64 bit WEP

[dylan1055]

Ok I have read everything on the internet, and goggled everything in the world.

But please help,

64 bit WEP will not work in Linux but will in windows , I have tried everything that I can think of:
I changed the drivers to windows drivers
I changed the network manager to WICD
I changed the hard ware from Broadcom internal to belkin USB.

Arrrrghhhhh

When I try to connect it just cycles forever then prompt for the key again. It just will not connect. But it will connect in windows
it will also connect using WPA or no crypt.

[Husse]

If you can connect with WPA stay with it. WEP is only marginally more safe than nothing

[MagnusB]

You can connect with WPA but not with WEP? It is usually the other way around. Anyway, as Husse points out, WEP is not that safe if someone really wants in on your network, but it keeps out the casually neighbor wanting free internet.

[craig_w]

like the others have stated - stick with WPA, but i get the impression from your post that this is bugging you somewhat!

the fact that you can see your network, and that it allows you to connect via WPA, suggests that this is a simple problem (i'm guessing there), and the way you described your connection forever cycling and prompting for a key, suggests this may be a passkey/passphrase issue.

i'm not suggesting that this applies to you, but from my experience having read numerous wifi connection issues on other forums, where the same issue is described (ie a connection cycles and keeps prompting for a passkey), it usually has a very simple explanation - although this usually applies to 128 bit WEP rather than 64 bit. For the benefit of others that may be having this issue with 128 bit WEP then it could be that you're simply selecting the incorrect wireless security option.

Many wireless routers - particularly those supplied by ISPs, come pre-configured with 128 WEP security (not always, but quite often). Turn the router over and it'll tell you that you have 128 bit WEP security, and they'll be a 13 - character passkey. This however is NOT a 128 WEP passphrase, rather it is a 128 bit WEP ASCII key - and many make the mistake of selecting the former rather than the latter when trying to connect (i come across a few people who have had this problem and have assumed it is a driver issue).

I'm not suggesting something as simple as this applies to you, but this may help others who are having connection issues.

I too use a Belkin wireless USB adaptor, and despite all the problems others appear to have, mine worked perfectly in linux mint straight out of the box! didn't need the windows drivers; the pre-installed driver on LM for my chipset (zd1211rw) worked a treat!

i'm new to linux mint, and fairly new to linux, and i have to say it is the best distro i've come across. everything justs works!

[Husse]

Oh yes - you really have to distinguish between different "keys"
I've done some mistakes when I learned wifi - don't use it now but...

[dylan1055]

thanx for all your advice ,but just to clear things up the network i am trying to connect to is my college free wifi. its "protected" by 64bit wep to stop non students using it for free. not to offer any protection or privacy .

the IT dept, or should i say the ' micro$oft dept ' will only give out a " passphrase " that is in this format 12345 (all numeric) so i dont know if this is hex ascii or what ? i just type it in when prompted by win xp and it works fine just not in linux

[MagnusB]

Numeric is Hex, with letters it is most likely ASCII.