WEP key index?

If you can switch to WPA this will easily solve the issue and make your network secure.

One of the problems with WEP is that the actual standard relies on a 10 character HEX key for 40bit WEP and a 26 character HEX key for 128bit WEP.

In order to make things easier for people, vendors use certain algorithms to convert simple alphanumeric passwords (or passphrases) into HEX keys, thus enabling people to use simple memorable WEP password rather than lengthy HEX keys.

The problem is that different vendors use different algorithms to generate the HEX key and therefore a ASCII password on an AEBS will be hashed differently on a Netgear client and vice versa.

One thing is a 13 character 128 bit WEP password will be hashed by all vendors in the same way (if you use 40bit WEP then a 5 character password is required).

Though sometimes not even that works and the HEX key must be used regardless.

AirPort: Joining an encrypted wireless network
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106424

Choosing a password for networks that use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108058

iFelix

Same problem here. I've got a WEP key (26 hex characters) but the base stations are set to use key index 2. I don't have any control over the base stations. Airport connects to the base station and has good signal, but the interface uses a self-assigned IP address and can't talk to anything.

The problem seems to be the inability to select a WEP
key index in Mac OSX? Am I the only one with this
problem? Did i some how miss this setting? Please
help!

OS X can only use the first key index.

iFelix