Question: WEP Key - What Are WEP Keys?
WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy, a standard for WiFi wireless network security. But what exactly are WEP keys?
Answer: A WEP key is a security code used on some Wi-Fi networks. WEP keys allow a group of devices on a local network (such as a home network) to exchange encoded messages with each other while hiding the contents of the messages from easy viewing by outsiders.
A WEP key is a sequence of hexadecimal digits. These digits include the numbers 0-9 and the letters A-F. Some examples of WEP keys are:
- 1A748C9FE2
- 99D767BAC38EA24B0C0178D15
WEP keys are chosen by a network administrator. WEP keys are set on Wi-Fi routers, adapters and other wireless network devices. Matching WEP keys must be set on each device for them to communicate with each other.
The length of a WEP key depends on the type of WEP security (called "encryption") utilized:
- 40- / 64-bit WEP: 10 digit key
- 104- / 128-bit WEP: 26 digit key
- 256-bit WEP: 58 digit key
