1. What is the Password Combination Formula?

The password combination formula calculates the total number of possible passwords given a specific character set size and password length. It's fundamental in password security analysis and brute-force attack estimation.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the combination formula:

Where:

• \( charset \) — Size of the character set (e.g., 26 for lowercase letters)
• \( L \) — Length of the password in characters

Explanation: Each character in the password can be any of the charset characters, and the choices multiply for each additional character.

3. Importance of Combination Calculation

Details: Understanding possible combinations helps evaluate password strength, estimate cracking times, and set appropriate password policies.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter the size of your character set (e.g., 26 for lowercase letters only, 62 for alphanumeric) and desired password length. All values must be positive integers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What's a typical charset size?
A: Common values: 26 (lowercase), 52 (upper+lower), 62 (alphanumeric), 94 (printable ASCII).

Q2: How does length affect security?
A: Each additional character exponentially increases combinations. An 8-character password with 62 chars has 2.18e14 combinations vs 9-char's 1.35e16.

Q3: What's considered a strong password?
A: Generally ≥1e14 combinations is good, but depends on hash strength and attacker capabilities.

Q4: How does this relate to cracking time?
A: Cracking time = Combinations / (Guesses per second). 1e14 combinations at 1e9 guesses/sec = ~1.16 days.

Q5: Should I only rely on combination count?
A: No, also consider dictionary attacks, predictability, and password reuse. Combination count assumes truly random passwords.