The WEP method uses keys of 40 (WEP64), 104 (WEP128) or 128 bits (WEP152) in length. Each WLAN interface has four WEP keys: A special key for each logical WLAN interface and three common group WEP keys for each physical WLAN interface.
LANconfig:
Command line:
Rules for entering WEP keys
WEP keys can be entered as ASCII characters or in hexadecimal form. The hexadecimal form begins with the characters '0x'. The keys have a length depending on the WEP method:
| Method | ASCII | HEX |
|---|---|---|
| WEP 64 | 5 character example: 'aR45Z' | 10 character example: '0x0A5C1B6D8E' |
| WEP 128 | 13 characters | 26 characters |
| WEP 152 | 16 characters | 32 characters |
The ASCII character set includes the characters '0' to '9', 'a' to 'z', 'A' to 'Z' and the following special characters: ! ” # $ % & ´ () * + , - ./ : ; < = > ? @ [ \ ] ^ _ ‘ { | } ~
The HEX form uses the numbers '0' to '9' and the letters 'A' to 'F' to display each character as a character pair, which is why twice the number of characters is required to display a HEX key.
Select the length and the format (ASCII or HEX) of the key depending on the best option available in the wireless network cards that register with your WLAN. If the encryption in an AP is set to WEP 152, some clients may not be able to log into the WLAN as their hardware does not support the key length.
