WPA vs WPA2 vs WPA3: WiFi Security Differences

WPA, WPA2, WPA3 are three types of WiFi security measures. What are their differences? Which one is better? This post gives some answers. For other computer problems, MiniTool software can help you deal with data loss, system backup and restore, manage partitions, etc.

WPA, short for WiFi Protected Access, is a WiFi security standard that is used to secure computer wireless networks. WPA2 (WiFi Protected Access 2) and WPA3 (WiFi Protected Access 3) are two advanced versions of WPA. They have some security improvements over WPA.

WPA vs WPA2 vs WPA3, which one is better? This post explains some differences of these three WiFi security types.

WPA vs WPA2 vs WPA3 – Differences

WPA2 is the improved version of WPA. Since 2006, WPA2 officially replaced WPA. WPA uses TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol), while WPA2 uses TKIP or the more advanced AES-based encryption algorithm. The newest WPA3 is announced in January 2018 to replace WPA2. WPA3-Enterprice mode uses AES-256 in GCM mode, while WPA3-Personal mode uses AES-128 in CCM mode as the minimum encryption algorithm.

WPA2 is securer than WPA, and is currently used by most WiFi networks. WPA may be hackable while WPA2 and WPA3 is not. WPA3 includes some important upgrades for wireless network security. WPA3 protect users’ passwords from brute-force attacks. It also adds much stronger 192-bit encryption to the standard to improve the security level a lot. If you emphasize much on WiFi network security, you should choose WPA3, at least WPA2.

However, WPA3 and WPA2 requires more processing power than WPA to protect your WiFi network, so you need more powerful hardware.

As for the data encryption speed, WPA vs WPA2 vs WPA3, WPA3 is fastest while WPA is the slowest.

WPA vs WPA2 vs WPA3 -Verdict

WPA3 is the successor to WPA2, and WPA2 replaces WPA. WPA3 is the most advanced WiFi security standard among these three.
WPA3 and WPA2 is not hackable theoretically, but WPA wireless security type is vulnerable.
WPA3 includes more advanced encryption than WPA2 and WPA. It is the safest.
WPA3/WPA2 requires more processing power than WPA.
WPA3 and WPA2 support most new devices but don’t support some old devices.
It’s advised to choose WPA3 since it’s faster and safer than its predecessors, WPA or WPA2.

WPA vs WPA2 vs WPA3 FAQ

What is better WPA or WPA2?

WPA2 is definitely better than WPA, be it the security level or encryption speed. If your wireless router supports WPA2 and WPA, you should use WPA2.

Is WPA3 better than WPA2?

Yes. WPA3 is better than WPA2. WPA3 uses more advanced encryption technology to secure your wireless network. And the network data encryption speed is faster than WPA2. If the wireless router supports multiple wireless security protocols like WPA3, WPA2, WPA, you should use the most secure one, WPA3.

Should I use WPA or WPA2?

Generally WiFi routers support a variety of security protocols to protect the wireless network, incl. WPA3, WPA2, WPA, WEP. However, you should use the most advanced one. If there is no WPA3, you should choose WPA2 than its predecessors WPA/WEP.

Can WPA2 be upgraded to WPA3?

WPA2 vs WPA3, WPA3 is the newest WiFi encryption standard. The same WiFi router can accept both WPA2 and WPA3. But some devices’ software or firmware may not support WPA3 yet. If the device supports WPA3, you can choose WPA3 as the wireless security protocol.

About The Author

Alisa

Position: Columnist

Alisa is a professional English editor with 4-year experience. She loves writing and focuses on sharing detailed solutions and thoughts for computer problems, data recovery & backup, digital gadgets, tech news, etc. Through her articles, users can always easily get related problems solved and find what they want. In spare time, she likes basketball, badminton, tennis, cycling, running, and singing. She is very funny and energetic in life, and always brings friends lots of laughs.