You see, Apple let you create a key with any AirPort system and the software base station of any length, working its mumbo-jumbo behind the scenes to create a perfect WEP key. It always makes a WEP key of the right length and type no matter what you type, but type the correct length and you get an exact match.

We've forgotten all that horror since WEP was superseded by WPA in 2003 and WPA2 a couple of years later. WPA and WPA2 let you enter a bunch of plain text and punctuation, for a total ranging from 8 to 63 characters. The WPA and WPA2 algorithm transforms those characters into the underlying encryption key no matter what computer, mobile phone, E-Z-bake-oven-with-remote-Wi-Fi controls, or game system you use. WEP lost my heart when WPA2 gained it. You never forget your first love, no matter how flawed, even when you've outgrown it.

I hoofed it to 1 Infinite Loop for some answers. After driving around endlessly, I ditched the motor. I knocked on a banged-up door marked PR. "Beat it," a gravely voice muttered through a crack. "It's Fleishman. It's about the software base station. You know. That thing you want to pretend is a feature. But that doesn't get updated." "Take a hike, detective," the voice replied, as I pushed my Pringles can antenna into the gap. I said, "I just want to know: do Androids dream of encrypted WEP?" "I can't say much," came the reply. "But try 5 and 13 letters. No more. No less." The Pringles can dislodged, and the door slammed. I had my tip.

Returning to my office, I tapped the keyboard to wake the machine, fired up Internet Sharing, clicked the AirPort Options button, made sure 40-bit WEP was selected in the WEP Key Length popup, and pecked out:

redhd