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WEP Keys in Mac OS X?
antmo asks: "Mac OS X doesn't allow you to specify which WEP key index (1-4) one wishes to use, via the Network preferences. This causes me much pain, since my employer's wireless network uses a key index other than 1. I know the AirPort card allows for this, as I am able to set all four keys in Open BSD and Debian Linux. I don't know whether this is a limitation of Mac OS X's AirPort driver or simply the preferences. I've looked all over the net, posted to many discussion forums (since March of this year), done quite a bit of tinkering with the config files and still don't have a clue how to, if possible, set which key index to send. I have not heard a thing from Apple about this, which leads me to believe they're not going to add this ability. Does anyone know whether a fix from Apple is forthcoming? Anyone know a hack to get this working?"
Just go to the configuration page for the card and type in number in the box. It's the 3rd control down.
You need to enter the key with a $ prepended to it and using the hex. Think of hex and pascal. I have never tried 64 bit WEP.
What we see depends on mainly what we look for. -- John Lubbock Now search for that bug slave!
For those of you who do not understand my question, please don't bother commenting.
I've set which WEP key to use in my linksys WAP. I forced it on key 1. I then took the hex key it gave me and put that in for the password in the wireless network. For some reason I can't use the passphrase and let it adjust. Hope this helps, it works for me at least.
An 802.11b network, using WEP, allows for 4 separate WEP keys to be defined. You can then choose, within the WAP, which one you want your network clients to use/send. Think of it as part if the key. MacOSX's network configuration for the airport card, will only allow you send whatever WEP key you entered, as key index 1. If your WAP is setup to expect key index 2, 3 or 4, regardless of what the password is (could be the same for all 4 keys), it will not accept your WEP key. You must send the index which the WAP is configured to expect, along with the key.
There are 4 keys because they can be *rotated* ... only one is active at any time. If the index is set at #3 on your AP and key number three is 1234ABCDEF, then a computer set to use the key 1234ABCDEF will work. Forget the key index. It has little to do with anything unless you actually rotate your keys.
by linuxpng on 16:12 Sunday 06 October 2002 (#4398291)
(User #314861 Info)
I've set which WEP key to use in my linksys WAP. I forced it on key 1. I then took the hex key it gave me and put that in for the password in the wireless network. For some reason I can't use the passphrase and let it adjust. Hope this helps, it works for me at least.
I'm a big retard who forgot to log out of Slashdot on Mike's computer! LOOK AT ME.
Google seriously bombs out on this one "wep key index"
Oh wait, when I search for wep "key index"I get much better results.
BTW do you have the latest drivers. I think they're at http://www.apple.com/airport/ though the page appears very airport Base Station-centric
and the AP doesn't have to ignore it, and it would seem antmo's doesn't
By the way, this is a real issue, contrary to what a lot of the posters on this thread seem to think - the best explanation of the "key index" I have found is in the PDF file at http://www.practicallynetworked.com/downloads/Othe r/tb-027.pdf
FYI, the Wi-Fi certification testing only tests one key at a time, in slot 1 (that's slot 0, if you count like a good C programmer). There are many things that the 802.11 specs allow, that are nevertheless outside of what Wi-Fi certifies. This is one of them.
Let your sysadmin know that s/he's configured the network in a non-Wi-Fi-compliant manner, and maybe s/he'll see the light.
Works fine here. Don't look for any new PBs until January at least.
- I am made of meat.
$ precedent, quotation or how you set you WAP.
He ___cannot___ change the AP and it's not even vaguely related to key size or interpretation of the key by the AP.
So... please... no more posts about the above.
And, sorry antmo, I don't know. I haven't seen any notes on this anywhere. My theory would be that it didn't hit high enough on the bug list ("does our wap work? ok, then skip it for now").
- I am made of meat.
In my case I have snow iBook and an airport card, which apparently just some toshiba hardware with an Apple label. The problem is that it prompts for a network name and password. I can configure my Netgear access point to do WEP, but how do I do that with my little iBook? Do I just copy/paste one of the segments or all of the segments into the password field?
A better question would be, why is Apple being such a pain about this? I should be able to connect my airport card to base stations with WEP, just as 802.11b specifies. It seems like an interface bug.
A list of instructions would be very helpful. Posting a screenshot of the login prompt would be even better.
Brennan Stehling - http://brennan.offwhite.net/blog/
I don't even bother with WEP, WAY too easy to hack, that is why there are VPN applications that run on top of it...
Oh well, anyone that wants to rely on bad/wierdly configured security should expect trouble... Guess it is time to be modded down myself to -1 Troll...
I have mod points and I am not afraid to use them
I've got an Airport, 1 Mac, and a Windows machine with a Belkin card. The card's software expects the keys to work one way, and the Airport another; the end result is that the only way I've been able to get the network to work is by disabling WEP and passwording on the network - not a desirable outcome! (Fortunately this isn't a work network!)
Any detailed faqs out there on this?
Hmm, this really isn't difficult. Select your AP from the menu. If it uses WEP, the Mac will ask for your WEP key. (it calls it a password...)
:)
You used to have to put ASCII keys in quotes or preceed hex keys with a dollar sign, but in Jaguar there is a menu where you select the type of key ("password") you are entering. Sorry, no screenshot for you, you'll have to figure this out on your own...
Thanks. The simple stuff always seems to be glossed over with more advanced discussions. I will look forward to setting up my WEP connection. I am not really worried about security, but would like to use it if possible. For about 4 months now my home network was done without encryption because OS X 10.1 did not make it clear how to run WEP. It would also be helpful if Netgear would provide some OS X instructions. From the reviews which I have read, the other network hardware companies do a good job of providing information for users of Apple hardware.
Perhaps I can make my own screenshot and save it on a website somewhere.
Brennan Stehling - http://brennan.offwhite.net/blog/
Typing in a password is too tough for you? 10.1 supported WEP fine, with the possible exception of this weird setup the origional poster describes.
Nifty part about Apple's software is that it supports multiple networks (not concurrently) very well... I take my laptop from the work network to home and it IDs the network and makes the switch properly. Both are non-advertised networks with 128 bit WEP keys.
There is little point to using WEP anymore. It may keep out people who know nothing about the software from accidentally connecting to your network, but if someone actually wants to spy on you or steal your bandwidth, they can just use AirSnort to break the encryption in seconds.
On the other hand, try convincing your boss of that...
I hereby place the above post in the public domain.
I'm guessing that because I don't have an AirPort card in my mac that I don't see anything AirPort Specific yet. Worth a look anyway...