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Windows XP Wireless WEP Key

1823 Views 20 Replies 4 Participants Last post by Triple6, Aug 21, 2016

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · Aug 20, 2016

I changed the WEP key on my wireless router - same length, different key - and after updating all my devices, all are working fine except an old laptop that is running Windows XP. When I try to change the key on this laptop, I'm told it can't be any longer than 13 ASCII characters.

It's been so long since I set up the laptop to work with this router that I don't remember how I did it. Does anyone know how I can get it to accept the wep key for my router?

Status: Not open for further replies.

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

Macboatmaster

· #2 · Aug 20, 2016

1. Why are you using WEP - as against WPA. The security of WEP Wired Equivalent Policy is far less than Wireless Protected Access and you should NOT be using WEP unless absolutely necessary - until you can update your wireless adpater
That said 128bit cannot indeed be longer than 13 ASCII characters
However it can be 26 Hexidecimal - alpha/numeric
http://uk.tp-link.com/faq-292.html
ON WPA the limit is 63 characters

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #3 · Aug 20, 2016

I appreciate your opinion and advice, but I have been using the WEP passkey for many years and I will not be changing. If I have to give up the old XP laptop I will, but it was working fine with the WEP protected wireless router until I changed one number in the pass key in order to prevent a particular user from using it. I know I set it up before so I know there is a way to make it work, I just can't remember. Anyone else?

Macboatmaster

· #4 · Aug 20, 2016

As I said

I'm told it can't be any longer than 13 ASCII characters.

it cannot on ASCII so have you tried setting it hexadecimal
OR alternatively using a less character ASCII key

I wonder if you have actually looked at the link I sent
and IMHO there is no way that you ever used WEP security with ASCII entered format key on more than 13 characters

TerryNet

· #5 · Aug 20, 2016

You're using 128-bit WEP? And entering HEX digits or ASCII characters?

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #6 · Aug 20, 2016

Ascii Characters

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #7 · Aug 20, 2016

Macboatmaster said:
As I said

it cannot on ASCII so have you tried setting it hexadecimal
OR alternatively using a less character ASCII key

I wonder if you have actually looked at the link I sent
and IMHO there is no way that you ever used WEP security with ASCII entered format key on more than 13 characters

Thank you for your help.

Macboatmaster

· #8 · Aug 20, 2016

Thank you for your help.

I am unsure as to what you mean
hexadecimal is alpha numeric eg 1 to 9 and a to f
ASCII includes special characters

so an ASCII key could be
*12AG£
and in hexadecimal that would be
2a31324147a3

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #9 · Aug 20, 2016

TerryNet said:
You're using 128-bit WEP? And entering HEX digits or ASCII characters?

Actually, that may be the problem. I am entering Hexadecimal, but the system is trying to read it as ASCII. I think I can enter up to 40 hexadecimal digits, but how do I tell the system it's not ASCII?

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #10 · Aug 20, 2016

Macboatmaster said:
I am unsure as to what you mean
hexadecimal is alpha numeric eg 1 to 9 and a to f
ASCII includes special characters

so an ASCII key could be
*12AG£
and in hexadecimal that would be
2a31324147a3

Actually, that may be the problem. I am entering Hexadecimal, but the system is trying to read it as ASCII. I think I can enter up to 40 hexadecimal digits, but how do I tell the system it's not ASCII?

Macboatmaster

· #11 · Aug 20, 2016

think I can enter up to 40 hexadecimal digits,

I thought it was 26 hexadecimal on 128
For 128-bit encryption - You can enter 26 hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0-9, a-f, A-F, zero key is not permitted) or 13 ASCII characters.

again - as mentioned on the link I sent.

Until you explain further relating what you are doing - to the information I have sent you I do not think I can help you further.
Perhaps my good colleague TerryNet will be able to offer different advice.

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #12 · Aug 20, 2016

Macboatmaster said:
I thought it was 26 hexadecimal on 128
For 128-bit encryption - You can enter 26 hexadecimal digits (any combination of 0-9, a-f, A-F, zero key is not permitted) or 13 ASCII characters.

again - as mentioned on the link I sent.

Until you explain further relating what you are doing - to the information I have sent you I do not think I can help you further.
Perhaps my good colleague TerryNet will be able to offer different advice.

All my devices except the Windows XP work fine. However, when I try to connect the old XP laptop to the network and I am prompted for a pass key, when I enter the 26 Hexadecimal characters, the system reads them as ASCII and bombs out, telling me the key is too long. Is there a prefix to indicate Hex? Like "AC0DC6,,, or <AC0F9B...?

TerryNet

· #13 · Aug 20, 2016

What wireless utility are you using? Please show a screen shot of the window where you must enter the key. Seems to me, hard to remember that far back, that sometimes it was difficult to tell whatever utility was used that you wanted to enter hex.

If you need help with a screen shot see TSG Posting a Screenshot. FWIW to take screen shots with Windows Vista or latter I prefer to use the built-in Snipping Tool.

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #14 · Aug 20, 2016

bwshirey said:
All my devices except the Windows XP work fine. However, when I try to connect the old XP laptop to the network and I am prompted for a pass key, when I enter the 26 Hexadecimal characters, the system reads them as ASCII and bombs out, telling me the key is too long. Is there a prefix to indicate Hex? Like "AC0DC6,,, or <AC0F9B...?

Converting the Hex to ASCII yields weird characters: Ï k ø, etc

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #15 · Aug 20, 2016

Since the laptop isn't on the network, it was easier to just take a

Computer Personal computer Azure Operating system Font

photo with my phone.

See less See more

Macboatmaster

· #16 · Aug 20, 2016

Rectangle Operating system Font Parallel Electronic device

On your image above click change advanced settings on left pane
then see my screenshot

See less See more

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #17 · Aug 20, 2016

Macboatmaster said:
View attachment 251215

On your image above click change advanced settings on left pane
then see my screenshot

i've done that already but i'm tryimg again in case I miss typed. also rebooting this time.

bwshirey

Discussion Starter · #18 · Aug 20, 2016

Still no luck. Thanks guys, but I'm not sure the old laptop is worth all this trouble. Still, if you think of something else I'll try it.

TerryNet

· #19 · Aug 20, 2016

What device is requiring you to use WEP? WPA is actually secure (with a strong passphrase) and is so much easier to use.

Macboatmaster

· #20 · Aug 20, 2016

Indeed, as I said as well

Why are you using WEP - as against WPA. The security of WEP Wired Equivalent Policy is far less than Wireless Protected Access and you should NOT be using WEP unless absolutely necessary - until you can update your wireless adapter

bwshirey
When you say you have done that already - your screenshot shows you trying to type it in the other box that appears when you click connect
whereas my screenshot shows the window where you configure the level of security
Are you sure you have set WEP

1 - 20 of 21 Posts

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