by WPA, or Wi-Fi Protected Access, is a security protocol for wireless networks. It was created to improve upon the security weaknesses of the WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy) protocol, which was the original security protocol for wireless networks. WPA uses stronger encryption and authentication methods to protect wireless communications from unauthorized access. It can be configured in two different modes: WPA-Personal (also known as WPA-PSK) and WPA-Enterprise (also known as WPA-Radius). WPA-Personal uses a pre-shared key (PSK) for authentication, while WPA-Enterprise uses a RADIUS server for authentication.
Advantages of WPA:
- Improved security: WPA uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol) which are more secure than the WEP encryption used in earlier wireless networks.
- Authentication: WPA uses the 802.1X standard for authentication which is more secure than the simple password-based authentication used in WEP.
- Easy to implement: WPA can be easily implemented on existing wireless networks without the need for new hardware.
- Backward compatibility: WPA is backward-compatible with devices that support WEP, which means that users can continue to use their existing wireless devices.
Disadvantages of WPA:
- Vulnerabilities: WPA is not completely invulnerable to hacking and may be vulnerable to certain types of attacks such as dictionary attacks, cracking of the pre-shared key and man-in-the-middle attacks.
- Complexity: WPA-Enterprise mode is more complex to set up and maintain than WPA-Personal mode, as it requires a RADIUS server.
- Limited support: Some older wireless devices may not support WPA and will need to be replaced.
- Not as secure as WPA2: WPA is not as secure as its successor, WPA2, which uses the Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) for encryption and is less vulnerable to hacking
Important differences between WPA and WPS
| Feature | WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) | WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) |
| Purpose | Wireless network security protocol | Wireless networking standard for easy and secure setup of a wireless network |
| Authentication | 802.1X standard, two different modes (WPA-Personal and WPA-Enterprise) | 8-digit pin code or push-button method |
| Encryption | Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) | Encryption to secure the wireless connection between devices and the router |
| Security | Stronger encryption and authentication methods | Secure option for non-technical users |
| Vulnerabilities | Less vulnerable to hacking | Vulnerable to hacking attacks if not properly configured |
Key differences between WPA and WPS
The main differences between WPA (Wi-Fi Protected Access) and WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup) are:
- Purpose: WPA is a security protocol for wireless networks, designed to protect wireless communications from unauthorized access. WPS, on the other hand, is a wireless networking standard that allows for easy and secure setup of a wireless network.
- Authentication: WPA uses the 802.1X standard for authentication and can be configured in two different modes: WPA-Personal and WPA-Enterprise. WPS uses an 8-digit pin code or a push-button method to connect devices to the wireless network.
- Encryption: WPA uses Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) for encryption, while WPS uses encryption to secure the wireless connection between devices and the router.
- Security: WPA is considered to be more secure than WPS, as WPA uses stronger encryption and authentication methods. However, WPS is still considered to be secure and is an easy option for non-technical users.
- Vulnerabilities: WPA is less vulnerable to hacking as compared to WPS which has been found to have security vulnerabilities and may be vulnerable to hacking attacks if not properly configured.
