Wi-Fi security

In article <Pxpdd.27785$ snipped-for-privacy@news.chello.at>, DJkapi snipped-for-privacy@chello.pl wrote: :Do you happen to know why 802.11g standard is known to be more secure than :802.11b? I heared something like it but i dont know the answer.

It isn't. However, WiFi security methods improved after 802.11b was standardized but before 802.11g was standardized, so a number of vendors built the new security into their 802.11g designs and didn't bother to go back to their 802.11b and put the same security in. The change might have required hardware modifications, for example, and it is seldom profitable to go back and redesign less-capable hardware when newer faster hardware with backwards compatability is already in place.

The fault is not in 802.11b but in the economics of retrofitting. If you use a 802.11g device in 802.11b mode, you can use the newer security features, provided that the other end understands them.

DJkapi schrieb:

You may mean 802.11i, which is the successor of the flawed WEP (i.e.

802.11) security scheme. 802.11g is only a faster version of 802.11b.

In theory, 802.11i may be applied to 802.11b and 802.11g (and any other flavors, such as 802.11a), although I doubt that there will be any

802.11b-only adapter still come up with 802.11i.

Michael

No I am pretty sure that I heard something about security in 11g and 11b which let as think that

11g is more secure. I know that 802.11g is only faster from 11b nd uses OFDM modulation, but maybe there is somtehing that makes 802.11g more secure than 802.11b. Maybe it is because of higher transfer rate or used modulation?

Regards, DJKapi

There's nothing in 802.11g that makes it more or less secure than

802.11b. However, the improved WPA encryption standard was released slightly after the 802.11g cards were available. That may be what you've heard. Most 802.11g card do WPA, while only a limited number of 802.11b cards support WPA.

Taking a moment's reflection, DJkapi mused: | | No I am pretty sure that I heard something about security in 11g and 11b | which let as think that 11g is more secure.

You are probably referring to the fact that most 11g hardware ships with WPA encryption support in addition to WEP. Most 11b hardware does not support WPA, and will not / cannot be updated to support it.

I think you are right. Thank you for your answers!

Regards, DJKapi