WEP, shared key

[Matek]

A friend of mine has a problem with a wireless network. It's using WEP security, but he also has to set some additional, non-default settings - "key #3" and "shared key". These settings are available somewhere in the settings when connecting to the wireless network in Windows or Linux (his roomates' laptops), but we can't seem to find them in OS X.

I went through System Preferences -> Network -> Airport, but I can't seem to find anything. If I just enter the password, it tells me the password is invalid and doesn't connect.

 

[Consultant]

In the router, on the same page as "key #3" and "shared key"
there will be a string of text/numbers next to "key #3"
that's the key. Need to enter as WEP/hex I think.

Also that kind of WEP security is fairly useless. They should use WPA2 security instead.

 

[angelwatt]

See Apple's documentation that mentions trying the add a $ at the start of the password if it's in hexadecimal format (contains numbers and only letters A-F). Idea came from this thread.

 

[Matek]

In the router, on the same page as "key #3" and "shared key"
there will be a string of text/numbers next to "key #3"
that's the key.

He knows the key, that's not the problem. The thing is there should be an option on the client side to select which one of the multiple keys to use. As I said, the dialog is there on Linux and Windows, there must be some way to set this on OS X.

Need to enter as WEP/hex I think.

We tried all options (WEP Password, WEP 40/128 hex, ...) and none work.

Also that kind of WEP security is fairly useless. They should use WPA2 security instead.

That was my initial suggestion as well, unfortunately they are not allowed to access the router, so it's out of the question.

See Apple's documentation that mentions trying the add a $ at the start of the password if it's in hexadecimal format (contains numbers and only letters A-F). Idea came from this thread.

Thanks, but it doesn't help. The input field doesn't allow you to do this in WEP Password and WEP 40/128-bit hex modes anyway, only in ASCII mode where it doesn't apply - it's an old article. It's probably done automatically anyway, the problem lies elswhere.

 

[Consultant]

I think they entered password instead of the Hex key.

Try to convert it
http://wepkey.com/

 

[angelwatt]

Well, you could always crack the WEP. It's done pretty easily. Just use Google to find out how. It's not illegal since it sounds like you're suppose to have access to the router.

 

[Matek]

I think they entered password instead of the Hex key.

Try to convert it
http://wepkey.com/

The key is already in HEX, so that's not the problem, I'm afraid.

Well, you could always crack the WEP. It's done pretty easily. Just use Google to find out how. It's not illegal since it sounds like you're suppose to have access to the router.

Cracking wireless usually means finding the password to the network. We already have it, we're looking for settings that will let us properly connect to the network.

The router is in their apartment, so they could easily reset it, but it's a rented place and the router belongs to the owner who won't let them change settings. We've exhausted solutions in that area, I'm afraid.

 

[ScoobyMcDoo]

If they have physical access to the router, they could maybe <accidentally> press the reset button for 10 seconds or so to reset it to factory defaults.


Or maybe they could just buy their own router and replace the one that's there???

From what I have read, they will not be able to connect with the way the router is now setup.