Version: 0.1 (using KDE KDE 3.5.6) Installed from: Ubuntu Packages Compiler: gcc (GCC) 4.1.2 20060928 (prerelease) (Ubuntu 4.1.1-13ubuntu5) OS: Linux When connecting to a WEP-encrypted network, there are three options for a password type: WEP Passphrase WEP 40/104-bit hex WEP 40/104-bit ascii I cannot make any sense of the default option, "WEP Passphrase". If I try to use my 5-letter password for my network, it gets converted into some very long key, and doesn't work. "WEP Passphrase" seems to accept a password of any length - not just 5/13 letters for ascii and 10/26 for hex. I've never seen such options in other programs - in Windows, in wlassistant, etc. Is it just me, or is something wrong with that option? Also, would it be more intuitive if the other two options were combined? So knetworkmananger would choose "ascii" for 5/13 character passwords and "hex" for 10/26 ones.
The algorithm for passphrase encoding is 'take the md5sum of the passphrase, then convert that to hex, then take the first 10 or 26 digits, repeating as needed'. So it provides enough hex to create the key. What is the hex key as sent by knetworkmanager (use iwconfig to see) and how does it compare to the actual hex key needed? > Also, would it be more intuitive if the other two options were combined? So > knetworkmananger would choose "ascii" for 5/13 character passwords and "hex" > for 10/26 ones. Yes, good point.
> The algorithm for passphrase encoding is 'take the md5sum of the passphrase, then convert that to hex, then take the first 10 or 26 digits, repeating as needed'. So it provides enough hex to create the key. Do any other programs use that algorithm? (I've never seen it before.) In order for it to be useful, the access point should allow entering passwords the same way, right? But all access points I've seen so far only allow hex or ascii. Also, same with Windows and, I think, OS X. Maybe it shouldn't be the default option, and there should be some explanation for it...
Every wireless manager I have used for Windows and OS X allows passphrases, and they are the default in the built-in network managers in Windows XP and OS X. All APs and routers that I have handy, including a handful from linksys, netgear, and d-link allow passphrase entry. Except for myself, every person that I know with a WEP-protected network uses a passphrase, and most have no idea what a WEP key is. Not sure where the confusion is coming from here.
Passphrase works in KNetworkManager 0.7