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? --------------------------------------------------------------------- | We have the right to defend ourselves | http://www.jim.com/jamesd/ and our property, because of the kind | of animals that we are. True law | James A. Donald derives from this right, not from the | arbitrary power of the state. | jamesd@echeque.com