Enable WEP on Orinoco Gold

[tslewe]

I am running knoppix 3.1. Everything runs fine except for the wireless netwerkcard (Orinoco Gold). I runs well when WEP is disabled, but when I enter a key for WEP, then I cannot reach the access point anymore. Anyone any ideas?

Ton

[garyng]

how do you set it ?

[tslewe]

I can set the WEP key from the KDE menu (I am not sure about the exact name, something Knoppix, Config, Network), there is an entry for network config and wireless config. In both entries one of the questions is to enter a WEP key (or blank for no key).
Is there an other way to set the WEP key?

[garyng]

I use the KNOPPIX->network config(or something like that) on the KDE desktop.

make sure your key is entered in the correct format "s:xxxxx" where xxxxxx is the 40bit code as you would have entered in Window.

[tslewe]

I have just it without the 's:' prefix. I will try this tonight. Where does the s stand for, and are there any other options?

[garyng]

I don't know why the wireless package author design it that way but that is how it must be entered. Without the "s:" prefix, it just doesn't work.

Linux still needs lots of polishing before it can be considered as the alternative on average desktop.

[tslewe]

The 's:' prefix does not help, I still cannot connect to the access point. My access point has 128 bit WEP key. You mentioned a 40 bit key. Can I use a 128 bit key?

[Jester^]

I can't speak to the Orinoco card, but I use 'wlcardconfig' to configure my Cisco wlan card. I have 128bit WEP configured on my AP and I simply enter the hex digits in the Key box (without the usual 0x for hex).

I'm not sure if the 's:' is something specific to the orinoco driver, but I've not seen that before.

[jhollin1138]

The 's:' prefix does not help, I still cannot connect to the access point. My access point has 128 bit WEP key. You mentioned a 40 bit key. Can I use a 128 bit key?
I got WEP finally working with my D-Link DWL-650 PCMCIA card and Knoppix v3.2 using a 64 bit key. I entered it using the "Wavelan Configuration" (Under "Knoppix -> Network/Internet) at the "Enter the Encryption key" window. I found that the format XX:XX:XX:XX:XX worked and not XXXXXXXXXX. I think to enter a 128 bit key you would just follow the same pattern for all the digits.

Hope it helps.

[tslewe]

I use the same "Knoppix -> Network/Internet/Wavelan Configuration: Enter the Encryption key" window to enter the WEP key. Although I first have to configure the network card (In the same menu), before I can access the wireless card.
I found out that the s: prefix can be used to specify a string (0-9, A-Z), otherwise hex digits (0-9, A-F) are expected. In the manual pages I also found a format like XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XX for entering a key. I will try your solution tonight, and will also try a 64 bit key (instead of the 128 bit key I have tried until now).

[tslewe]

Placing ':' between the hex digits also did not help.
Finally I got it working by first disabling WEP under Windows, then booting Knoppix, configure the wireless network card (KNOPPIX/Network-Internet/Network card configuration). Then enable WEP again on the access point, and run Network card configuration to set the WEP key. I cannot explain why it is working, and was not before.

[jhollin1138]

Placing ':' between the hex digits also did not help.
Finally I got it working by first disabling WEP under Windows, then booting Knoppix, configure the wireless network card (KNOPPIX/Network-Internet/Network card configuration). Then enable WEP again on the access point, and run Network card configuration to set the WEP key. I cannot explain why it is working, and was not before.
I agree, that is very odd. :?

[tslewe]

Knoppix version 3.2 (V3.2-2003-03-30) works much better! I don't have to disable WEP before I can connect to the access point. I only need to configure the network card.

However, the next problem is that when I save the configuration, I get lots of error messages when starting up, and the network card does not work and I have to configure it (again) manually.