Handling wrong WEP key and related battery drain and communication exchange failures

A method of reducing power consumption in a wireless communications device, the method comprising:

• storing a first wired equivalent privacy (WEP) key at the wireless communications device in connection with a profile, the profile indicating an open system security type and a network name;
• successfully authenticating and associating with an access point (AP), thus joining a wireless local area network (WLAN) supported by the AP, the WLAN having the network name, the WLAN supporting the open system security type, and the WLAN requiring a second WEP key for encryption;
• subsequent to joining the WLAN, requesting an Internet Protocol (IP) address from a dynamic host control protocol (DHCP) server;
• responsive to requesting the IP address, receiving an indication of IP address acquisition failure;
• and
• responsive to receiving the indication of IP address acquisition failure, banning the profile.

A wireless communications device, comprising:

• one or more radio circuits;
• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the one or more radio circuits and the memory, the processor operative to:
• store a first wired equivalent privacy (WEP) key at the wireless communications device in connection with a profile, the profile indicating an open system security type and a network name;
• successfully authenticate and associate with an access point (AP), thus joining a wireless local area network (WLAN) supported by the AP, the WLAN having the network name, the WLAN supporting the open system security type, and the WLAN requiring a second WEP key for encryption;
• subsequent to joining the WLAN, conduct encrypted communications with the AP;
• detect from the encrypted communications that there is a mismatch between the first WEP key and the second WEP key;
• and
• responsive to detecting the mismatch, ban the profile.

A wireless communications device, comprising:

• one or more radio circuits;
• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the one or more radio circuits and the memory, the processor operative to:
• store a first wired equivalent privacy (WEP) key at the wireless communications device in connection with a profile, the profile indicating an open system security type and a network name;
• successfully authenticate and associate with an access point (AP), thus joining a wireless local area network (WLAN) supported by the AP, the WLAN having the network name, the WLAN supporting the open system security type, and the WLAN requiring a second WEP key for encryption;
• subsequent to joining the WLAN, request an Internet Protocol (IP) address from a dynamic host control protocol (DHCP) server;
• responsive to requesting the IP address, receive an indication of IP address acquisition failure;
• and
• responsive to receiving the indication of IP address acquisition failure, ban the profile.