WEP for a while and not under SP2. Under SP1, there was
>>>> this problem with pasting WEP keys using formatted text (e.g. text
>>>> copied
>>>> out of programs like Word) while unformatted text (e.g. text copied out
>>>> of
>>>> Notepad) would work fine. Thus, the solution was to either type in the
>>>> key by hand or to copy and paste the key from Notepad. Keep in mind
>>>> that
>>>> when entering non-hex keys, case does matter. Also, some routers use
>>>> passphrases to generate a WEP key. Unlike WPA-PSK, there is no standard
>>>> for generating a WEP key from a passphrase and this approach does not
>>>> work
>>>> with WZC. If you use WEP, you need to enter the final key into WZC.
>>>>
>>>> Finally, WZC usually does not work if you are both using encryption and
>>>> are not broadcasting the access point's SSID.
>>>>
>>>> -Yves
>>>>
>>>> "Mike Ball" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>> news:4130f40d$0$20246$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>> Barb,
>>>>>
>>>>> I've seeen this data posted by your good self on various replies. Can
>>>>> you explain why whatever one enters in the key field with WinXP SP1 or
>>>>> SP2, whether 5, 10,13 or 26 characters, when you go back and check it
>>>>> afterwards WIndows just shows 8 'blobs'. So.,.....is it actually
>>>>> taking
>>>>> notice of what you're entering, is it corrupting it or.....?
>>>>>
>>>>> I ask because I am using a Netgear WG121 USB adapter on my XP SP2 PC,
>>>>> talking to a Draytek Vigor 2600G ADSL router. I use WEP 128 bit
>>>>> encryption. When I use the Netgear smart Wizard utility, everything
>>>>> works
>>>>> fine. (and it's quite obvious what format to enter the key in with the
>>>>> Netgear utility). However, when I prevent the Netgear utility from
>>>>> starting up (by removing it from my startup group), and I configure the
>>>>> 128 bit WEP key using WZC instead, it never connects to the router. In
>>>>> fact, WIndows tells me it doesnt even SEE the network. I've tried
>>>>> entering my 26 hex digits many times - every time it doesn't connect,
>>>>> and
>>>>> I can only see 8 blobs when I look at the properties for the
>>>>> connection.
>>>>> Start up the Netgear utility again and all connects fine.
>>>>>
>>>>> My conclusion - the WIndows support is not driving the network adapter
>>>>> properly and/or not using the key I'm entering.
>>>>>
>>>>> Why is the WIndows key support so awkward? Are there any known bugs in
>>>>> the WEP key support - even with SP2 applied? I had hoped that with the
>>>>> changes to wireless support in SP2 that I'd be able to use WZC instead
>>>>> of
>>>>> the Netgear utility, but no....BTW, I;m using the very latest Netgear
>>>>> WG121 drivers and utility (V2.0 from their web site).
>>>>>
>>>>> Rgds,
>>>>> Mike
>>>>>
>>>>> "Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>> 40 is the same as 64
>>>>>> 104 is the same as 128
>>>>>>
>>>>>> (add 24 to 40 or 104)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1 ASCII Character=8 Bits
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 1 HEX Character=4 Bits
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 40 or 64 bit ASCII WEP code has 5 characters
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 40 or 64 bit HEX WEP code has 10 characters
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 104 or 128 bit ASCII WEP code has 13 characters
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 104 or 128 bit HEX WEP code has 26 characters
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:21:01 -0700, "scott b"
>>>>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can connect
>>>>>>>with
>>>>>>>no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure
>>>>>>>the
>>>>>>>wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility),
>>>>>>>however,
>>>>>>>I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level.
>>>>>>>Windows
>>>>>>>is
>>>>>>>offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting instead
>>>>>>>of 64
>>>>>>>bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your
>>>>>>>network
>>>>>>>configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of 10
>>>>>>>or 26
>>>>>>>hexadeciamal characters.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k.
>>>>>>>How
>>>>>>>do
>>>>>>>I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my
>>>>>>>wireless
>>>>>>>NIC offers?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>Thank you in advance
>>>>>>
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Barb Bowman
>>>>>> Expert Zone Columnist
>>>>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>>>>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Barb Bowman
>> Expert Zone Columnist
>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>

--
Barb Bowman
Expert Zone Columnist
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
MS-MVP (Windows)

Absolutely.

It is unchecked.

Mike


"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
news:(E-Mail Removed)...
> Have you unchecked 802.1x authentication?
>
> On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 15:10:29 +0100, "Mike Ball"
> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>
>>Barb,
>>
>>I did try the new networking wizard already, tried entering the key using
>>it - same thing, no connection.
>>
>>I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than contact Netgear tech support :-)
>>
>>Mike
>>
>>"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>news:(E-Mail Removed). ..
>>> In addition to the other replies, you might want to check out the new
>>> wireless network wizard in XP SP2 and see the differences in entering
>>> a WEP key or WPA passphrase. As for Netgear and signed drivers, you
>>> should speak with Netgear's tech support.
>>>
>>> On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 10:03:43 +0100, "Mike Ball"
>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>
>>>>Well hiding the true length of the key from the person who has just
>>>>entered
>>>>it seems pretty pointless to me and just makes problem determination
>>>>more
>>>>uncertain - which given the variable nature of wireless connections is
>>>>the
>>>>last thing one wants. None of the APs, routers or adapter utilities
>>>>I've
>>>>used so far hide the length of the key - only the digits themselves.
>>>>Then
>>>>at
>>>>least you're pretty sure it's using what you've just typed in. And I've
>>>>seen nothing in the help, nor found any article on the Windows support
>>>>site
>>>>so far which states that this is what it does, which just causes
>>>>uncertainty.
>>>>
>>>>Take all your points about entering the key, and they've been well
>>>>communicated in the past - I only ever type my key in (26 hex digits) or
>>>>copy and paste from Notepad. Windows is not helping diagnose the
>>>>problem
>>>>by
>>>>'hiding' things from me.
>>>>
>>>>The AP is broadcasting the SSID.
>>>>
>>>>I'm beginning to suspect that maybe the Netgear WG121 driver may not be
>>>>fully compatible with WZC (whatever SP). After all, it's one of many
>>>>drivers for which at installation you get a message saying that it
>>>>hasn't
>>>>gone through the Windows Logo scheme but continue anyway. Does make you
>>>>wonder how extensively its been tested with the several patches that
>>>>have
>>>>been produced for XP Wireless over the last year or so.
>>>>
>>>>Mike
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>"Yves Konigshofer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>>>>> As far as I know, the amount of "blobs" is not indicative of the WEP
>>>>> key
>>>>> length and is used to hide the true length.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have not used WEP for a while and not under SP2. Under SP1, there
>>>>> was
>>>>> this problem with pasting WEP keys using formatted text (e.g. text
>>>>> copied
>>>>> out of programs like Word) while unformatted text (e.g. text copied
>>>>> out
>>>>> of
>>>>> Notepad) would work fine. Thus, the solution was to either type in
>>>>> the
>>>>> key by hand or to copy and paste the key from Notepad. Keep in mind
>>>>> that
>>>>> when entering non-hex keys, case does matter. Also, some routers use
>>>>> passphrases to generate a WEP key. Unlike WPA-PSK, there is no
>>>>> standard
>>>>> for generating a WEP key from a passphrase and this approach does not
>>>>> work
>>>>> with WZC. If you use WEP, you need to enter the final key into WZC.
>>>>>
>>>>> Finally, WZC usually does not work if you are both using encryption
>>>>> and
>>>>> are not broadcasting the access point's SSID.
>>>>>
>>>>> -Yves
>>>>>
>>>>> "Mike Ball" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>> news:4130f40d$0$20246$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>> Barb,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I've seeen this data posted by your good self on various replies.
>>>>>> Can
>>>>>> you explain why whatever one enters in the key field with WinXP SP1
>>>>>> or
>>>>>> SP2, whether 5, 10,13 or 26 characters, when you go back and check it
>>>>>> afterwards WIndows just shows 8 'blobs'. So.,.....is it actually
>>>>>> taking
>>>>>> notice of what you're entering, is it corrupting it or.....?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I ask because I am using a Netgear WG121 USB adapter on my XP SP2 PC,
>>>>>> talking to a Draytek Vigor 2600G ADSL router. I use WEP 128 bit
>>>>>> encryption. When I use the Netgear smart Wizard utility, everything
>>>>>> works
>>>>>> fine. (and it's quite obvious what format to enter the key in with
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> Netgear utility). However, when I prevent the Netgear utility from
>>>>>> starting up (by removing it from my startup group), and I configure
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> 128 bit WEP key using WZC instead, it never connects to the router.
>>>>>> In
>>>>>> fact, WIndows tells me it doesnt even SEE the network. I've tried
>>>>>> entering my 26 hex digits many times - every time it doesn't connect,
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> I can only see 8 blobs when I look at the properties for the
>>>>>> connection.
>>>>>> Start up the Netgear utility again and all connects fine.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> My conclusion - the WIndows support is not driving the network
>>>>>> adapter
>>>>>> properly and/or not using the key I'm entering.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Why is the WIndows key support so awkward? Are there any known bugs
>>>>>> in
>>>>>> the WEP key support - even with SP2 applied? I had hoped that with
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> changes to wireless support in SP2 that I'd be able to use WZC
>>>>>> instead
>>>>>> of
>>>>>> the Netgear utility, but no....BTW, I;m using the very latest Netgear
>>>>>> WG121 drivers and utility (V2.0 from their web site).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rgds,
>>>>>> Mike
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>> 40 is the same as 64
>>>>>>> 104 is the same as 128
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> (add 24 to 40 or 104)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 1 ASCII Character=8 Bits
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 1 HEX Character=4 Bits
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 40 or 64 bit ASCII WEP code has 5 characters
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 40 or 64 bit HEX WEP code has 10 characters
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 104 or 128 bit ASCII WEP code has 13 characters
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 104 or 128 bit HEX WEP code has 26 characters
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:21:01 -0700, "scott b"
>>>>>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can
>>>>>>>>connect
>>>>>>>>with
>>>>>>>>no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure
>>>>>>>>the
>>>>>>>>wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility),
>>>>>>>>however,
>>>>>>>>I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level.
>>>>>>>>Windows
>>>>>>>>is
>>>>>>>>offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting
>>>>>>>>instead
>>>>>>>>of 64
>>>>>>>>bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your
>>>>>>>>network
>>>>>>>>configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of
>>>>>>>>10
>>>>>>>>or 26
>>>>>>>>hexadeciamal characters.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k.
>>>>>>>>How
>>>>>>>>do
>>>>>>>>I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my
>>>>>>>>wireless
>>>>>>>>NIC offers?
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>Thank you in advance
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>> Barb Bowman
>>>>>>> Expert Zone Columnist
>>>>>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>>>>>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Barb Bowman
>>> Expert Zone Columnist
>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>>
>
> --
> Barb Bowman
> Expert Zone Columnist
> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
> MS-MVP (Windows)

If you have the latest Netgear drivers and are having this problem,
I'm afraid I have to send you to Netgear support. If it isn't WHQL'd,
as you say, ask them for WHQL's drivers.

On Mon, 30 Aug 2004 21:13:04 +0100, "Mike Ball"
<(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:

>Absolutely.
>
>It is unchecked.
>
>Mike
>
>
>"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>news:(E-Mail Removed).. .
>> Have you unchecked 802.1x authentication?
>>
>> On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 15:10:29 +0100, "Mike Ball"
>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>
>>>Barb,
>>>
>>>I did try the new networking wizard already, tried entering the key using
>>>it - same thing, no connection.
>>>
>>>I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than contact Netgear tech support :-)
>>>
>>>Mike
>>>
>>>"Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>news:(E-Mail Removed) ...
>>>> In addition to the other replies, you might want to check out the new
>>>> wireless network wizard in XP SP2 and see the differences in entering
>>>> a WEP key or WPA passphrase. As for Netgear and signed drivers, you
>>>> should speak with Netgear's tech support.
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, 29 Aug 2004 10:03:43 +0100, "Mike Ball"
>>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>Well hiding the true length of the key from the person who has just
>>>>>entered
>>>>>it seems pretty pointless to me and just makes problem determination
>>>>>more
>>>>>uncertain - which given the variable nature of wireless connections is
>>>>>the
>>>>>last thing one wants. None of the APs, routers or adapter utilities
>>>>>I've
>>>>>used so far hide the length of the key - only the digits themselves.
>>>>>Then
>>>>>at
>>>>>least you're pretty sure it's using what you've just typed in. And I've
>>>>>seen nothing in the help, nor found any article on the Windows support
>>>>>site
>>>>>so far which states that this is what it does, which just causes
>>>>>uncertainty.
>>>>>
>>>>>Take all your points about entering the key, and they've been well
>>>>>communicated in the past - I only ever type my key in (26 hex digits) or
>>>>>copy and paste from Notepad. Windows is not helping diagnose the
>>>>>problem
>>>>>by
>>>>>'hiding' things from me.
>>>>>
>>>>>The AP is broadcasting the SSID.
>>>>>
>>>>>I'm beginning to suspect that maybe the Netgear WG121 driver may not be
>>>>>fully compatible with WZC (whatever SP). After all, it's one of many
>>>>>drivers for which at installation you get a message saying that it
>>>>>hasn't
>>>>>gone through the Windows Logo scheme but continue anyway. Does make you
>>>>>wonder how extensively its been tested with the several patches that
>>>>>have
>>>>>been produced for XP Wireless over the last year or so.
>>>>>
>>>>>Mike
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>"Yves Konigshofer" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>news:(E-Mail Removed). ..
>>>>>> As far as I know, the amount of "blobs" is not indicative of the WEP
>>>>>> key
>>>>>> length and is used to hide the true length.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I have not used WEP for a while and not under SP2. Under SP1, there
>>>>>> was
>>>>>> this problem with pasting WEP keys using formatted text (e.g. text
>>>>>> copied
>>>>>> out of programs like Word) while unformatted text (e.g. text copied
>>>>>> out
>>>>>> of
>>>>>> Notepad) would work fine. Thus, the solution was to either type in
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> key by hand or to copy and paste the key from Notepad. Keep in mind
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> when entering non-hex keys, case does matter. Also, some routers use
>>>>>> passphrases to generate a WEP key. Unlike WPA-PSK, there is no
>>>>>> standard
>>>>>> for generating a WEP key from a passphrase and this approach does not
>>>>>> work
>>>>>> with WZC. If you use WEP, you need to enter the final key into WZC.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Finally, WZC usually does not work if you are both using encryption
>>>>>> and
>>>>>> are not broadcasting the access point's SSID.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Yves
>>>>>>
>>>>>> "Mike Ball" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>> news:4130f40d$0$20246$(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>> Barb,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I've seeen this data posted by your good self on various replies.
>>>>>>> Can
>>>>>>> you explain why whatever one enters in the key field with WinXP SP1
>>>>>>> or
>>>>>>> SP2, whether 5, 10,13 or 26 characters, when you go back and check it
>>>>>>> afterwards WIndows just shows 8 'blobs'. So.,.....is it actually
>>>>>>> taking
>>>>>>> notice of what you're entering, is it corrupting it or.....?
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I ask because I am using a Netgear WG121 USB adapter on my XP SP2 PC,
>>>>>>> talking to a Draytek Vigor 2600G ADSL router. I use WEP 128 bit
>>>>>>> encryption. When I use the Netgear smart Wizard utility, everything
>>>>>>> works
>>>>>>> fine. (and it's quite obvious what format to enter the key in with
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> Netgear utility). However, when I prevent the Netgear utility from
>>>>>>> starting up (by removing it from my startup group), and I configure
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> 128 bit WEP key using WZC instead, it never connects to the router.
>>>>>>> In
>>>>>>> fact, WIndows tells me it doesnt even SEE the network. I've tried
>>>>>>> entering my 26 hex digits many times - every time it doesn't connect,
>>>>>>> and
>>>>>>> I can only see 8 blobs when I look at the properties for the
>>>>>>> connection.
>>>>>>> Start up the Netgear utility again and all connects fine.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> My conclusion - the WIndows support is not driving the network
>>>>>>> adapter
>>>>>>> properly and/or not using the key I'm entering.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Why is the WIndows key support so awkward? Are there any known bugs
>>>>>>> in
>>>>>>> the WEP key support - even with SP2 applied? I had hoped that with
>>>>>>> the
>>>>>>> changes to wireless support in SP2 that I'd be able to use WZC
>>>>>>> instead
>>>>>>> of
>>>>>>> the Netgear utility, but no....BTW, I;m using the very latest Netgear
>>>>>>> WG121 drivers and utility (V2.0 from their web site).
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Rgds,
>>>>>>> Mike
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Barb Bowman [MVP-Windows]" <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote in message
>>>>>>> news:(E-Mail Removed)...
>>>>>>>> 40 is the same as 64
>>>>>>>> 104 is the same as 128
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> (add 24 to 40 or 104)
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 1 ASCII Character=8 Bits
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 1 HEX Character=4 Bits
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 40 or 64 bit ASCII WEP code has 5 characters
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 40 or 64 bit HEX WEP code has 10 characters
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 104 or 128 bit ASCII WEP code has 13 characters
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> 104 or 128 bit HEX WEP code has 26 characters
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> On Sun, 22 Aug 2004 18:21:01 -0700, "scott b"
>>>>>>>> <(E-Mail Removed)> wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I have a laptop with XP and a Linksys WPC11 ver 3 card. I can
>>>>>>>>>connect
>>>>>>>>>with
>>>>>>>>>no problem when I have the WEP disabled (using windows to configure
>>>>>>>>>the
>>>>>>>>>wireless network settings versus the linksys configuration utility),
>>>>>>>>>however,
>>>>>>>>>I am having an icompatibility issue with the encryption level.
>>>>>>>>>Windows
>>>>>>>>>is
>>>>>>>>>offering me a choice of 40 bits or 104 bits for my WEP setting
>>>>>>>>>instead
>>>>>>>>>of 64
>>>>>>>>>bits or 128 bits. Here is the error message:
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>The network password needs to be 40bits or 104bits depending on your
>>>>>>>>>network
>>>>>>>>>configuragtion. This can be entered as 5 or 13 ascii characters of
>>>>>>>>>10
>>>>>>>>>or 26
>>>>>>>>>hexadeciamal characters.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>I am admittedly new to XP, I have not had these issues with Win 2k.
>>>>>>>>>How
>>>>>>>>>do
>>>>>>>>>I get XP to offer the 128bits (or 64bits for that matter) that my
>>>>>>>>>wireless
>>>>>>>>>NIC offers?
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>Thank you in advance
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>> Barb Bowman
>>>>>>>> Expert Zone Columnist
>>>>>>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>>>>>>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Barb Bowman
>>>> Expert Zone Columnist
>>>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>>>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>>>
>>
>> --
>> Barb Bowman
>> Expert Zone Columnist
>> http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
>> MS-MVP (Windows)
>

--
Barb Bowman
Expert Zone Columnist
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/expertzone
MS-MVP (Windows)