WPA/WPA2 with unused WPA: Effectively WPA2?

[Eug]

Just wondering...

For a wireless network set up to support both WPA and WPA2, but which is only used for WPA2: Is that effectively as safe as WPA2? I figured it would be because there would be no WPA packets to sniff.

The reason I'm wondering is because I have a couple of very old machines that only support WPA. However, since they're so old, I rarely use them. They're mainly for guests, etc. so 99.9% of the time they are not even on. All my other machines support WPA2, so I'd just be using that.

BTW, WPA/WPA2 would just be for the 2.4 GHz guest network. The main networks (both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) are WPA2 only.

 

[bobdole369]

Just wondering...

For a wireless network set up to support both WPA and WPA2, but which is only used for WPA2: Is that effectively as safe as WPA2? I figured it would be because there would be no WPA packets to sniff.

The reason I'm wondering is because I have a couple of very old machines that only support WPA. However, since they're so old, I rarely use them. They're mainly for guests, etc. so 99.9% of the time they are not even on. All my other machines support WPA2, so I'd just be using that.

BTW, WPA/WPA2 would just be for the 2.4 GHz guest network. The main networks (both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz) are WPA2 only.

Security-wise - either WPA or WPA2 are vulnerable in the same way. i.e. they are essentially equal. The vector of attack for either is brute-forcing the keys based on logging the 4-way handshake when a client connects. (the attacker records the encrypted transaction and some data and uses a dictionary or brute attack to obtain the key). The difference is that WPA2 uses AES for its encryption, vs WPA's TKIP. Neither are broken in any meaningful (useful) way. So WPA is perfectly fine to use as long as you remember your WPA rules - LONG alphanumeric + special character encryption keys. No dictionary based words.

 

[JackMDS]

Wether WPA is good enough security it yours to decide.

For 99% of end users with good password it is safe.

Since sniffing is Not a way the brake WPA, if it is On, the security level for logon is WPA.



😎

 

[Eug]

Ok I will use WPA/WPA2 for the guest network thx.

Which reminds me. My primary subnet's key is not dictionary based but it is only 8 chars. My guest subnet is more than 20 chars but is partially dictionary based (so the guests can remember it). Perhaps it's time to update those passphrases.

PS. Some of my neighbors are still using WEP.

 

[VirtualLarry]

I thought that WPA/TKIP was proven to be insecure, only WPA/AES and WPA2/AES are "secure".