Using WEP on a Mac

I’ve been occasionally required to set up wireless networks (802.11x), often on Windows machines, but it sometimes has been with a Mac (OSX) machine.

Part of the security of a wireless network is enabling the WEP settings – the wired equivalent protocol. Ie, making the wireless network as secure as needing the person to actually have access to the building and plug into the wired network. It does this (in a very basic way) by encrypting the signal. The key used to encrypt the signal is provided to both the router and the computer, so they know how to unencrypt the signal when it arrives.

There is a (minor) problem if you are trying to do this with a Mac. If the network point (the wireless router) is not an Apple, then you need to modify the key that you provide to the Mac.

If the key you are using is a hexadecimal code (eg 125F97DC), then you need to precede the string you type into the Mac with a $ sign. (eg $125F97DC)

If the key you are using is ASCII (eg Memphis), then you need to put quotation marks around it when giving it to the Mac (eg “Memphis”)

Kicking it off

Post #1, so if you are starting here, read forward. If you have read everything that follows and finally have arrived here, then by now you know more than I do anyway