Wi-Fi security isn’t something to gloss over. If you’re still using WEP, you’re putting your network at risk. In the debate over WEP vs. WPA, the answer is clear—WPA offers stronger encryption and better protection against security threats.

We'll be discussing:

• The real story behind WEP and WPA
• Why WPA pulled ahead—and WEP never caught up
• Still using WEP? Here’s why that’s a problem
• What attackers actually do on WEP networks
• How to tell what your Wi-Fi is using right now
• Upgrading from WEP
• WEP, WPA, WPA2, WPA3—what each one really offers
• Questions we hear all the time about Wi-Fi encryption
• If you're serious about security, here's what Meter does differently.

What are WEP and WPA?

WEP stands for Wired Equivalent Privacy, and WPA stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access. Both are protocols meant to secure Wi-Fi networks by encrypting traffic between devices and the router.

The two were designed to prevent outsiders from snooping on wireless traffic. But WEP encryption was broken years ago and can be cracked in minutes. That’s why most devices and routers have moved on to WPA, WPA2, or WPA3.

WEP had good intentions when Wi-Fi first rolled out, but it simply didn’t hold up. We’ve seen firsthand how weak encryption exposes networks to intrusion. Businesses relying on WEP protocol are gambling with their security.

Difference between WEP vs. WPA

WPA outperforms WEP in every meaningful way.

WEP was built around the RC4 cipher, which had several flaws—especially in how it reused keys. Hackers caught on fast and built tools to break it with little effort.

WPA addressed many of those issues by adding Temporal Key Integrity Protocol (TKIP) and rotating encryption keys. That alone made it much harder for attackers to gain access. Later versions like WPA2 and WPA3 added AES encryption, a much stronger standard used in modern cybersecurity.

We recommend skipping WEP entirely and using WPA2 or WPA3. They’re far more secure and widely supported across current devices.

WEP vs. WPA: Which one should you use?

Use WPA or newer—never WEP. There’s no scenario where WEP is a good choice. It’s outdated, easy to break, and blocked by many modern routers.

That said, some legacy devices still only support WEP. In those cases, it’s worth evaluating whether the device is even safe to keep. If replacement isn’t an option, segment it on a separate VLAN with no access to the main network.

We’ve helped businesses upgrade from WEP networks that left them wide open to intrusion. After switching to WPA2 or WPA3, they saw a sharp drop in intrusion attempts and better compliance with security frameworks.

Note: WEP networks are a major security risk

WEP networks are easy targets. Here’s why:

• WEP keys can be cracked in under 5 minutes using tools like Aircrack-ng.
• WEP is often used in man-in-the-middle attacks and credential theft.
• Most routers and operating systems no longer support WEP natively.

Attackers often scan for legacy networks using WEP because they’re easy to exploit. In fact, many open-source hacking tools are pre-configured to look for them.

WEP cyber security: Common attack methods

WEP security is full of holes, and attackers know exactly how to exploit them.

Packet sniffing and decryption

WEP uses static keys and weak encryption. Attackers capture packets, look for repeated patterns, and crack the key in minutes.

IV collisions and replay attacks

WEP reuses short initialization vectors (IVs), which makes collisions likely. Hackers replay old packets to speed up cracking.

ARP spoofing and injection

Attackers flood the network with fake ARP requests. This tricks devices and generates more traffic to analyze.

Man-in-the-middle attacks

Once on a WEP network, attackers can intercept traffic, steal logins, or redirect users to fake websites.

WEP doesn’t block any of this. It has no real defenses against replay, spoofing, or impersonation. We’ve seen these attacks happen on public guest networks and outdated enterprise gear.

How to check if your Wi-Fi uses WEP or WPA

You can check your encryption type from your device or router.

On Windows or macOS

Go to your network settings. Look for the Wi-Fi details—it should list the security type.

On Windows:

• Open Command Prompt.
• Type: netsh wlan show interfaces.
• Look under “Authentication” to see WEP, WPA2, or WPA3.

On macOS:

• Hold Option and click the Wi-Fi icon in the top menu.
• Find the “Security” label to view the encryption type.

On your router

You can also check your encryption settings directly from the router itself.

This gives you the most accurate view of how your Wi-Fi is secured:

• Open a browser and type 192.168.1.1 (or try 192.168.0.1 or 192.168.1.254).
• Log in with your router username and password.
• Go to Wireless → Security or Wi-Fi Settings.
• Look for WEP, WPA, WPA2, or WPA3 in the encryption options.

If you see WEP, upgrade your network. WPA2 or WPA3 both offer far better protection and are supported on most devices.

How to upgrade from WEP to WPA (or WPA2/WPA3)

If your Wi-Fi is still using WEP, it’s time to change your encryption settings. Most routers let you switch to WPA2 or WPA3 in a few minutes. You’ll need to log in to the router’s admin panel, change the wireless security mode, and reconnect your devices.

Here’s how to do it step-by-step.

1. Access your router settings

You’ll need to log into your router’s admin dashboard using a browser:

• Open a browser on a device connected to the network (wired or wireless).
• In the address bar, type the router’s IP address. This is usually:
  
  • 192.168.1.1
  • 192.168.0.1
  • or 192.168.1.254
• If none of those work, check the router label or run ipconfig (Windows) or netstat -rn (Mac) and find the Default Gateway.
• Enter your router username and password. If you haven’t changed them, they’re likely printed on the router label or listed as “admin”/“password” by default.

Pro tip: If you’re locked out, try resetting the router using the pinhole button on the back.

2. Find the wireless security settings

Once inside the dashboard, look for the section that controls Wi-Fi encryption:

• Navigate to something labeled Wireless Settings, Wireless Security, Wi-Fi Settings, or Security.
• Some routers have separate tabs for 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands—update both if that applies.
• You should see a drop-down menu or set of radio buttons labeled something like:
  
  • Security Mode
  • Network Authentication
  • or Encryption Type

If it says WEP, you’re in the right place—and it’s time to change it.

3. Switch to WPA2 or WPA3

Select WPA2-PSK (AES) if WPA3 isn’t available:

• Choose WPA2-PSK (also called WPA2-Personal) with AES encryption—this is the most widely supported and secure setting for most networks.
• If your router supports WPA3, use it—but only if all or most of your devices support it. Some older devices may fail to connect.
• Avoid options like WPA/WPA2 Mixed Mode unless you have legacy devices that absolutely need it. Mixed modes can lower security.

Update the Wi-Fi password while you’re here, especially if it hasn’t been changed in years. Pick something long and unique—at least 12 characters, including letters and numbers.

4. Save settings and reconnect devices

The last step is applying the changes and reconnecting everything:

• Click Save, Apply, or Submit—whatever your router uses to confirm changes.
• The network will reset. Any device connected using the old WEP password will be disconnected.
• Reconnect each device manually using the new password and confirm it connects using WPA2 or WPA3 (you can check this in device settings).

Some devices may need to “forget” the network first before reconnecting. On older hardware, firmware updates may be needed to support WPA2.

We’ve helped businesses transition from insecure WEP networks to fully managed systems using WPA2 or WPA3. In almost every case, they saw immediate improvements—not just in security, but also in network responsiveness.

Teams often confuse slow performance with encryption overhead, but it's usually a matter of speed vs. bandwidth—and switching from WEP helps clean that up. Once it's replaced, network traffic becomes more stable and less vulnerable to interference or attack.

WEP, WPA, WPA2, and WPA3: Full comparison

WEP: Wired Equivalent Privacy

WEP was the first Wi-Fi encryption standard, launched with the original 802.11 spec in 1997. It was designed to offer data privacy on wireless networks at a time when wired networks dominated—hence the name Wired Equivalent Privacy.

But WEP had major flaws from the start:

• It used RC4 encryption with a 24-bit initialization vector (IV), which was too short.
• IV collisions made it easy to predict and reuse keys.
• WEP lacked proper replay protection, so attackers could inject or resend packets.
• Shared static keys meant everyone on the network used the same encryption key.

Attackers can break WEP in minutes using free tools. That’s why it was officially retired by the Wi-Fi Alliance in 2004 and replaced by WPA. Most routers no longer support it. We’ve seen many breach attempts succeed solely because the network was still using WEP.

WPA: Wi-Fi Protected Access

WPA was introduced in 2003 as an emergency patch to fix WEP’s problems.

It reused some hardware built for WEP but added stronger protections:

• It replaced static keys with TKIP (Temporal Key Integrity Protocol), which dynamically changed keys.
• WPA added Message Integrity Check to prevent packet tampering.
• It still used RC4, so it inherited some of the same cryptographic weaknesses.

WPA was a step forward, but not a long-term fix. Over time, vulnerabilities in TKIP and RC4 were exposed. WPA is now considered outdated, and some routers even flag it as insecure. It may still exist on older access points or devices that haven’t had firmware updates in years.

We recommend against using WPA unless you're working with legacy hardware that can’t handle WPA2.

WPA2: Wi-Fi Protected Access II

WPA2 became the Wi-Fi standard in 2006. It replaced TKIP with AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), a stronger algorithm widely used in cybersecurity and military-grade encryption.

Key improvements over WPA:

• It uses AES-CCMP, which adds counter mode encryption and message authentication.
• WPA2 supports PSK (Pre-Shared Key) mode for homes and small offices and Enterprise mode with 802.1X for larger environments.
• This standard offers reliable protection against brute-force, replay, and packet injection attacks—if configured properly.

Most routers today default to WPA2-PSK (AES). It’s compatible with nearly all devices released in the past 10 years. If your device says it’s using WPA2 but is still relying on TKIP, it’s time to update both the router and client firmware.

WPA2 strikes a solid balance between security and compatibility. It’s what we see most often in business environments.

WPA3: Wi-Fi Protected Access III

WPA3 launched in 2018 and addresses the main weaknesses in WPA2. It brings new protections that matter more today—especially in shared or high-density environments.

WPA3 improvements include:

• SAE (Simultaneous Authentication of Equals) replaces PSK with a stronger key exchange that blocks offline brute-force attacks.
• Forward secrecy stops attackers from decrypting past traffic, even if passwords are exposed later.
• OWE (Opportunistic Wireless Encryption) adds mandatory encryption to open networks without requiring a password.
• WPA3-Enterprise adds stronger protections with 192-bit encryption aligned with commercial security standards.

The downside is that not all devices support WPA3 yet. You need both the router and client to support it for it to work. Some routers offer WPA2/WPA3 transitional mode, which allows mixed devices to connect—but that can lower overall security.

If you’re rolling out new infrastructure or replacing hardware, WPA3 is worth adopting. It’s where Wi-Fi security is headed.

Frequently asked questions

Why is WEP still used if it’s insecure?

Some old devices only support WEP. Still, that’s not a reason to keep using it—most should be retired.

Can I still connect to a WEP network safely?

There’s no safe way to use WEP. Traffic is exposed, and credentials can be stolen easily.

Is WPA2 secure enough, or should I use WPA3?

WPA2 is still strong, but WPA3 offers better protection and future-proofs your setup.

Does WEP encryption slow down internet speeds?

Not directly, but routers using WEP are usually outdated and slower overall.

Is WEP or WPA more secure?

WPA is far more secure. WEP should never be used on any modern network.

Upgrade your Wi-Fi security—switch to Meter

The real takeaway from WEP vs. WPA isn’t just that one is more secure—it’s that your network deserves a better foundation.

At Meter, we handle the installation, hardware, configuration, monitoring, and long-term support. Our vertically integrated model means we build and manage your network as a single, connected system—no outside vendors, no loose ends.

As your team grows or your space changes, we scale the network with you—without adding pressure to your IT team or capex planning.

Key features of Meter Network include:

• Vertically integrated: Meter-built access points, switches, and security appliances work together to create a cohesive, stress-free network management experience.
• Managed experience: Meter provides user support and done-with-you network management to reduce the burden on in-house networking teams.
• Hassle-free installation: Simply provide a floor plan, and Meter’s team will plan, install, and maintain your network.
• Software: Use Meter’s purpose-built dashboard for deep visibility and granular control of your network, or create custom dashboards with a prompt using Meter Command.
• OpEx pricing: Instead of investing upfront in equipment, Meter charges a simple monthly subscription fee based on your square footage. When it’s time to upgrade your network, Meter provides complimentary new equipment and installation.
• Easy migration and expansion: As you grow, Meter will expand your network with new hardware or entirely relocate your network to a new location free of charge.

To learn more, schedule a demo with Meter.