You define an encryption passphrase on the wireless router and any other access points (APs). Personal or Pre-Shared Key (PSK) Mode: This mode is appropriate for most home networks�but not business networks.Now let's get started! Two Modes of WPA/WPA2: Personal (PSK) versus Enterpriseīoth versions of Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA/WPA2) can be implemented in either of two modes: We'll see how and why you'd want to move from the easy-to-use Personal mode to the Enterprise mode. In this article, we'll discover the two very different modes of Wi-Fi Protected Access.
The second version (WPA2), released in mid-2004, does provide complete security, however, because it fully implements the IEEE 802.11i security standard with CCMP/AES encryption. Although the first version (WPA), which uses TKIP/RC4 encryption, has gotten beaten up a bit, is not totally cracked, and can still be very secure. In 2003, the Wi-Fi Alliance released a security standard called Wi-Fi Protected Access. This first wireless LAN security standard, developed by the IEEE, has been vulnerable to cracking by Wi-Fi hackers for nearly a decade now.
Wi-Fi Hotspots: Setting Up Public Wireless Internet AccessĪs you may know already, Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP) security is not secure.