802.11n security issue?

[gwlogue]

A friend went to a large electronics chain and purchased an -n router and cards. The sales clerk told him there will be problems with setting up security because it's -n and recommended he have their tech people come and do the install and setup in his home.

Sales pitch or is there something to this?

[gwlogue]

Maybe there is an issue. As I research this I am finding multiple discussions about speed and WPA. I'm getting a little confused about WPA vs WPA-PSK vs with AES vs WPA2.

[Train]

As long as they are from the same compatability line from the same make, normally everything is straight forward.

Mix brands and all . ... .. can break out.

And the different versions shall we say
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Access

[Midknyte]

802.11g has all those encryption types as well, so I don't know what the sales guy was talking about. If you can setup a G network, then you can setup an N network.

Any encryption will slow you down a bit, but that is no excuse to run an unencrypted network.

PSK is a PreShared Key. That's what home networks would use.
You either want to run WPA w/ AES (instead of TKIP) or WPA2.

[gwlogue]

Thanks for the help. I will go over to his place on the weekend and give him a hand setting it up. I will go with WAP2.

[Midknyte]

If you have XP clients, they need to be SP3 or SP2 with the WPA2 hotfix.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/917021

[cat6]

Cheap Sale pitch.

It does not matter if it is 802.11b, 802.11g, or 802.11n

These are the Rules.

From the weakest to the strongest, Wireless security capacity is.
No Security
Switching Off SSID (same has No Security. SSID can be easily sniffed even if it is Off)
MAC Filtering______(Band Aid if nothing else is available, MAC number can be easily Spoofed).
WEP64____(Easy, to "Break" by knowledgeable people).
WEP128___(A little Harder, but "Hackable" too).
-------------------
The three above are Not considered safe.
Safe Starts here at WPA.
-------------------
WPA-PSK__(Very Hard to Break).
WPA-AES__(Not functionally Breakable)
WPA2____ (Not functionally Breakable).

Note 1: WPA-AES the the current entry level rendition of WPA2.

Note 2: If you use WinXP bellow SP3 and did not updated it, you would have to download the WPA2 patch from Microsoft. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/893357

The documentation of your Wireless devices (Wireless Router, and Wireless Computer's Card) should state the type of security that is available with your Wireless hardware.

All devices MUST be set to the same security level using the same pass phrase.

Therefore the security must be set according what ever is the best possible of one of the Wireless devices.

I.e. even if most of your system might be capable to be configured to the max. with WPA2, but one device is only capable to be configured to max . of WEP, to whole system must be configured to WEP.

If you need more good security and one device (like a Wireless card that can do WEP only) is holding better security for the whole Network, replace the device with a better one.

Setting Wireless Security - http://www.ezlan.net/Wireless_Security.html

The Core differences between WEP, WPA, and WPA2 - http://www.ezlan.net/wpa_wep.html
.

[gwlogue]

Thanks cat6. That was a very concise summary at the level I need. Well done.