[Bug 339313] Re: Kubuntu Jaunty: Cannot Connect To Wireless Network with WEP shared key

[Mike Weaver]

I realise that this is now an older bug but it appears to be the same in
the latest Ubuntu 10.04. Like other correspondents, I was unable to log
into (authenticate) WEP networks but was able to log into WPA-PSK
networks. I have tried unloading Network Manager and loading wicd - same
problem. However, I think i have found the problem. It is alluded to by
Ryan on here on 17 Oct 2009.

I set up a spare wireless AP today with the same parameters as the one
at work that I was unable to authenticate to - SSID SNAP WEP
authentication password 12345. I still had the same problem - was unable
to authenticate. However, in a blinding flash, I remembered that when I
set the password - 12345 - on the wireless AP, it gave me four 10 digit
hex KEYS (my caps). I changed the key on the WEP details for the SNAP
network to the first key - E235485511. It worked!!! I then checked on-
line for a 'WEP key generator' and found that the pass-phrase 12345
would ALWAYS generate the self-same keys. So this seems to be the
problem - the WEP networks actually require the Hex key that is
generated when you enter a 'normal' pass-phrase. In my case, it wanted
key #1 - the one I have shown above. Now I accept that I may have been
staring this in the face for a while as WICD (and Network Manager)
actually asks for the WEP key and I - and I suspect many other people
with the same problem - have been entering the WEP "pass-phrase"
instead. BUT - my home WPA-PSK network also asks for the 'pre-shared
key' and when I type in my everyday common English passphrase - it
works!! There is clearly no consistency here! For WEP, I MUST NOT type
in the normal ASCII passphrase, but for WPA I MUST type in the normal
ASCII passphrase........

This is the sort of error that will completely throw people. OK, many -
most? - wireless networks today probably use WPA but WEP is still
around. BTW, I disagree with the statement read here that the 'hash will
vary by AP manufacturer'. I suspect that the keys generated for a
specific passphrase will always be the same. Hopefully, this CAN be
easily fixed.

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Kubuntu Jaunty: Cannot Connect To Wireless Network with WEP shared key
https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/339313
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