Re: Invalid bug report previously, raises usability question.

[Larry Finger <Larry Finger lwfinger net>]

Stefán Freyr Stefánsson wrote:
> Hi again.
>
> It seems that my previous bug report was invalid. I have already closed the 
> bug and added a comment explaining it.
>
> I had missed one combination when trying to connect to the wireless network, 
> namely selecting "Open System" and "WEP Passphrase". Using that combination 
> brought up the wireless network without a hitch.
>
> But this mess of mine raises a question of why the UI has to be this 
> complicated (I know, I know... most of you are probably thinking that it 
> isn't and you're probably right... but let's say for arguments sake that I'm 
> the typical idio... I mean user). Maybe it really is necessary, I am not 
> anywhere close to being any sort of an expert on wireless networks (as is 
> clearly evident from my screwup before).
>
> But just bear with me here (and this may be a discussion that has already come 
> up and been settled, apologies if that's the case).
>
> 1) Why does a user have to select between HEX and ASCII? It isn't difficult at 
> all to take the string that is entered, check how many characters it has and 
> whether there are any non-hex characters and tell from that what kind it is.
>
> 2) Passphrase may be a little more difficult to "autodetect"... I'm not quite 
> sure how exactly that works anyways so I shouldn't really say anything here. 
> Is there anyone who sees a way of eliminating that choice as well? Of course, 
> one way would be to say that if it's not an ASCII or a HEX key, then it 
> probably is a passphrase, and if it looks like an ASCII or HEX key but 
> doesn't work as such, then try it as a passphrase? I don't know... just an 
> idea.
>
> 3) Open System vs. Shared Key? I have no idea what the difference between the 
> two is!? Is there no way to autodetect this? Would a brute-force way (trying 
> one and then the other) be possible here?

The main reason for having to choose between passphrase and HEX with 
WEP is that there are at least two ways of converting between a 
passphrase and a hex key. If your computer doesn't use the same method 
as your AP, then there is no chance that you can connect to that AP 
without inputting the key - thus any software must allow that choice. 
With WPA, everyone got their act together, and one never heeds to 
input the key as the passphrase will always work.

Larry