Please can you provide a pointer to an authorative definition of the standard for the content of a WPA PSK string?
- posted
17 years ago
Please can you provide a pointer to an authorative definition of the standard for the content of a WPA PSK string?
Certainly,
Yes, I can. However, I'm not sure I want to do so. Is there a problem with using Google *FIRST* and then asking if you don't find something? I assume you're trying to crack WPA.
Start here:
Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Nope.
Frazer Jolly Goodfellow wrote in news:Xns97A5E92D9B2F8frz@80.5.182.99:
In case any other shith*ads are practising their Olympic Conclusion Jumping:
I'm trying to understand why certain WPA keys don't work between a particular router and WiFi card combination. I'm looking for the definitive stuff that *should* have guided manufacturers and O/S and driver coders into producing a common standard.
"jay51" wrote in news:ltV%f.16269$ snipped-for-privacy@newsfe5-gui.ntli.net:
Doesn't quite do the biz, does it?
If you have anything useful to contribute, please cough up otherwise...
You're welcome.
WPA was inscribed by the Wi-Fi Alliance and is a subset of IEEE
802.11i. The 802.11i standard is at:
This might explain some of your compatibility issues if you're using some of the new authentication modes in WPA2:
Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Jeff,
Thanks for responding to my rantin' in good spirit. And thanks for the pointers that look both authoritative and impenetrable for my purposes :-) I've done my bit trying to decode IEEE, ISO and ECMA standard yonks ago.
Let metry asking again from the sharp-end: I'm configuing a wireless network. I create a text file on a flash disk drive. I ripple my fingers across the keyboard to generate a random PSK string. I copy that string to the setup screen for the wireless router do the required accept/restart ritual.
Cient PC spots the new network and I ask to connect. - copy the PSK string from the flash drive file and paste it twice as requested - client PC uummms and aaars but cannot connect
Subsequent deduction reveals that one particular character f*cks it up. So what are the allowed values?
Frazer Jolly Goodfellow hath wroth:
Good spirits? Directing you to the IEEE 802.11[a-z] specs is favored method of retaliation.
I guess I have to read 802.11i. That usually turns my brain to mush, but that's already the case after preparing my income taxes.
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- A pass-phrase is a sequence of between 8 and 63 ASCII-encoded characters. The limit of 63 comes from the desire to distinguish between a pass-phrase and a PSK displayed as 64 hexadecimal characters.
- Each character in the pass-phrase must have an encoding in the range of 32 to 126 (decimal), inclusive.
So, there you have it. Stay between ASCII codes 32 and 126 and you're safe. Here's a handy table: |
Incidentally, here's the rules for the SSID. See: |
You're not relying on your own (human) memory to store a passphrase, so I suggest using one of the freeware apps that can generate a random,
64-character hexadecimal string and putting that on your flash drive. That's how I handle my WPA keys.snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net (Neill Massello) wrote in news:1hdu4ad.17vibhr1ongcziN% snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net:
I'll look into that.
Strong passwords and encryption keys that humans can remember is an oxymoron, IMO.
BTW: How do you specify you're entering a hex WPA key vs a passphrase?
Jeff Liebermann wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:
Suspicions confirmed.
I'd assumed any printable character, including extended ASCII codes. The UK £ symbol is out of range.
Documentation from WiFi product vendors typically just says "8 to
63 characters", but does not mention unacceptable char values. Use of hex PSKs is rarely mentioned by product vendors.
For WPA, it's usually recognized automatically based on the string's length: if it's 64 characters, it has to be hex.
Consider this bit of code in Notepad, save as CreateGUID.vbs
Set TypeLib = CreateObject("Scriptlet.TypeLib") NewGUID = TypeLib.Guid WScript.Echo(left(NewGUID, len(NewGUID)-2)) Set TypeLib = Nothing
This of course assumes Windows 2000 or greater.
fundamentalism, fundamentally wrong.
Not really -- "diceware words" is a good way to generate high entropy passphrases that can be memorized fairly easily.
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