Dapper -- Any way to configure WEP encryption using a passphrase rather than key?

[Miles Lane]

On 3/16/06, Tim T. <tim.timmerman at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> On 3/17/06, Daniel Robitaille <robitaille at gmail.com> wrote:
> > On 3/15/06, Tim T. <tim.timmerman at gmail.com> wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > On 3/15/06, Miles Lane <miles.lane at gmail.com > wrote:
> > > > Hello,
> > > >
> > > > With Fedora Core running NetworkManager, I get prompted for a
> passphrase
> > > > for a new WEP connection.  I have a Linksys AP.  When I set up the
> access
> > > > point, I entered "sometext" as my passphrase and this caused a hex key
> > > > to be generated.
> > > >
> > > <snip>
> > >  I believe this mode of operation is called WPA.. If I'm right, you
> might
> > > want to look at wpa-supplicant
> > >   (not too sure about the spelling ;-)
> > >
> > >    TImT.
> >
> > WPA is different from WEP.  For WPA you need wpa-supplicant.  For WPE,
> > you can use network-manager directly.  But like the original poster,
> > the only I have ever been able to use it is if I use the HEX key when
> > prompted.  Using the paraphrase never worked for me.
> >
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WEP
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access
> >
> > "Several serious weaknesses were identified by cryptanalysts, and WEP
> > was superseded by Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) in 2003"
>
>
>  I stand corrected..
>
>  I wonder though : is the 'generating a key from a passphrase algorithm'
>  perhaps vendor specific, or is there a standard algorithm for this. Does
> typing
>  a passphrase work on windows ?
>
>  And if there is a standard algorithm, has no body ported it to linux, not
> even
>  the linksys people ?

As I mentioned in my initial post, I can enter the WEP passphrase
into NetworkManager on Fedora Core 5 Test 3 and get a working
connection.  This indicates to me that at least NetworkManager
knows how to correctly generate the hexadecimal key from the
passphrase.  What I wonder is why this hasn't been implemented
for other WEP connection managers.  I certainly think that NM is the
way to go, but since NM isn't making it into Dapper Drake's release,
it sure would be nice not to have to look up my hex key.

         Miles