When replacing a wireless router can you use the old routers wep Key, etc.?

Absolutely… this way, your users don’t have to re-enter the security settings… it will be seamless to them. Just make sure you use the same SSID and IP address for the Gateway (wireless) router

I’d suggest against using WEP encryption – the pass can be cracked in minutes., WPA2 is much more secure.

to address @the100thmonkey‘s concern about security, you can easily thwart an attempt to crack a password by simply disabling the broadcast of your SSID. Once your users have the SSID and password saved in their WiFi profiles, the connection would be automatic if it was set-up that way.

@the100thmonkey Minutes? Maybe if you use a C64! I think that a laptop with a Core i5 CPU could probably crack a WEP key quicker than an authorized user could authenticate their connection :D

@njnyjobs That isn’t 100% foolproof. Don’t ask how I know. It will keep out the casual crackers and skript kiddiez, as well as anybody who sticks with the meager tools integrated into Windoze, but not against somebody serious or with too much free time.

@jerv…ofcourse nothing is 100% foolproof. But, I would assume that if OP has never used anything stronger than a WEP, there’s probably no reason to beef up security level. It“s probably a home router that a casual homeowner uses to surf the web. They probably don’t have servers or vital systems to protect in the first place.

I see how experts like you and the100thmonkey have strong opinions for greatest securities and high performance systems, but you have to realize the level of comfort/expertise the people on this site have for them to ask this kind of questions (no insult intended). So, my suggestion is instead of muddying the water for them by saying things such as WEP is weak and WPA2 is better, without actually providing ways to go about it, then let’s just try to be helpful in the context of their questions.

@njnyjobs Normally I would agree, but I assume that by “casual home user”, you include internet banking, right? WEP is so easy to crack that you may as well just tattoo your passwords on your forehead and post all your banking info (including PINs) on Facebook. I mean, you barely even have to try to crack WEP! A couple of minutes on Google could find you at least a dozen ways around it even if you barely have the computer knowledge to know what WEP is.

Trust me, if I thought the OP was doing anything more sensitive than internet banking or shopping online, I would have stronger (and more complex) security measures. I understand that most people aren’t as knowledgeable about this stuff as the100thmonkey and I; if they were, they wouldn’t be asking. So when I feel the need to give advice, I try to give advice that is simple to follow.
WPA/WPA2 is no harder to set up than WEP; the only real difference in configuration is selecting a different option in one drop-down dialog box. A very simple thing that makes a big difference in security. Simple + effective… seemed worth mentioning.

@jerv And buy the hardware required to use WPA…

@Vincentt What hardware? The only hardware I know that doesn’t support it is stuff built many years ago. My router is older than dirt and it supports WPA/WPA2.
If the OP is still using 802.11b as opposed to 802.11g then there are other problems. However, I assume that the OP has a computer newer than a Pentium III, so chances are that the router is likewise new enough to support WPA.