What Is The Difference Between WPA and WPA2?
WPA vs WPA2
WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and WPA2
are two of the security measures that can be used to protect wireless
networks. WPA uses TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) while WPA2 is
capable of using TKIP or the more advanced AES algorithm.
Wi-Fi provided people with a quick and
hassle free method of connecting to a network without the need for
wires. But there is no such thing as a free lunch, this is true even
with wireless networking. The price of not needing wires is the
possibility of unauthorized people using the network and accessing data
and resources. This is not a problem with wired networks as they would
need to physically intrude in your premises to connect to the LAN.
WPA was created to replace WEP in securing wireless networks when it
was found out that serious flaws made it very easy to gain access.
Despite being much harder to crack, it was still possible with the use
of more advanced tools.
WPA2 addresses this problem with the
introduction of the AES algorithm. Theoretically, passphrases created
with the AES algorithm are virtually uncrackable. Most people and
businesses who have wireless networks should find WPA2 to be more than
adequate for their security needs.
The only disadvantage of WPA2 is in the
amount of processing power that it needs in order to protect your
network. This translates to a direct need for more powerful hardware or
suffer a reduction in network performance for heavily used networks.
This is an issue with older access points which were designed and built
prior to WPA2 and only implemented WPA2 via a firmware upgrade. Most of
the more recent access points have been equipped with more capable
hardware to minimize the speed degradation.
You should use WPA2 if you are capable
as it provides the maximum protection regardless of whether you fully
need that much protection. The only time that using WPA would be
sufficient is when your access point is not capable of supporting WPA2.
You could also fall back to WPA if your access point routinely
experiences high loads and the network speeds suffers from the
utilization of WPA2. But for establishments where security is of utmost
importance, buying better access points is the only option.
Summary:
1.WPA2 is the improved version of WPA
2.WPA only supports TKIP encryption while WPA2 supports AES
3.Theoretically, WPA2 is not hackable while WPA is
4.WPA2 requires more processing power than WPA
1.WPA2 is the improved version of WPA
2.WPA only supports TKIP encryption while WPA2 supports AES
3.Theoretically, WPA2 is not hackable while WPA is
4.WPA2 requires more processing power than WPA
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