Main
»
Wireless
»
Choosing a wireless security mode (WEP or WPA)
Choosing a wireless security mode (WEP or WPA)
When setting up your wireless security there are a number of different protocols that you can choose from. Which one you use will depend on what wireless security protocols your wireless access point and clients support
WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) Because of its age WEP has become susceptible to exploits. WEP is supported by almost all wireless devices so it is a good backup to have incase you have a device you wish to connect to your network that doesn't support the newer WPA standards however because of it's vulnerabilities it isn't recommended for networks which hold sensitive information.
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) is the most secure readily available encryption method for protecting wireless SOHO networks at this time. It is highly recommended that if all devices on your network support the use of WPA that it is used in favour of WEP.
WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access 2) is an improved version of WPA that adds support for the AES encryption method. It is more secure than WPA however it is less commonly supported by wireless devices
