What is the wep key?

WEP -equivalent cable keys (WEP) are a key part of the WEP standard that has been designed to add wireless network security. The only WEP key is used to encrypt and decrypt data before and after wireless. The keys can come in two different characters formats and can have several different lengths. It turned out that the WEP standard has been susceptible to several different attacks capable of breaking the WEP key within minutes and since the beginning of 2000 it was considered obsolete.

Since wireless networks are used to transmit radio waves, it is possible to eavesdrop on communication using a portable computer or other device that can listen to radio waves at a specific frequency. The WEP standard, presented at the end of the 90's, prevents it from encrypting information before transmission across the wireless network. The same key is generally used for encryption, decryption and authentication, so every outsider that lacks the right key can capture the use ofAngo signal.

Standard WEP key can use either hexadecimal (Hex) or American standard information exchange code (ASCII). These conditions relate to the way the letters and numbers are coded in binary 1 and 0s of the computer. Hexadecimal keys may include any number 0 to 9 and letters and to F. ASCII characters include all the letters of the English alphabet, numbers and common symbols (#,@, and etc.). Some devices can only use hex passwords, while others accept either format. Online Wi-Fi ™ tools and routers can convert standard passwords to a hex form for a device that supports only one standard.

WEP key length is determined by the type of WEP encryption used. The simplest form uses either ten hexadecimal characters or five ASCII characters for a total of 40 bits of information. These 40 bits are then combined with a predefined set of 24 bits called “InitialZají Vector "for a total of 64 bits. For this reason, some wireless network manufacturers refer to 64-bit WEP as WEP-40 or 40-bit WEP, although they all use a total of 64 bits. Most wireless devices also support the stronger version of WEP, which uses 128 Bit-defined Bit. Some devices support longer keys, although this is not part of the official specification.

Although it is still found on most network devices, WEP suffers from the main safety deficiencies and should not be used if necessary if the compatibility problems are necessary. There are several attacks against the standard and many of them are able to break the WEP key in just a minute. As a result, wireless network using WEP is only a little safer than a net without encryption. Most of the network devices sold since the mid -1920KO Wi-Fi ™ Proted Access (WPA) or its successor, WPA2.