How to Set Up an Encrypted WiFi Network Connection by Specifying a WEP Key

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The following procedure describes how to set up secure communications between a system and a router in the home. Many wireless and wired routers for the home have an encryption feature that is capable of generating a secure key.

Before You Begin

If you are connecting to a home wireless network, make sure that you have configured your router and have generated a WEP key. Follow the router manufacturer's documentation for generating and saving the key configuration.

Become an administrator.
Create a secure object that contains the WEP key as follows:
```
# dladm create-secobj -c wep keyname
```
where keyname represents the name you want to give to the key.
Supply the value for the WEP key to the secure object.
The create-secobj subcommand then runs a script that requests the value for the key.
```
provide value for keyname: 5-or-13-byte key
confirm value for keyname: Retype key
```
This value is the key that was generated by the router. The script accepts either a 5–byte or 13–byte string, in ASCII or hexadecimal format for the key value.
View the contents of the key that you just created.
```
# dladm show-secobj
OBJECT               CLASS
keyname                wep
```
where keyname is the name of the secure object.

Make an encrypted connection to the WiFi network.

# dladm connect-wifi -e network -k keyname interface

Verify that the connection is secure.
```
# dladm show-wifi
LINK       STATUS        ESSID         SEC     STRENGTH   MODE   SPEED
net0       connected     wifi-1        wep     good       g      11Mb
```
In the previous output, the wep value that is located under the SEC column indicates that the WEP encryption for the connection is in place.

Example 7-3 Setting Up Encrypted WiFi Communications by Using a WEP Key

The following example assumes that you have already done the following:

Followed the router manufacturer's documentation and created the WEP key.
Saved the key so that you can use it to create the secure object on your system.

A secure object is created as follows:

# dladm create-secobj -c wep mykey
provide value for mykey: *****
confirm value for mkey: *****

When you supply the WEP key that is generated by the router, asterisks mask the value that you type.

The following command establishes an encrypted connection to the WiFi network citinet by using the secure object mykey.

# dladm show-secobj
OBJECT               CLASS
mykey                wep
# dladm connect-wifi -e citinet -k mykey net0

The following command verifies that you are connected to the citinet wireless network through a WEP encryption.

# dladm show-wifi
LINK       STATUS        ESSID         SEC     STRENGTH   MODE   SPEED
net0       connected     citinet       wep     good       g      36Mb