As Wi-Fi continues to become universal, threat actors are also fine-tuning their attacks. It is one of the many reasons to use the latest available security protocols for your wireless networks. Considering that you need support for legacy support, WPA2 is a great option out there. However, you should know how to configure a router to use WPA2 for maximum safety. In this guide, I shall explain your options and how to go about it.
What is WPA2?
WPA2 stands for Wireless Protected Access 2, and it is the second version of the WPA security protocol. This protocol is responsible for encrypting the data that passes through the router. When you connect a device to a WPA2 network, all data transmissions between the device and the router will use the encryption options dictated by the WPA2 security protocol.
WPA2 is one of the best encryption techs you can find today, as it uses the Advanced Encryption System. For reference, AES has been the gold standard for data encryption, and even the United States government uses it to protect its classified data. Therefore, the WPA2 security protocol is powerful enough to protect your Wi-Fi network from potential threats of unauthorized access.
Benefits of Using WPA2
The WPA2 security protocol offers multiple benefits, especially when compared to the two previous versions: WPA and WEP.
- Compared to previous security protocols, WPA2 brings overall improvement to security, encryption, and data management. In particular, WPA2 uses Temporal Key Integrity and Cipher Block Chaining Message Authentication Code protocols. As a result, the AES-based encryption is a big upgrade so long as you stick to WPA2 (AES).
- The key management options on WPA2 also make it a better security protocol than WPA and WEP. Its 4-way handshake method ensures a super-secure authentication system, which can prevent many types of interception-oriented attacks.
- Because WPA2 is newer than WPA and WEP, you should expect better protection from legacy forms of attacks. You will remain prone to these attacks if you continue using WPA or WEP. So, upgrading to WPA2 is the right step in the direction of better security.
- Since its launch in 2004, WPA2 has become the standard security protocol for Wi-Fi, and most devices now offer native support for this protocol. As a result, you can expect better privacy and security while maintaining the convenience of powerful Wi-Fi.
In some instances, WPA2 may offer better compatibility than WPA3, but that is a different topic altogether. Overall, upgrading to WPA2 from previous versions is a win-win situation for most users and companies.
How To Check If A Router Is Already Running WPA2
Before configuring a router to use WPA, you should check whether the router is already running WPA2. On most devices, this task is easy. You simply need a Wi-Fi-enabled device that is connected to the router. You can find out the current security protocol of the network through built-in utilities.
On Windows
You can use the Command Prompt on your Windows PC to check whether a router is already running WPA2. To do this, open Command Prompt and enter the following command. Press the Enter key to proceed.
netsh wlan show interfaces
Your PC will now list all the network interfaces connected to the computer. Find the Wi-Fi module from the list and look for an entry called Authentication.
You will see either WPA2-PSK or WPA2-Enterprise based on the environment.
On macOS
On your Mac, you can find the security protocol and other details of a Wi-Fi network using a simple step.
Press and hold the Option key and click on the Wi-Fi icon on the menu bar. You can see the current Security protocol of the network.
On other devices
If you cannot use these methods, I would recommend checking out a Wi-Fi Analyzer app. These apps offer a bunch of features, starting with advanced information about the Wi-Fi network. You can also use the router dashboard to gather information about the security protocol. However, you can find those steps below.
Configure Router for WPA2
If you find that your router is using WPA or WEP, it is high time that you upgrade to WPA2. Configuring WPA2 on a router is easy if you know the proper steps. Of course, you should have a WPA2-enabled Wi-Fi router in the first place. Don’t worry; your router will definitely support WPA2, if not WPA3.
The steps for configuration are:
- Make sure that you are connected to the local network via Wi-Fi or Ethernet. I recommend choosing the Ethernet option because it can avoid potential errors. You should keep in mind that your wireless network will disconnect during the process.
- Once you are connected, you need to access the router control dashboard by entering the router’s default IP address. The IP address could be 192.168.1.1, 192.168.0.1, or 1.0.0.1, based on the router model and manufacturer.
- After you log in to the dashboard using the official credentials, go to Network > Network Security. It is now time to locate something like Network Security, Encryption Security, or Network Security Key.
- From the available options, choose WPA2-PSK or WPA2-Enterprise based on the environment.
- You may have to choose a stronger password for the WPA2 configuration, especially if you have an open Wi-Fi network before.
- Once you enter the new password, press Continue and proceed with the Restart. After the restart, the Wi-Fi network will be visible, and you can connect your devices using the new password.
- As I said, all connected devices will disconnect from the Wi-Fi network when you change the security protocol. So, you should be patient enough to reconnect all those devices to the new network.
You can use the steps from the previous subsection to check whether the router has shifted to WPA2 from WEP or WPA. By the way, here’s something you should avoid:
Some Wi-Fi routers may have an option called WPA/WPA2. This means that the WPA protocol will remain active, which, in most cases, will defeat the whole purpose. So, make sure you stay away from a hybrid pick like this. Instead, go for a WPA2-only mode, which can boost the overall network security.
Conclusion
As you have seen, configuring a router to use WPA2 is not rocket science. The process takes only seconds if you know the right steps. If you ask me, you should skip WPA2 and enable WPA3. This way, you can protect your network and devices from modern threats as well. At the end of the day, that’s what we need, right?
