What is a WPA key?

A WPA key acts as a password that gives a user access to a wireless network. A WPA key can be in either ASCII or hexadecimal format and can range from between eight to 64 characters in length.

To use the WPA security protocol, the wireless network access point must be set to support either WPA-PSK or WPA-PSK. A WPA key is calculated by using the password that is associated with the network. This calculation is done by the system and is not visible to the user. WPA passwords are stored under a network router's administrative utility and can be modified if necessary.