ASUS wl-300 User Manual

The Default Key field lets you specify which of the four encryption keys
you use to transmit data on your wireless LAN. As long as the SpaceLink
Access Point or wireless mobile client with which you are communicating
has the same key in the same position, you can use any of the keys as the
default key.

You may be confused about configuring WEP encryption, especially when
using multiple wireless LAN products from different vendors. There are
two levels of WEP Encryption: 64 bits and 128 bits.

Firstly, 64 bit WEP and 40 bit WEP are the same encryption method and
can interoperate in the wireless network. This lower level of WEP encryption
uses a 40 bit (10 Hex character) as a “secret key” (set by user), and a 24 bit
“Initialization Vector” (not under user control). This together makes 64
bits (40 + 24). Some vendors refer to this level of WEP as 40 bits and
others refer to this as 64 bits. ASUS SpaceLink products use the term 64
bits when referring to this lower level of encryption.

Secondly, 104 bit WEP and 128 bit WEP are the same encryption method
and can interoperate in the wireless network. This higher level of WEP
encryption uses a 104 bit (26 Hex character) as a “secret key” (set by user),
and a 24 bit “Initialization Vector” (not under user control). This together
makes 128 bits (104 + 24). Some vendors refer to this level of WEP as 104
bits and others refer to this as 128 bits. ASUS SpaceLink products use the
term 128 bits when referring to this higher level of encryption.