FAQs

That depends.  If all of the devices in your network are Wi-Fi CERTIFIED for WPA2 (Wi-Fi Protected Access) security, and you have enabled those features with a strong passcode, your network is protected by the strongest security technology.  A strong passcode is at least 20 characters in length and combines letters, numbers and symbols, with no discernible words.  However, if any of your equipment only supports WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy), the network security level will drop back to that level and is not as secure, and should be upgraded.  Moreover, no network is secure if the security features are disabled. 

On most client devices, a user can determine if a network is secured by clicking on the wireless connection properties dialog.  It will indicate the level of network security enabled:

• Open network or none
• WEP (Wired Equivalent Privacy)
• WPA (May also be called WPA-PSK or TKIP)
• WPA2 (May also be called AES or CCMP)

Do not use WEP if you want to have security protections in place.  Wi-Fi Alliance recommends WPA2 with AES as the most advanced security protection available.  If the client device does not support this, a user can check the settings on the access point device to determine the level of security which has been enabled.