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Encrypting WEP Key

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 9:54 pm
by hosea
I am configuring Mikrotik bridge using WinBox v2.9.5. This bridge will be the client (station) to ISP which I work for. I intend to use WEP for security.

My concern is that the WEP Key is being displayed in plain text. Is there a way of making the key encrypted. Can command line assist me to have this solved.

Please assist.

Hosea

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 10:38 pm
by cmit
If I understand you right you want to stop your customer from viewing the WEP key, right?
To read it, he would have to gain access to the MikroTik at first.

Apart from that WEP shouldn't be considered "secure" anyhow - there are tools all over the place to crack WEP keys effortlessly nowadays (and for some time)...

Best regards,
Christian Meis

Posted: Wed Jan 18, 2006 11:05 pm
by hosea
Christian,

Thanks for your quick responce.
If I understand you right you want to stop your customer from viewing the WEP key, right?
Exactly.
To read it, he would have to gain access to the MikroTik at first.
You know what, the bridge belongs to the Client. He will be administering it. That implies that accessing the Mikrotik is already automatic.
Apart from that WEP shouldn't be considered "secure" anyhow - there are tools all over the place to **** WEP keys effortlessly nowadays (and for some time)...
I agree. However it is better to use tools than being given the WEP directly :D

I guess there is no way out....Any other tip?

hosea

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 12:54 am
by cmit
Ok - understood.
But you cannot encrypt the WEP key - the CPE does need to have it in clear text...

So as long as the CPE is accessible for your client I suppose there's not much you can do against him reading the WEP key.

But if your concern is that this would compromise your network: Have you noticed the possibility to use a different WEP key for every client?

Best regards,
Christian Meis

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 2006 9:33 am
by hosea
But if your concern is that this would compromise your network: Have you noticed the possibility to use a different WEP key for every client?
I have Cisco Aironet 350 Bridge at the base. And this uses WEP as security option. While I am considering to change to other security options, I am already having clients to help. At first Intended to create specific ssid and wep for this client. There was no problem withWEP and SSID creation, however I had problem with maping these. The SSID i created works with old WEP key but fails with the new one. That is to say added key is not effective.

Any tip?

The issue of changing security type is under way, this is just a temporary solution.

Once again thanks to you cmit.

hosea