Thread: Wireless security confusion

My wireless network currently uses WEP security and I have found comments in magazines and forums saying that WPA is better but not by much; that it takes hackers just a few minutes longer to access your system.

I have a desktop PC, a Nintendo Wii and DS, and an Xbox 360, and I will soon buy another Pc. I know that the DS does not support WPA, but the second PC, Xbox and Wii will be accessing the network wirelessly and are the most important devices in that order.

Worry not: WPA is very much better than WEP as far as wireless security goes. WEP security is too weak to recommend these days, but if you are using a WPA network, you will be safe as long as (and this is the important part) you choose a strong password.

It's true that WPAcan be cracked if you choose a short password from the dictionary. That's why you should always use a phrase, as long as you can manage, and for good measure throw in numbers and spaces. The more complex the password, the harder the network will be for an attacker to get into. Do bear in mind that professional hackers are unlikely to try to crack into your home network, so the main danger is from what we might call opportunists: people who see a network and try to access it for a few minutes for whatever reason. As long as you have a strong, long WPA password, you should be safe.

As for the second part about the devices, if your Nintendo DS doesn't support WPA, you can either switch down to WEP or not use the DS with your wireless network. Personally, we'd recommend simply not using the OS online, but the choice is yours. The other devices you mention - the PCs, Wii and Xbox 360 - will all communicate with a WPAnetwork without problem, as will most modem devices that use wireless networks (in our reviews section, we mark down Products that don't support WPA).