{"id":13472,"date":"2022-05-11T07:19:25","date_gmt":"2022-05-11T14:19:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hellotech.com\/?p=13472"},"modified":"2024-07-11T15:40:48","modified_gmt":"2024-07-11T22:40:48","slug":"which-router-security-option-should-you-choose","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hellotech.com\/blog\/which-router-security-option-should-you-choose","title":{"rendered":"The Best Router Security Settings to Protect Your WiFi Network"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

These days, securing your WiFi network is almost as important as locking your door. Without any security, hackers can use any of your connected devices, even your video doorbell, to breach your network and gain access to your personal information, such as your bank details. In order to protect yourself, modern WiFi routers use security protocols with encryption technology to hide your sensitive information. Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the difference between WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3, so you can choose the right security settings for your WiFi network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is WiFi Encryption?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Most WiFi routers these days will encrypt all the data transmitted from your connected devices, like your computer, smartphone, or smart home devices. That means it will turn all your data into \u201ccipher text,\u201d so no one else can read any of your personal information without the decryption key.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can think of an encryption protocol like a combination lock. You need to have the right combination in order to unlock your data and decrypt it into plain text.<\/p>\n\n\n

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All the WiFi protocols were certified by the WiFi Alliance, a non-profit organization that owns the Wi-Fi trademark. Over the years, there have been 4 different encryption protocols: WEP, WPA, WPA2, and now, WPA3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is WEP?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) was the first wireless security protocol ratified by the WiFi Alliance in 1999. Originally designed to deliver similar protection to a wired connection, there have been numerous security flaws discovered with the WEP standard over the years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In fact, the FBI now states<\/a> that WEP provides \u201clittle or no protection because WEP can be cracked with publicly available software.\u201d Due to these security issues, the WiFi Alliance officially retired WEP in 2004. However, it is important to note that WEP is still better than not using any security protocols at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is WPA?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WPA (WiFi Protected Access) was released in 2003 as a temporary solution to replace the WEP standard. Unlike WEP, which uses the same key for each authorized system, WPA uses Temporal Key Integrity Protocol<\/em> (TKIP) to dynamically generate a unique key for each packet of information that is sent.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, there have also been security flaws found in the WPA protocol, and the WiFi Alliance deprecated the protocol in 2015, stating that it \u201cno longer provides sufficient security to protect consumer or enterprise WiFi networks.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What IS WPA-PSK?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

WPA-PSK (Pre-Shared Key) is a simplified WiFi security protocol designed for home networks. It uses a static key to make things easier, just like WEP, but the key automatically changes on a regular basis in order to prevent hackers from being able to breach your network.  <\/p>\n\n\n

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What Is WPA2?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access Version 2) provides a significant security improvement over the first-generation WPA. Released in 2006, WPA2 is similar to WPA, but it uses a stronger encryption method called Advanced Encryption System (AES) that replaces TKIP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

AES is the same encryption standard used by the US government to protect classified documents. There are very few flaws that have been discovered with WPA-AES, and most of them can be prevented by using a strong password.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In 2006, WPA2 certification became mandatory, so if you have a router that was made after 2006, it should support WPA2. However, WPA2 routers will still revert to WEP when you connect an older device, so make sure to disable WEP on your router to eliminate these vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is WPA3?<\/h2>\n\n\n
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WPA3 is the latest WiFi security protocol ratified by the WiFi Alliance in 2018. As the newest network security protocol, WPA3 builds on WPA2\u2019s security measures by adding features.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For instance, WPA3 uses a \u201chandshake\u201d between your network and any wireless device to verify authentication. If a device is offline, it only allows someone to guess the WiFi password one time. This measure ensures that the user has to be able to physically see your router. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While WPA3-certified products have been rolling out, not everyone will have access to WPA3. If you have an older router, you may need to upgrade it or hope that your manufacturer provides an update that allows the use of WPA3. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is the Best WiFi Security Protocol?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When it comes to choosing a wireless security protocol, the WiFi Alliance recommends that you use WPA3 if your router supports it. However, since it is still so new, you might have to use WPA2 if you have older devices connected to your network.<\/p>\n\n\n

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