8.04, cant't connect to wireless net with WEP key

[David McGlone]

On Saturday 04 April 2009 11:06:12 am Mark Fraser wrote:
> On Saturday 04 April 2009 03:36:30 David McGlone wrote:
> > On Friday 03 April 2009 7:05:48 pm Mark Greenwood wrote:
> > > On Saturday 04 April 2009 00:27:42 Uwe Brauer wrote:
> > > > Mark Greenwood wrote:
> > > > > On Friday 03 April 2009 23:04:59 Uwe Brauer wrote:
> > > > >> Hello
> > > > >>
> > > > >> this is odd. I can connect to every open wireless net, I even can
> > > > >> connect to wireless net using WPA 2 keys.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> But I tried to connect to a network with WEP enabled and finally
> > > > >> the connection gets refused.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> I can perfectly connect using MS XP, so I am wondering that may be
> > > > >> knetworkmanager does not transmit the key undamaged.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Or can somebody point me out how to connect to a wireless net with
> > > > >> WEP using other tools than knetworkmanager.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> no nm-applet does not work neither.
> > > > >>
> > > > >> thanks
> > > > >>
> > > > >> Uwe Brauer
> > > > >
> > > > > I'm not using 8.04, but I spent literally hours and hours trying to
> > > > > get my wireless to work on 9.04 until I noticed a setting in
> > > > > networkmanager - "Key Type" was set to 'passphrase' by default. I
> > > > > changed it to 'Hex Key' and, since I'd been entering my Hex Key, it
> > > > > suddenly started working. D'Oh! :)
> > > > >
> > > > > Mark
> > > >
> > > > Hm I must ask a very silly question, suppose the key is is set to HEX
> > > > but the passwd is
> > > > MyHexPa55w0rd
> > > >
> > > > shall I then type MyHexPa55w0rd or the
> > > > hex aquivalent of MyHexPa55w0rd which might be
> > > > 4d 79 48 65 78 50 61 35 35 77 30 72 64
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Uwe
> > >
> > > If your key is 'MyHexPa55w0rd' then that is a passphrase, not a hex
> > > key..
> > >
> > > :) In which case you would need to set Key Type to 'Passphrase'.
> > >
> > > I've only ever used Hex Keys - my router gives me the option of a
> > > 10-digit hex key (eg 01 23 45 AB CD) or a Passphrase (eg
> > > MyHexPa55w0rd). I always use the 10 digit Hex Key because I've always
> > > had trouble with getting Passphrases to work.
> > >
> > > What happens 'behind the scenes' when you use a passphrase is that some
> > > algorithm turns it into a hex key anyway.
> >
> > I found that the passphrase doesn't work. I can't even remember how far
> > back if at all it even worked. I have always had to enter the hex key.
> >
> > now days I quit using encryption all together and just use mac address
> > filtering.
>
> This might explain why I can never connect to a certain network that I only
> have the passphrase for, all other networks I connect to I generally have
> the hex key.
>
> As someone else mentioned, am I right in believing there is an algorithm
> that converts the passphrase to the hex key? If so, could this algorithm be
> wrong?

I can almost guarantee that is the problem. Another problem I had when setting 
up a network connection when using the graphical network tool in kde 3 was 
that when I  would choose "hex" option and enter my hex key, save the setting 
and exit, I would have to go back in and do it all over again, because the 1st 
time would always lose my settings. I finally just started editing my 
/etc/network/interfaces file by hand when I do fresh installs.