Windows 2000 laptop can connect to unsecured Apple network, but not w/WEP

Question

I have a PC laptop running Windows 2000 with a Linksys WPC54GS wireless network adapter. I am running two Apple Expresses as one network. This is a healthy network and most everything I need to do works.
However, I can't connect to this network unless I turn off security entirely. Well, to be exact, I know it doesn't work (yet) with 128-bit WEP, and I haven't tried the 40-bit WEP (and don't especially want to). I tried switching to a 13-character password and getting the hex equivalent of it for use as the password on the laptop, but still no joy. The Linksys application on the PC lets you generate 4 different keys from a text password. I tried that too and tried all 4 different keys, and that doesn't work either.
Any ideas?

Answer 1

One of the problems with WEP is that the actual standard relies on a 10 character HEX key for 40bit WEP and a 26 character HEX key for 128bit WEP.
In order to make things easier for people, vendors use certain algorithms to convert simple alphanumeric passwords (or passphrases) into HEX keys, thus enabling people to use simple memorable WEP password rather than lengthy HEX keys.
The problem is that different vendors use different algorithms to generate the HEX key and therefore a ASCII password on an AEBS will be hashed differently on a Netgear client and vice versa.
One thing is a 13 character 128 bit WEP password will be hashed by all vendors in the same way (if you use 40bit WEP then a 5 character password is required).
Though sometimes not even that works and the HEX key must be used regardless.
AirPort: Joining an encrypted wireless network
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106424
Choosing a password for networks that use Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP)
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=108058
Only Windows XP has native support for wireless networking.
Other versions of Windows do not have native support for wireless networking.
What this means is that, unlike Windows XP, you can not plug in a wireless adapter and expect Windows to recognise it and start working.
You will need to install some kind of software configuration utility that came with the adapter. Each manufacturer has their own software so as a result the process of using these utilities to connect a Windows (non-XP) computer to an Airport wireless network will be different and so no generic guide is available.
Having said that you may find the following information on things to watch for useful.
Accessing a Airport Network with a Windows 2000 PC or laptop
http://www.ifelix.co.uk/tech/1020.html
iFelix