Protecting the Wi-Fi network is essential to avoid intruders and ensure that the speed is adequate and not have problems. However, it is not enough to put a password, since other factors come into play. The first thing is that this key is really strong and complex. But another essential point is the type of encryption that we use. Avoid the old and obsolete ones and use the most recent ones. Now, within WPA3 , which is the last one, there are different types as we are going to see.
Why is Wi-Fi encryption important?
The different Wi-Fi encryptions are based on an authentication protocol that will be in charge of requesting the access code to enter the wireless network. These protocols have been improving over time. The security that we found in Wi-Fi networks 20 years ago is not the same as it is today.
Depending on the type of encryption, the key can have a series of characters (numbers, letters, symbols…). For example, a 256-bit encryption will require a password of 64 hexadecimal digits or a phrase of between 8 and 63 ASCII characters. A 64-bit one, on the other hand, would work with 10 hexadecimal characters or 8 ASCII characters.
As we can see, there are differences that will undoubtedly help improve the security of our wireless networks. That is why it is very important to choose well what type of encryption we are going to use in our Wi-Fi router and thus achieve maximum protection. The objective is to prevent the entry of intruders that can control our equipment and also affect performance.
Keep in mind that there are encryptions that are now obsolete and do not protect properly. For example WPA and WEP. There are tools that could crack the password and gain access to the wireless network. That is why it is essential to use encryption such as WPA2 or WPA3, which are the most current. Especially the latter is the most reliable today.
WPA3 encryption types
WPA3 is the latest and strongest encryption to protect a Wi-Fi network. It is true that it is not compatible with all routers and not with all devices, but we are seeing more and more devices on the market that are. There are several types of WPA3 encryption, as we will see. Not all of them are the same and not with all of them we will be protected in the same way.
WPA3 Personal
The first type is what is known as WPA3 Personal. The normal thing is that you use this when you connect at a domestic level . It allows us to put a password, the one we want, even if it is not the safest option to protect the network and avoid intruders. Through this key, it will be possible to connect the devices that are in range.
Basically we can say that with WPA3 Personal we will be able to create passwords that are easier to remember. It’s a good idea? The truth is that if we want to optimize protection to the maximum, the ideal is not being able to remember the password that we are putting. This will be a sign that it is really complex.
This type is what is also known as a pre-shared password or PSK. It is a security key that has previously been shared between two parties. Here the router (which would be the access point) will share the same key with the different devices that we use to connect (a computer, a mobile, etc).
WPA3 Enterprise encryption
Another type of WPA3 is what is known as Enterprise or enterprise . In this case we are dealing with something much more secure, which has been designed to protect companies, public institutions, etc. You will use a minimum authentication encryption of 128 bits and a key derivation encryption of 256 bits.
In addition, it is based on an authentication server and not on a password, as was the case with personal encryption. It is known as a RADIUS server and is used to authenticate different users with the access key and a valid certificate. It is not something that we are going to use at a domestic level.
This type will allow greater protection . It is ideal for sending sensitive data that could compromise a company, for example. It is an extra layer of security that is undoubtedly very useful in certain cases.
WPA3 Enterprise with 192-bit mode
But in the case of WPA3 Enterprise there is a variant which is 192-bit mode . There are really no big differences with respect to the previous one, since it only differs in that the minimum authentication encryption is going to be 192 bits instead of 128. It does maintain the same 256-bit key derivation encryption.
It is, therefore, an even greater security plus . It makes network-connected devices even more secure and more difficult for hackers to gain access to our computers and compromise privacy. Again, this is going to be used by large companies and public institutions, basically.
WPA2/WPA3
Beyond the three main types of WPA3 encryption you may come across, you may also see the option of WPA2/WPA3. It is also known as WPA3 Transition or transition. It is very useful to use on computers where devices are connected that are not so new and do not support the latest encryption.
What we get with this option is that the router can accept connections that come from a computer through WPA3 and from a mobile through WPA2, for example. This happens simultaneously and we really wouldn’t have to configure anything every time we wanted to connect.
Therefore, it is a fourth type or fourth possibility that will allow equipment that does not have compatibility to be able to connect. This is used at the domestic level, mainly. In fact, at the moment it is even the most common precisely because of what we explained about device compatibility.
Conclusions
As you have seen, there are different types of WPA3 encryption that you will find. Which one should you use? The truth is that at the domestic level it is practically reduced to WPA3 Personal and WPA2/WPA3, which is the version with compatibility for devices that are older and may have problems. It is very rare that at the individual user level we use WPA3 Enterprise.
You should keep in mind that it is very important to use good encryption, in addition to having an adequate Wi-Fi password. This password must be complex, you must never use simple words or digits that you can remember. Ideally, it should be completely random and unique. Always, as we have seen, combined with good encryption, the best option is currently WPA3.
