hex wep encryption

I have set up about six routers and have become used to entering a HEX 64
bit WEP code consisting of 8 alphanumeric characters. Some are upper case,
some lower case (although this doesn't seem to affect access)

Suddenly I am using a DELL TrueMobile 1184 router which has had all its
defaults reset. It has worked OK for a few weeks but I want to encrypt the
network. It demands that I enter these numbers in boxes of two (I have
never seen this before)? By coincidence they do all fit and fill all boxes
but when I enter them, I am told to enter a valid key. Does anyone know
what is going on or how this unit differs from all others? It does seem to
have a slightly better range than other WiFi units I have tried (I have
asked questions about this before and no one seemed to know or care about
range as if all WiFi routers all have the same range)

Is a valid key for a Dell router in some way different from other encryption
keys?

"news.rcn.com" news.rnc.com wrote in message
...
I have set up about six routers and have become used to entering a HEX
64 bit WEP code consisting of 8 alphanumeric characters. Some are upper
case, some lower case (although this doesn't seem to affect access)

Suddenly I am using a DELL TrueMobile 1184 router which has had all
its defaults reset. It has worked OK for a few weeks but I want to
encrypt the network. It demands that I enter these numbers in boxes
of two (I have never seen this before)? By coincidence they do all
fit and fill all boxes but when I enter them, I am told to enter a
valid key. Does anyone know what is going on or how this unit differs
from all others? It does seem to have a slightly better range than
other WiFi units I have tried (I have asked questions about this
before and no one seemed to know or care about range as if all WiFi
routers all have the same range)

Is a valid key for a Dell router in some way different from other
encryption keys?
A true hexadecimal character sequence includes the numerals 0-9 and the
alpha chars a-f or A-F. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexadecimal

Q

Well mine does and includes all these numbers and characters and no others:
What am I doing wrong with this Dell unit"

"Quaoar" wrote in message
...
A true hexadecimal character sequence includes the numerals 0-9 and the
alpha chars a-f or A-F. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexadecimal

Q

How many bits set for the key? Some devices don't make it to 128, others
have higher lengths available. If the number of characters you are entering
don't match the key strength selected, you might get that message.

--

"news.rcn.com" news.rnc.com wrote in message
...
Well mine does and includes all these numbers and characters and no
others: What am I doing wrong with this Dell unit"

"Quaoar" wrote in message
...
A true hexadecimal character sequence includes the numerals 0-9 and the
alpha chars a-f or A-F. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexadecimal

Q

"Bill Sanderson" wrote in message
news:REhqf.17881$l25.15015@trnddc03...
How many bits set for the key? Some devices don't make it to 128, others
have higher lengths available. If the number of characters you are
entering don't match the key strength selected, you might get that
message.
No, I always had trouble with 128 so I never bothered setting any encryption
to anything greater than 64. And as I say, the key I have used in the past
has always worked in this manner

--

"news.rcn.com" news.rnc.com wrote in message
...
Well mine does and includes all these numbers and characters and no
others: What am I doing wrong with this Dell unit"

"Quaoar" wrote in message
...
A true hexadecimal character sequence includes the numerals 0-9 and the
alpha chars a-f or A-F. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexadecimal

Q

Upper/lowercase shouldn't matter, but perhaps it does--I've seen mailservers
where it matters, even though the standards say it should not.

Are you on the latest firmware from Dell for this device?

http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...eless_security

describes the process. It states that the device can do a 128 bit WEP key,
and needs either a 10 hex character key (40(64)) or a 26 hex character key
(128)

This decision about keystrength based on key length isn't uncommon--I think
I've seen it before--so the question is why your 8 character key has been
working for you, I think.

--

"news.rcn.com" news.rnc.com wrote in message
...
"Bill Sanderson" wrote in message
news:REhqf.17881$l25.15015@trnddc03...
How many bits set for the key? Some devices don't make it to 128, others
have higher lengths available. If the number of characters you are
entering don't match the key strength selected, you might get that
message.
No, I always had trouble with 128 so I never bothered setting any
encryption to anything greater than 64. And as I say, the key I have used
in the past has always worked in this manner

--

"news.rcn.com" news.rnc.com wrote in message
...
Well mine does and includes all these numbers and characters and no
others: What am I doing wrong with this Dell unit"

"Quaoar" wrote in message
...
A true hexadecimal character sequence includes the numerals 0-9 and the
alpha chars a-f or A-F. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hexadecimal

Q

Well, while Dell were troubleshooting it on line, they instructed me to
enter 1234567A just to see if IT worked and it didn't, giving me the same
"not a valid KEY" error message
Are you on the latest firmware from Dell for this device?

Yes, that was a thought I had and they gave it to me just before throwing up
their hands in despair at not being able to cure this problem or figure out
the quirks of their own machine.

They are currently emailing me telling me how desperately keen they are on
getting this problem solved and will I please go off and either bother
someone else or PAY THEM to spend a few more hours on the phone trying again
to fix this issue (or try a few more wild goose chases, one of which is to a
number which hasn't got enough digits): Have a laugh at these two:

CUT-AND-PASTE

Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware Warranty Support.

I understand that you are facing an issue with your DELL TrueMobile 1184
router.

I am concerned with the problems you are having with your router and wish to
resolve them very soon.

I am sorry to let you know that Dell's support for networking is limited to
hardware functionality, which seems to be working fine in your case.
Optimizing the network/internet performance is really beyond the scope of
assistance that we provide online. For advanced wireless network
configuration support, please contact 1-800-624-9896 Extn. 66148

Should you desire any further information or assistance, please do not
hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to assist you.

The case number for this interaction is 121589267. The case has been
documented and the contents of this case are available to all Dell support
representatives. If you need additional assistance with this issue and you
utilize our phone or chat support channels, please provide them with this
case number. For additional assistance via e-mail, simply reply to this
e-mail.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,
Yesudas
Dell Rep ID # 0172215

CUT-AND-PASTE

Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware Warranty Support.

Since the previous email agent is not available today, I am replying to your
message so that we can solve your problem as quickly as possible.

I have gone through all the previous email interactions you had with Dell
technicians and I apologize and truly regret any inconvenience this matter
may have caused.

The Dell Limited Warranty provides support to ensure the functionality of
your Dell hardware. This does not include software usage, "how-to" support
or support for non-Dell hardware.

In order to assist you in a resolution, I can refer you to Dell On Call.
Dell On Call is a fee-based service that provides assistance in software
usage and can answer questions about non-Dell branded hardware. Dell On Call
can be reached by calling 866-497-2661. This service is available 7 days a
week, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year. Dell On Call offers several
plans, and I am sure that one of them will meet your technology needs.

You may alternatively refer to some other resources that are typically
available at no charge. These may include:

The Dell Support web site http://support.dell.com
The Dell Community Forum http://forums.us.dell.com/
The Microsoft Support web site http://support.microsoft.com/

If you do contact Dell On Call, be sure to have your case number available
for the technician.

If you need assistance with troubleshooting your Dell hardware, please reply
to this e-mail, and I will be happy to provide assistance.

If you need any other information / clarification, please feel free to
contact me, I will be glad to assist you.

The case number for this interaction is 121589267. The case has been
documented and the contents of this case are available to all Dell
representatives. If you need additional assistance with this issue, please
refer to this case number.

Respectfully,

Rajat
Dell Rep ID 014221
Dell Hardware Warranty Support

OK - so they gave you an 8 character key, and it gave back the same error
message you've been getting. I'm not going to say what I think of that
advice.

What happens if you try a 10 character key, or a 26 character key?

I'm not going to tell you what you need to do--I'd get a different device
that does WPA2, myself, but if you want to work with the mix of equipment
that you have now, and you want the best WEP keystrength that your current
devices can manage--which I suspect is probably 128 bits, I'd switch to a 26
character key--do 3 times the one you have now and add a couple of padding
characters. Probably not as strong as something more random, but WEP is
breakable in 5 minutes or so by a knowledgable attacker--so I know you
aren't really trying to keep the NSA out.


--

"news.rcn.com" news.rnc.com wrote in message
...
Well, while Dell were troubleshooting it on line, they instructed me to
enter 1234567A just to see if IT worked and it didn't, giving me the same
"not a valid KEY" error message
Are you on the latest firmware from Dell for this device?

Yes, that was a thought I had and they gave it to me just before throwing
up their hands in despair at not being able to cure this problem or figure
out the quirks of their own machine.

They are currently emailing me telling me how desperately keen they are on
getting this problem solved and will I please go off and either bother
someone else or PAY THEM to spend a few more hours on the phone trying
again to fix this issue (or try a few more wild goose chases, one of which
is to a number which hasn't got enough digits): Have a laugh at these
two:

CUT-AND-PASTE

Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware Warranty Support.

I understand that you are facing an issue with your DELL TrueMobile 1184
router.

I am concerned with the problems you are having with your router and wish
to resolve them very soon.

I am sorry to let you know that Dell's support for networking is limited
to hardware functionality, which seems to be working fine in your case.
Optimizing the network/internet performance is really beyond the scope of
assistance that we provide online. For advanced wireless network
configuration support, please contact 1-800-624-9896 Extn. 66148

Should you desire any further information or assistance, please do not
hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to assist you.

The case number for this interaction is 121589267. The case has been
documented and the contents of this case are available to all Dell support
representatives. If you need additional assistance with this issue and you
utilize our phone or chat support channels, please provide them with this
case number. For additional assistance via e-mail, simply reply to this
e-mail.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,
Yesudas
Dell Rep ID # 0172215

CUT-AND-PASTE

Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware Warranty Support.

Since the previous email agent is not available today, I am replying to
your message so that we can solve your problem as quickly as possible.

I have gone through all the previous email interactions you had with Dell
technicians and I apologize and truly regret any inconvenience this matter
may have caused.

The Dell Limited Warranty provides support to ensure the functionality of
your Dell hardware. This does not include software usage, "how-to" support
or support for non-Dell hardware.

In order to assist you in a resolution, I can refer you to Dell On Call.
Dell On Call is a fee-based service that provides assistance in software
usage and can answer questions about non-Dell branded hardware. Dell On
Call can be reached by calling 866-497-2661. This service is available 7
days a week, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year. Dell On Call offers
several plans, and I am sure that one of them will meet your technology
needs.

You may alternatively refer to some other resources that are typically
available at no charge. These may include:

The Dell Support web site http://support.dell.com
The Dell Community Forum http://forums.us.dell.com/
The Microsoft Support web site http://support.microsoft.com/

If you do contact Dell On Call, be sure to have your case number available
for the technician.

If you need assistance with troubleshooting your Dell hardware, please
reply to this e-mail, and I will be happy to provide assistance.

If you need any other information / clarification, please feel free to
contact me, I will be glad to assist you.

The case number for this interaction is 121589267. The case has been
documented and the contents of this case are available to all Dell
representatives. If you need additional assistance with this issue, please
refer to this case number.

Respectfully,

Rajat
Dell Rep ID 014221
Dell Hardware Warranty Support

"Bill Sanderson" wrote in message
news:FIHvf.1118$em5.524@trnddc05...
OK - so they gave you an 8 character key, and it gave back the same error
message you've been getting. I'm not going to say what I think of that
advice.

What happens if you try a 10 character key, or a 26 character key?

I'm not going to tell you what you need to do--I'd get a different device
that does WPA2, myself, but if you want to work with the mix of equipment
that you have now, and you want the best WEP keystrength that your current
devices can manage--which I suspect is probably 128 bits, I'd switch to a
26 character key--do 3 times the one you have now and add a couple of
padding characters. Probably not as strong as something more random, but
WEP is breakable in 5 minutes or so by a knowledgable attacker--so I know
you aren't really trying to keep the NSA out.



(crosspost slashed)

I'd agree. Get a router and utilize WPA/PSK, and disable your SSID
broadcast. WEP, to me, is a last option if the former doesn't work or isn't
available.


Stew

Taking your advice because I had no option, this is what happened:

I finally managed to get through to someone at level 3 tech support in the
US who seemed to be vaguely familiar with their units and we identified that
there must be something wrong with the WEP chip in the unit but that
entering a five character ASCII key would work and the unit would take it
and reset itself. So I hung up and did this.

This killed the unit off completely and thereafter no outgoing signal was
produced by the unit at all despite all the lights going pleasingly on etc.
No signal was picked up by any NIC anywhere in my flat or office, not even
the one a few feet away from the unit. Nothing I did to unplug the unit,
press the reset key, do both at the same time ( which was how I once managed
to get an Airport working), alternate the two, etc, had any effect.

So I installed a Buffalo 802.11g one instead which obviates this problem
completely.

Mind you, I am still miffed that the Dell one would give a 100% strength
signal to the NIC while the Buffalo one under identical circumstances cannot
pick up anything stronger than 92%. And more importantly, the Buffalo one
has always reported a weak-to-unusable signal two rooms away with only a few
thin wall in between and in effect virtually in line-of-sight (the Dell one
reported a strong signal) while both units report signals from nearby
networks up to hundreds of feet away all comparatively strong.

Anyway I can put in my 7 digit 64 bit WEP signal. Any time I have ever
tried putting in a 128 bit key, it has resulted in virtually no signal
being reported at all and all NICs being virtually unconfigurable.


"Bill Sanderson" wrote in message
news:FIHvf.1118$em5.524@trnddc05...
OK - so they gave you an 8 character key, and it gave back the same error
message you've been getting. I'm not going to say what I think of that
advice.

What happens if you try a 10 character key, or a 26 character key?

I'm not going to tell you what you need to do--I'd get a different device
that does WPA2, myself, but if you want to work with the mix of equipment
that you have now, and you want the best WEP keystrength that your current
devices can manage--which I suspect is probably 128 bits, I'd switch to a
26 character key--do 3 times the one you have now and add a couple of
padding characters. Probably not as strong as something more random, but
WEP is breakable in 5 minutes or so by a knowledgable attacker--so I know
you aren't really trying to keep the NSA out.


--

"news.rcn.com" news.rnc.com wrote in message
...
Well, while Dell were troubleshooting it on line, they instructed me to
enter 1234567A just to see if IT worked and it didn't, giving me the same
"not a valid KEY" error message
Are you on the latest firmware from Dell for this device?

Yes, that was a thought I had and they gave it to me just before throwing
up their hands in despair at not being able to cure this problem or
figure out the quirks of their own machine.

They are currently emailing me telling me how desperately keen they are
on getting this problem solved and will I please go off and either bother
someone else or PAY THEM to spend a few more hours on the phone trying
again to fix this issue (or try a few more wild goose chases, one of
which is to a number which hasn't got enough digits): Have a laugh at
these two:

CUT-AND-PASTE

Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware Warranty Support.

I understand that you are facing an issue with your DELL TrueMobile 1184
router.

I am concerned with the problems you are having with your router and wish
to resolve them very soon.

I am sorry to let you know that Dell's support for networking is limited
to hardware functionality, which seems to be working fine in your case.
Optimizing the network/internet performance is really beyond the scope of
assistance that we provide online. For advanced wireless network
configuration support, please contact 1-800-624-9896 Extn. 66148

Should you desire any further information or assistance, please do not
hesitate to contact me. I will be happy to assist you.

The case number for this interaction is 121589267. The case has been
documented and the contents of this case are available to all Dell
support representatives. If you need additional assistance with this
issue and you utilize our phone or chat support channels, please provide
them with this case number. For additional assistance via e-mail, simply
reply to this e-mail.

Thank you for choosing Dell.

Respectfully,
Yesudas
Dell Rep ID # 0172215

CUT-AND-PASTE

Thank you for contacting Dell Hardware Warranty Support.

Since the previous email agent is not available today, I am replying to
your message so that we can solve your problem as quickly as possible.

I have gone through all the previous email interactions you had with Dell
technicians and I apologize and truly regret any inconvenience this
matter may have caused.

The Dell Limited Warranty provides support to ensure the functionality of
your Dell hardware. This does not include software usage, "how-to"
support or support for non-Dell hardware.

In order to assist you in a resolution, I can refer you to Dell On Call.
Dell On Call is a fee-based service that provides assistance in software
usage and can answer questions about non-Dell branded hardware. Dell On
Call can be reached by calling 866-497-2661. This service is available 7
days a week, 24 hours a day, and 365 days a year. Dell On Call offers
several plans, and I am sure that one of them will meet your technology
needs.

You may alternatively refer to some other resources that are typically
available at no charge. These may include:

The Dell Support web site http://support.dell.com
The Dell Community Forum http://forums.us.dell.com/
The Microsoft Support web site http://support.microsoft.com/

If you do contact Dell On Call, be sure to have your case number
available for the technician.

If you need assistance with troubleshooting your Dell hardware, please
reply to this e-mail, and I will be happy to provide assistance.

If you need any other information / clarification, please feel free to
contact me, I will be glad to assist you.

The case number for this interaction is 121589267. The case has been
documented and the contents of this case are available to all Dell
representatives. If you need additional assistance with this issue,
please refer to this case number.

Respectfully,

Rajat
Dell Rep ID 014221
Dell Hardware Warranty Support