(stressed out equal privateness) is a widespread network protocol that provides protection to Wi-Fi and other 802.11 wi-fi networks. WEP changed into designed to give wi-fi networks the equal stage of privacy safety as a similar stressed network,
however technical flaws substantially limit its usefulness. Newer, more potent safety standards have replaced as the default for most present day networks.
How WEP Works
WEP uses a records encryption scheme based totally on a combination of person- and device-generated key values. The unique implementations of supported encryption keys of 40 bits plus 24 additional bits of gadget-generated records,
leading to keys of sixty four bits in general duration. To growth safety,
these encryption methods had been later extended to aid longer keys, along with 104-bit (128 bits of general statistics), 128-bit (152 bits total) and 232-bit (256 bits general) variations.
When deployed over a Wi-Fi connection,
WEP encrypts the information circulate using those keys so that it’s far no longer human-readable however still may be processed via receiving devices.
The keys themselves are not despatched over the community however rather are stored at the wi-fi community adapter or inside the Windows registry.
WEP and Home Networking
Consumers who purchased 802.11b/g routers within the early 2000s had no practical Wi-Fi protection options available apart from WEP. It served the simple cause of shielding one’s domestic community in opposition to login by buddies.
Home broadband routers that aid WEP commonly allow directors to enter up to 4 different keys into the router’s console so the router can take delivery of connections from clients installation with someone of these keys. Although this feature does not enhance the safety of any person connection,
it gives administrators added flexibility in distributing keys to patron devices. For example, a house owner can also designate one key for use best with the aid of own family contributors and others,
for visitors. With this option,
they could select to trade or do away with vacationer keys any time they desire without editing the family’s own devices.
Why WEP Is Not Recommended for General Use
WEP become introduced in 1999. Within some years, numerous security researchers found flaws in its layout. With easy and without problems available gear,
a hacker can decide the key and use it to interrupt into an energetic Wi-Fi community within a rely of mins.
Vendor-unique enhancements to along with WEP+ and dynamic tried to patch some of the shortcomings of,
however those technology additionally have proved unworkable these days.
Replacements for WEP
WPA changed WEP in 2004, and WPA2 then replaced WPA. Although running a community with WEP enabled is arguably better than strolling and not using a wireless encryption safety at all,
the difference is negligible from a security angle.