Re: questions about bits and bytes

[jamesd@echeque.com]

At 09:33 PM 4/8/96 -0400, Jack Mott wrote:
> a bit is 1 or 0
> 8 bits make up a byte (0-255)
> If I have a 5 byte key, does that make it a 40 bit key? 

Yes.  

> The only
> reason this doesn't make sense to me is it seems useless to use 5 byte
> keys, yet that is what companies export since the government limits keys
> to 40 bits.

Yes, a 40 bit key is useless.  What is it that does not make sense to you?
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